PROVENANCE
Auto-Becker, Dusseldorf, Germany
Count and Countess von Bernstorff, Rohlstorf, Germany (purchased new in 1968)
Keith L. Van Dam, Texas
Jim Carpenter, Arizona
Tom Shaughnessy, Oceanside, California
Kevin Romak, Orinda, California
Brian Hoyt, Hayward, California (acquired from the above in 2004)
Dr. Avery Alexander (acquired from the above)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

THIS CAR
The 365 Grand Touring Coupe, or GTC, was the ultimate mechanical development of Ferrari’s luxurious late 1960s road car. Positioned as a refined street model as opposed to the drive-and-race berlinettas that rounded out Maranello’s stable, the GTC first appeared at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show featuring the same four-liter engine first introduced in the 330 GT 2+2. In the smaller and lighter GTC, the motor provided performance dividends, and the new Pininfarina coachwork was exceptionally elegant – combining the prior Ferrari cues of an oval-shaped grille and tapered tail with new features, such as slim pillars and an airy glass-oriented cabin.

Viewed by many enthusiasts as the proper replacement for the beloved 250 GT/L Lusso, which lacked a true successor after being discontinued in 1964, the 330 GTC was made in a limited quantity of 598 examples. In late 1968, the model was replaced by the improved 365 GTC, which enlarged the long-running Colombo V-12 to a displacement of 4.4 liters. The new Tipo 245/C engine would be Ferrari’s last V-12 to feature single overhead camshafts.

The 365’s most notable physical difference from its GTC predecessor was the relocation of the front cooling vents from the fenders to the hood. Far rarer than the 330 GTC, the 365 was made in a sparing run of just 150 examples and, in many respects, the model can be considered the ultimate evolution of Ferrari’s vintage touring coupe, both refined and sporting.

Documented by historian Marcel Massini, 365 GTC chassis no. 12035 was originally finished in Marrone Colorado paint over an interior of beige leather. Imported by Auto-Becker of Dusseldorf, Germany, 12035 was soon sold to its first owners, Count and Countess von Bernstorff of Rohlstorf, Germany. The car was then sold via an advertisement in Auto Motor und Sport magazine and imported to the US, eventually landing in Texas with Keith L. Van Dam. By 1990, the car was offered for sale by Bruce Trenery’s Fantasy Junction and was later purchased by Ferrari enthusiast Tom Shaughnessy. By this time the car was in need of both mechanical and cosmetic restoration, and Mr. Shaughnessy hired expert mechanic Jens Paulsen to rebuild the engine.

Once finished, the Ferrari was sold to Kevin Romak and then to Brian Hoyt, owner of the respected Ferrari restoration shop Perfect Reflections. While Hoyt had planned on finishing the GTC’s restoration himself, he sold the GTC to Dr. Avery Alexander who commissioned Wayne Obry’s Motion Products to comprehensively go through the car. The subsequent work – done in 2009 and including a change to dark blue paint with black leather interior – was completed to an exacting standard with an eye toward driveability, rather than concours victories. The result is a well-prepared Ferrari ready for a large variety of driving events available to such an important and sporting automobile.

Sold again by Fantasy Junction to the current owner in 2010, the stunning Ferrari has been used sparingly and stored thoughtfully as part of a significant collection of sports and racing cars. It is accompanied today by a jack with bag, and receipts and photos from the approximately $275,000 worth of work that was completed during restoration. Research – including checking the sequence of internal numbers on other 365 GTC engines – has shown that the engine block in 12035, while appearing to be the correct type, is likely from a later Ferrari 365 model and has been stamped with this car’s chassis number.

As GTC models have recently evolved into highly sought-after Ferraris, well-restored examples have increasingly appeared in top collections around the world. A highly presentable example of the exceedingly rare 365 GTC, this Ferrari promises to delight as a collectible worthy of continued use and enjoyment.