What is a gentleman’s Ferrari? It is a car that is not about outright performance, but rather a Ferrari that combines stunning performance bred through success in motorsport, alongside luxury and sophistication; a car tractable enough to use for extended journeys, on a daily basis, or on a special occasion. Perhaps most importantly, this is a car that does all of this, but also does not shout about its presence. Simply put, the gentleman’s Ferrari is a grand tourer par excellence. It is a car that is known to those that know, and one that blends in with traffic to everyone else.
To the cognoscenti, the epitome of the gentleman’s Ferrari is the 330 GTC. Slotting in between the four-seat 330 GT 2+2 and Ferrari’s then-flagship 275 GTB, it combined the aspects of both cars to make for an exceptional driving experience. Utilizing the same steering, suspension, and transmission as the 275 GTB, at its heart was a 4.0-litre V-12 engine, good for transporting the 330 GTC to 60 mph from a standstill in seven seconds and onwards to a top speed of 150 mph. As the 330 GTC was a two-seater, its wheelbase was shorted by 10 inches over the 330 GT 2+2, making it much more dynamic to drive yet still entirely practical for two passengers, with copious boot space and a rear parcel shelf behind the seats.
Chassis number 11329 was built for Ferrari’s home market of Italy and was delivered new to M.G. Crepaldi Automobili S.a.s., Ferrari’s official dealership in Milan, in September of 1968. Finished in Grigio Argento (2.443.009 A. It) over a Nera Franzi leather interior, a report on file from Ferrari historian Marcel Massini states that the car’s first private owner was Alberto Pesenti of Milan. By the early 1970s, the car was exported to the United States.
The 330 GTC’s first recorded American owner was Philip Strain, a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, and regular client of FAF Motorcars, the official Ferrari dealer located in Tucker, Georgia. Strain retained the car in his ownership from 1975 until his passing in 2010 and was subsequently sold by his estate. Returning across the Atlantic, the car was purchased as a restoration project by Hoyle-Fox Classics in Essex, UK to be fully restored. The car was stripped back to bare metal, the engine fully rebuilt, interior reupholstered in Pelle Rosso leather, a stylish combination with its silver exterior. Following the completion of the restoration in 2015, the car was certified by Ferrari Classiche, confirming that it retains its original chassis, engine, and gearbox. The car passed into the esteemed collection of Lord Irvine Laidlaw in 2017 prior to being acquired by the consignor in 2019, a collector of classic Ferraris.
Just 598 330 GTCs were built from 1966 to 1968, and today they are still excellent cars to use and enjoy, with copious performance more than capable of handling modern-day traffic. Well-preserved in its as-restored state with the current owner, this 330 GTC presents beautifully throughout, having covered minimal mileage since its restoration (less than 1,000 miles). Beautifully restored and boasting Ferrari Classiche certification, this 330 GTC needs nothing but a new owner willing to experience the ideal gentleman’s Ferrari at its best.
