58 | GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE
The 250 GT Pinin Farina – later Pininfarina - Coupé initially used
the Ferrari Tipo 128C V12-cylinder engine, most with single
distributor and with offset gearchange lever and reversed shift
pattern. The 128D engine soon superseded the ‘C’ version, and
later the 128F would follow with ‘outside’ spark plugs between the
exhaust headers. At that time a new overdrive gearbox would also
be adopted, providing an effective fifth speed. Beginning in 1959,
most Coupés would also feature disc brakes in place of the model’s
original drums.
The June, 1960, edition of the American journal ‘Road & Track’ road
tested a Coupé with 128D engine and four-speed gearbox without
overdrive. Weight ready-to-run was 1,370kg – 3,014lbs – and the
Coupé covered the standing-start quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds. The
American road testers verdict was entirely enthusiastic, exclaiming:
“This is a car designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, and it shows...”.
Production of the Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina/Pininfarina Coupé
spanned three years and totaled around 350 examples. This
particular car – chassis No ‘1255 GT’ – is offered here direct from
the Maranello Rosso Collection in which it has been preserved for at
least 25 years.It is the 121st of the total 353 units built and one of 51 originally
painted in the contemporarily popular Grigio Conchiglia MM 16249
code exterior colour scheme. It is also one of 89 such units originally
completed with Rosso VM 3171 coloured interior trim and furnishing.The car’s chassis was first consigned to Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in
Turin on January 9, 1959, and its Certificato d’Origine was issued by
the factory on April 10 that year. On May 14,1959, it was sold new
to first owner Giorgio Perucchetti of Rome, Italy. In June 1959 it was
road registered ‘ROMA 350390’ and on April 28, 1960, the car was
sold to second owner Gianfranco Enzico of Genoa. He had it re-
registered ‘GE 132789’ on May 20, 1960, and on February 20, 1961,
it passed to third owner Mario Candrini of Modena, its declared
purchase price being Lire 1,000,000.