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Details
1967 (1969 registered) FERRARI 330 GTC COUPE
COACHWORK BY PININFARINA
Chassis No. 10377
Engine No. 10377
Bianco with black leather interior
Engine: V12, 3,967cc, 300bhp at 7,000rpm; Gearbox: single dryplate clutch, five speed manual; Suspension: front, independent double wishbones, coil springs, front and rear; Brakes: four wheel disc. Left hand drive.
Unveiled at the Geneva Salon in March 1966, the Ferrari 330GTC (for Grand Turismo Coupe) allied the 275GTB chassis with the basic engine from the 330GT 2+2. Coachwork was of course by Pininfarina and was a compromise of the 400 Superamerica front blended to the rear tail treatment of the 275GTS. Normally such combinations are disastrous, but this one worked well and produced a very elegant car that is by no means out of place today. The new car was a capable performer - fast, quiet and comfortable.
As it inherited the GTB chassis and its rear transaxle, the 330GT 2+2 engine block had to be redesigned in the GTC to accommodate the different engine and differential mounts. At the time of the introduction of the 330GTC, the Ferrari engineers had found the solution to the alignment problems that had affected the 275 series. They introduced a torque tube for the driveshaft which formed a solid link between the engine and rear transaxle. It was this arrangement that reduced the number of engine mounting points and therefore a new block was necessary. The 330GTC came with the same wheelbase as the 275, some 94.5 inches, and naturally had the same four wheel disc brakes and all independent double wishbone and coil suspension.
The GTC provided plenty of room and comfort for two passengers and with the same race-bred engine as its predecessors, it had plenty of performance to match. Indeed from the outset automotive journalists raved about this model. The first road test appeared in The Motor in November 1966 and was conducted by the noted race driver/journalist Paul Frère. He was highly impressed, noting: '...the greatest surprise is the silence of the engine. In handling, the 330GTC is exactly like all the Ferraris I have driven before. It is close to being as neutral as one could want. But the most impressive feature of the handling of the new vehicle is the solidness with which it changes direction, particularly in S-bends, where it tracks with about the same precision as a modern race car.' Frère made two high speed runs and recorded 146mph just before he slowed and encountered traffic at which point the vehicle was still perceptibly accelerating! He concluded that the car would probably equal the factory's claimed 150mph.
In the same test he achieved a lively 14.6 seconds for the standing quarter-mile, almost exactly matching the figures produced by Road & Track when they tested the 330GTS. They reported 14.9 seconds (at 95mph) and a top speed of 145mph. It is also of note that the legendary Ferrari World Champion Phil Hill has himself called the 330GTC 'the best road going Ferrari ever built.'
Specified for the American market, and generously so, this highly original example was supplied in the livery it still sports today and featured a factory-fitted radio, Borrani wheels, electric windows and air conditioning. Despite having been built in November 1967, it was not titled until 1969 thus it is still titled as such today. By 1983 this GTC had passed into the hands of Ferrari Owners' Club member Robert Robinson and it remained in his custody (albeit mostly in storage) until late 1997. By 1998 it was acquired by the previous owner who undertook a detailed and exacting mechanical rebuild that included extensive work to the engine, brakes and application of correct engine ancillaries per the factory specification. Continuing along these admirable and correct guidelines, additional recent work has seen that the car has been treated to a thorough mechanical restoration and detailing to show standards. Aspects covered include a full suspension rebuild (necessitating new Koni shock absorbers), brake-line replacement, correct Michelin XWXs, exhaust system, clutch and the transaxle has been removed and detailed accordingly, indeed the only feature not currently functioning is the air conditioning yet the compressor does accompany the car.
Save for the beneficial mechanical work already mentioned, the car is otherwise wonderfully original and thanks to careful ownership has aged gracefully; upon a recent inspection, a Christie's specialist was somewhat captivated by the entire package. The exterior is thought to still sport some original paint (at least to the roof) and prospective purchasers can either view the crazing and imperfections as a benefit or a hindrance. Accordingly, the brightwork is largely original save for a few items that have been rechromed. On the inside, only the fitment of new carpets and refurbishment of the wood-rimmed steering wheel detract from the immaculate yet untouched feel that 10377 offers.
Accompanying the car are records of recent work, an owners' manual, jack (and jack pouch) and unsurprisingly, even the original keys! It is in our opinion that this fine survivor is ripe for enjoyment both in terms of aesthetic appreciation granted by the sympathetic manner to which it has been preserved and the level to which its driving experience has been optimized.
COACHWORK BY PININFARINA
Chassis No. 10377
Engine No. 10377
Bianco with black leather interior
Engine: V12, 3,967cc, 300bhp at 7,000rpm; Gearbox: single dryplate clutch, five speed manual; Suspension: front, independent double wishbones, coil springs, front and rear; Brakes: four wheel disc. Left hand drive.
Unveiled at the Geneva Salon in March 1966, the Ferrari 330GTC (for Grand Turismo Coupe) allied the 275GTB chassis with the basic engine from the 330GT 2+2. Coachwork was of course by Pininfarina and was a compromise of the 400 Superamerica front blended to the rear tail treatment of the 275GTS. Normally such combinations are disastrous, but this one worked well and produced a very elegant car that is by no means out of place today. The new car was a capable performer - fast, quiet and comfortable.
As it inherited the GTB chassis and its rear transaxle, the 330GT 2+2 engine block had to be redesigned in the GTC to accommodate the different engine and differential mounts. At the time of the introduction of the 330GTC, the Ferrari engineers had found the solution to the alignment problems that had affected the 275 series. They introduced a torque tube for the driveshaft which formed a solid link between the engine and rear transaxle. It was this arrangement that reduced the number of engine mounting points and therefore a new block was necessary. The 330GTC came with the same wheelbase as the 275, some 94.5 inches, and naturally had the same four wheel disc brakes and all independent double wishbone and coil suspension.
The GTC provided plenty of room and comfort for two passengers and with the same race-bred engine as its predecessors, it had plenty of performance to match. Indeed from the outset automotive journalists raved about this model. The first road test appeared in The Motor in November 1966 and was conducted by the noted race driver/journalist Paul Frère. He was highly impressed, noting: '...the greatest surprise is the silence of the engine. In handling, the 330GTC is exactly like all the Ferraris I have driven before. It is close to being as neutral as one could want. But the most impressive feature of the handling of the new vehicle is the solidness with which it changes direction, particularly in S-bends, where it tracks with about the same precision as a modern race car.' Frère made two high speed runs and recorded 146mph just before he slowed and encountered traffic at which point the vehicle was still perceptibly accelerating! He concluded that the car would probably equal the factory's claimed 150mph.
In the same test he achieved a lively 14.6 seconds for the standing quarter-mile, almost exactly matching the figures produced by Road & Track when they tested the 330GTS. They reported 14.9 seconds (at 95mph) and a top speed of 145mph. It is also of note that the legendary Ferrari World Champion Phil Hill has himself called the 330GTC 'the best road going Ferrari ever built.'
Specified for the American market, and generously so, this highly original example was supplied in the livery it still sports today and featured a factory-fitted radio, Borrani wheels, electric windows and air conditioning. Despite having been built in November 1967, it was not titled until 1969 thus it is still titled as such today. By 1983 this GTC had passed into the hands of Ferrari Owners' Club member Robert Robinson and it remained in his custody (albeit mostly in storage) until late 1997. By 1998 it was acquired by the previous owner who undertook a detailed and exacting mechanical rebuild that included extensive work to the engine, brakes and application of correct engine ancillaries per the factory specification. Continuing along these admirable and correct guidelines, additional recent work has seen that the car has been treated to a thorough mechanical restoration and detailing to show standards. Aspects covered include a full suspension rebuild (necessitating new Koni shock absorbers), brake-line replacement, correct Michelin XWXs, exhaust system, clutch and the transaxle has been removed and detailed accordingly, indeed the only feature not currently functioning is the air conditioning yet the compressor does accompany the car.
Save for the beneficial mechanical work already mentioned, the car is otherwise wonderfully original and thanks to careful ownership has aged gracefully; upon a recent inspection, a Christie's specialist was somewhat captivated by the entire package. The exterior is thought to still sport some original paint (at least to the roof) and prospective purchasers can either view the crazing and imperfections as a benefit or a hindrance. Accordingly, the brightwork is largely original save for a few items that have been rechromed. On the inside, only the fitment of new carpets and refurbishment of the wood-rimmed steering wheel detract from the immaculate yet untouched feel that 10377 offers.
Accompanying the car are records of recent work, an owners' manual, jack (and jack pouch) and unsurprisingly, even the original keys! It is in our opinion that this fine survivor is ripe for enjoyment both in terms of aesthetic appreciation granted by the sympathetic manner to which it has been preserved and the level to which its driving experience has been optimized.