At the Paris Motor Show in October 1964, Ferrari introduced a replacement for its long-running 250 GT series. Featuring a 3.3-liter V-12, the new 275 was offered in berlinetta and spider body styles, but the two coachwork designs dramatically differed. While the Scaglietti-built berlinetta was considered a dual-purpose road racer, and looked the part with exaggerated haunches and curves, the elegant Pininfarina-built spider was executed with more conservative lines, featuring handsome fender strakes and a truncated tail. In combination with a luxuriously appointed interior, the 275 GTS exuded the sophisticated elegance requisite of an open Ferrari grand tourer.

Just 200 examples of the spider were built through early 1966, making the model much rarer than its berlinetta counterpart, of which over 450 were built. As spiders were frequently used with zeal, few examples have survived in original condition. The scarcity of pure, unrestored examples is part of what makes this wonderfully preserved 275 GTS so desirable.

Chassis 08621 benefits from a superb provenance: just four private caretakers from new, with almost four decades spent in the hands of its original owner, John Brooks of Torrington, Connecticut, a principal of the Brooks Bank and Trust Company. This is the 198th example of 200 cars built, and was finished in Nero (Black) paint with Bianco (White) leatherette interior upholstery and contrasting red carpets. After the certificate of origin was issued in May 1966, the Ferrari was shipped from Livorno, Italy, to New York, aboard the SS Maria Costa.

Delivered to Mr. Brooks in August 1966 via Luigi Chinetti Motors, the beautiful GTS remained in his possession until 2005, totaling 39 years of single custody. The well-preserved Ferrari was then sold to collector Gerald Lettieri, the co-founder of Automobilia Auctions, of nearby Rocky Hill, Connecticut. During his ownership, Mr. Lettieri displayed the spider twice at the FCA Concorso Ferrari in Hartford – once in 2005 and again in 2009 – and the car also won Best Italian Sports Car, 1960–1969 at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in June 2012.

In 2014, the 275 GTS was sold to a Midwest collector with a stable of fine Italian thoroughbreds. After registering the car in Illinois with plates reading “66 GTS,” he continued to present it at Ferrari events, including the 2015 Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach, Florida. At the FCA International Concours d’Elegance in Monterey in August 2015, the spider won a Platinum Award for preservation and a Gold Award for condition; the car subsequently returned to the Cavallino Classic in January 2017.

Displaying 43,235 miles at the time of cataloguing, 08621 has never received any significant restoration work and, as such, retains an overwhelming degree of originality. The soft top, boot, interior upholstery, carpeting, glass, chrome, and much of the paint appear and are believed by the consignor to be original, as are most of the mechanical elements, including the matching-numbers engine.

In prior ownership, the 275 GTS was maintained and serviced by the well-known Continental AutoSports, a longtime factory-authorized Ferrari dealer near Chicago. During that time, it received mechanical sorting; a rebuild of the transaxle, radiator, and exhaust; and the installation of period-correct Michelin XWX tires.

In current ownership, the Ferrari has received minor servicing and was fitted with cast aluminum wheels, giving the 275 GTS an even more attractive and distinctive look than when fitted with the more common Borrani wire wheels. Additionally, the car was shown at the 2018 Cavallino Classic, where it received a prestigious first place in the preservation class. The 275 GTS is accompanied by copies of some rarely seen documentation, including its factory build sheets and invoices from Ferrari and Luigi Chinetti Motors. The Ferrari also comes with a history report by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. Complete with books and tools, this modestly used and highly original 275 GTS is a brilliant example of Maranello’s elegant mid-1960s spider. It would be ideal for any collector, particularly preservationists and discerning Ferrari enthusiasts.