The successor to the 275 GTS, Ferrari’s 330 GTS combined iconic Pininfarina styling with a larger 4.0-liter engine and a revised nose reminiscent of the 500 Superfast, making for exhilarating 150 mph capability in an open configuration. Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October 1966, it had few contemporaries in style or performance – both desirable traits that make these V-12 spiders still highly sought after today.

While Ferrari produced 598 of the fixed-roof GTC coupes, total production of the GTS was a scant 99 examples between 1966 and 1968, ensuring the model’s exclusivity. The GTS’ nimble handling, impressive acceleration, and luxurious appointments underscored Ferrari’s reputation as a master constructor of open-top sports cars. Beginning with a newly introduced torque-tube driveline, power was delivered via a five-speed transaxle and a ZF limited-slip differential. The suspension – comprised of unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers with front and rear anti-roll bars – was sporting yet compliant. Vented, four-wheel disc brakes were fitted behind the customer’s choice of Campagnolo magnesium alloy or Borrani wire wheels.

Period road tests were effusive, with Road & Track magazine writing in 1968 about the 330 GTS delivering, “a soft, level ride, wonderful adhesion and excellent behavior. Out on the road, once the driver has the feel of things, he feels he could do almost anything with this car.”

The example offered here, chassis 10173, is a US-market car delivered new in July 1967 to Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut, in the stunning combination of Amaranto (Amaranth), named for the vibrant, dark-red perennial, over Pelle Beige (Beige Leather) interior. While the identity of the first owner is not recorded, an included Massini report shows that the car was owned by Guy Mangiamele of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1975.

In December 1979, Mr. Mangiamele listed 10173 for sale in the Ferrari Market Letter, noting “burgundy with natural hides, Borrani wire wheels, totally original, never driven in snow, stored in heated garage.” The following year, it was again offered via the Ferrari Market Letter by Foreign Cars Italia of North Carolina, in an ad stating “46,000 miles, one owner for the last 37,500 miles.” In 1983, Breene Kerr of Los Altos, California, acquired the car and enjoyed it enthusiastically for the next two decades. When it came time to find a new caretaker, he listed it in the April 2004 edition of the Ferrari Market Letter.

In September 2004, the spider was acquired by another long-term owner, Edward Dawda of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, who would enjoy it for the next 17 years. Mr. Dawda showed the car at the 2006 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, where it won a prestigious Lion Award. In 2014, he commissioned the respected Ferrari specialists at Motion Products Inc. of Neenah, Wisconsin, to perform a mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment, which included a bare-metal respray in its original color, a suspension overhaul, engine-out service, and meticulous detailing. The restoration process is well documented with extensive receipts, correspondence, and photographs. Following its restoration, the car was regularly maintained and serviced by Cauley Ferrari of Detroit, who oversaw its Classiche certification with the Ferrari factory.

Cauley Ferrari recommended 10173 for inclusion in a very special display class at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Italian automaker. The Casa Ferrari display showcased spectacular examples of Ferrari’s greatest models throughout its rich history. In correspondence from Ferrari, the selected cars were required to be both “Classiche certified” and “pristine.” In the hands of the current owner, the spider has been enjoyed at several local events and kept in a perpetually ready state of tune and detail.

Included with the sale are the original owner’s manuals and folio, service and warranty cards, original leather tool roll and leather jack bag, the official Ferrari Classiche Red Book, and a detailed binder of documents and service history.

Resplendent in its original and elegant colors of Amaranto over Pelle Beige,10173 appeals as a particularly handsome example of these dashing Ferrari roadsters. Rare when new, the 330 GTS delivers one of the most rewarding drives of Ferrari’s front-engine V-12 era.

Benefiting from long-term ownership and a top-flight restoration from respected marque specialist Motion Products Inc., this GTS is both a thrilling event car and cornerstone of any collection, and was recognized as worthy of representing the model at Ferrari’s own 70th anniversary celebration.