Delivered new in France – Ferrari Classiche Certified
1963 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III

• Sold new by Franco Britannic
• Matching numbers and colours
• Still with its original purchase invoice and Bulletin de Garantie (warranty)
• Massini report on file
• Only one owner from 1963 to 2016

"Pininfarina and Enzo Ferrari have collaborated to make a most desirable motor car: expensive, fast and luxuriously comfortable, with a large luggage compartment. All this adds up to a Gran Turismo, with the accent on the 'Gran', par excellence. If you want to go road racing look to the Berlinetta, but for touring in the grand style, 'Two plus Two' equals near perfection." - Sports Cars Illustrated. Intended to extend Ferrari's appeal to a sector of the market already contested by rivals Aston Martin and Maserati, the 250 GTE 2+2 debuted in the summer of 1960. Ferrari's first four-seater, the 250 GTE 2+2 was directly descended from the most commercially successful Ferrari of its day, the 250 GT. Launched in 1954, the latter featured a lighter and more-compact Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V12 in place of its Europa predecessor's Lampredi unit. The 250 GT chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the transverse-leaf type. A four-speed, all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the live rear axle, while hydraulic drums looked after braking all round. Disc brakes arrived late in 1959 and a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox the following year, and both were features the 250 GTE enjoyed from the start of production in 1960. Pininfarina's brief had been to produce a 2+2 without sacrificing the 250's elegant, good looks or sporting demeanour and the master stylist succeeded brilliantly with the GTE.

First seen in prototype form at the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, where it served as the Race Director's car, the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 had its official world premiere later that year at the Paris Salon. There had been four-seater Ferraris before the 250 GTE - Ghia, Touring and Vignale all producing '2+2' designs in the 1950s - but these attempts had been compromised by the necessity of using a chassis not conceived with passenger carrying in mind and were deemed less than entirely successful. Close collaboration between Ferrari and Pininfarina in the design of Maranello's first series-production four-seater ensured that no such criticism could be levelled at the 250 GTE. At 2,600mm in the wheelbase, the multi-tubular chassis was similar to that of the Pininfarina-designed 250 GT 'notchback' Coupé and 200mm longer than the contemporary 250 GT SWB's. Moving the engine forward by 200mm and widening the rear track by 38mm made room for two rear seats in a bodyshell which, despite its increased length, retained Pininfarina's customary classical proportions. Independent front suspension, a live rear axle, all-round disc brakes and a four-speed manual/overdrive gearbox completed the basic chassis specification, while the Tipo 128E outside-plug engine's 240bhp ensured that there was no reduction in performance despite the inevitable weight gain. Top speed was within a whisker of 140mph, while one example driven by Ferrari works driver Phil Hill and carrying two passengers, accelerated from a standstill to 100mph and back to rest in 25 seconds, a staggering achievement for an almost fully laden Grand Tourer.
A popular and highly profitable car for Ferrari, the 250 GTE progressed through three series, changes being confined mainly to the dashboard layout and the front and rear lighting arrangements, before production ceased in 1963. By that time 950 cars had been sold, making the this the most popular and commercially successful Ferrari to date.

This Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III, chassis 4571/GT, left the Maranello factory on 30th April 1963. Bearing the elegant Rosso 20200 Sintetico Italver, paint paired with Nero VM 8500 Connolly upholstery, it was delivered new in France by the Franco-Britannic in Levallois-Perret on 16th May 1963. The original purchase invoice, in the name of Interocean Airways S.A., still available in the historical file, tells us that the car was sold "complete with five chrome-plated wire wheels, with tyres and tools" and cost USD 9,200. Its warranty was then dated 17th May 1963 and made out in the name of Interocean Airways S.A. in Paris. It was in the name of Lawrence M. Kesselman, a pilot and partner in the company, that the car was registered, as noted on the French certificate of conformity dated 20th May 1963. Later, on 1st December 1982, the GTE went through customs in Luxembourg on its way to M.A. Scholer, who was in fact Marie-Antoinette Kesselman-Scholer, the wife of the car's official first owner. The car was then registered in Luxembourg on 11th March 1983 under registration number 29737. We also have an invoice dated 1997 for a service carried out at Jaguar Luxembourg for Mr Lawrence Kesselman of 230 Park Avenue, New York, and likewise a 2001 report from an expert stating that "the vehicle mentioned here is in excellent original condition, as much its mechanical parts as the appearance of the coachwork and interior". It was in 2016 that the original family parted ways with the GTE via Ferrari Eberlein, where a full service was carried out. After receiving its Ferrari Classiche certification on 13th April 2016, confirming its authenticity and that its chassis, engine, gearbox and axle numbers matched, it was acquired by Mr Brueren in the Netherlands, on 25 April 2016. The latter sold the car through Bonhams, at a sale at the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris, in February 2023. Acquired by an eclectic collector, it was entrusted to Dino Sport in Clarbec for a full service. The work completed included the renewal of various parts, the painting of the air box cover, the replacement of various seals, checks and adjustments to the timing chain, adjustment of valve clearance, tuning the carburation and ignition, as well as replacement of all fluids and 12 spark plugs.

Today, the configuration of 4571/GT is as it was when it left the factory. All major mechanical components have matching numbers, and its colours have remained true to the originals, despite paintwork completed several years ago. Its black leather interior has a pleasing patina, and still has its contemporary Becker Grand Prix (documentation for which can be found in the car's file). Fitted with a stainless steel exhaust as a treat for the ears, above all it comes with a file retracing its history, from its original purchase invoice, its French homologation document, its warranty, its customs clearance from Luxembourg, down to its Red Book, along with the Ferrari Classiche plaque and its most recent maintenance invoices.

This GTE represents an excellent opportunity to be part of the 250 dream, by means of a car with a clear history, matching numbers and, what is more, with room for the whole family to enjoy the famous V12 Colombo.