History of the Ferrari Boano The 1950s would prove to be a critical decade for the survival of Ferrari. Leading virtually every European competition in their class, besting top competitors at premier racing venues, and garnering world press, Ferrari was at the top of their game. But behind closed doors, the company was struggling to earn the resources they needed to compete against more highly funded establishments who were profiting from sales of production cars. It became critical for Ferrari to fund a series of volume production road cars to appeal to wealthy clientele. Road cars were not only fiscally important, they were important brand ambassadors for the rapidly growing North American market. To meet the high-end market, Ferrari’s cars had to be elegant, understated, and luxurious. Ultimately the first of these volume production road cars, the Europa, would yield only a modest number of examples, but it was an important start. It would take four years before the first refined Ferrari 250 GT road cars would arrive and eventually replace the earlier 250 Europa. By 1954 with the Paris Salon model launch, the 250 GT would come to define the quintessential Ferrari featuring a powerful front mounted Colombo 3-litre V12, elegant body design, and competition inspired interiors. As demand grew, however, Pininfarina output had stalled while building a larger production facility. Unable to supply the volume needed to meet Ferrari demands, Enzo Ferrari moved the project to Boano, who agreed to take on the line after only a few Pininfarina prototypes had been built. Mario Boano, formerly a Ghia designer, had opened his facility with the assistance of his son-in-law Ezio Ellena with production beginning in 1956 at the dedicated facility. Though pressed for time, Boano diligently followed the signature Pininfarina design, but cleverly lowered the beltline and reduced the rear fender haunch, lowering the roof line. The “low roof” designation would distinguish these cars but also become a key feature highly influencing the later Super America Ferraris. Under Boano's leadership and construction, approximately 80 cars were built. before Ellena became the primary builder for this series concluding with car #0675GT. History of this Ferrari Boano This beautifully restored Boano is accompanied by a binder of copious factory documentation, letters, and reference information supporting the matching numbers engine and history since it was completed on December 7t, 1956. According to Ferrari factory documentation and a 2019 Massini report, #0581 was completed at the factory and delivered to the first owner Guido Settepassi, a silversmith and resident of Florence, Italy. Remaining in Italy for the first year of ownership and returning to the factory for service, the car was sold to the second owner in 1958, Giorgio Billi, ATS Automobili principal. Under Billi’s ownership Ferrari overhauled the engine, clutch, shock absorbers, and brakes, and updated the gearbox with a new unit installed at Ferrari on March 7, 1959, and recorded with internal number 140. Still under Billi’s ownership, the car remained in Florence until it was subsequently imported to the US in the late 1960s. Supported by letters from Ferrari addressed to the Oregon based owner as early as 1968, by the 1970s Edward Lond, Seattle, WA had become the owner as documentation in the binder includes correspondence with Phil Hill, who returned a letter of inquiry replying with the address for Juan M. Fangio to confirm his possible ownership of this car. The car remained primarily on the West Coast, when, in 1984, it was purchased by Robert Passmore, also a resident of Washington state. Passmore kept the car in dry storage for the next three decades until it was delivered to Butch Dennison’s shop in 2018 where it was mechanically recommissioned. The current owner purchased this car shortly after the mechanical recommissioning was completed at Dennison’s shop in 2019. With passion, resources, and access to some of the best Ferrari restoration experts in the world, the current owner embarked on a comprehensive cost no object five-year ground-up restoration addressing every component, feature, mechanical detail, and cosmetic aspect of this Ferrari. Experts at AVC Sport Racing fully disassembled the car, and the body was stripped to bare metal addressing all aspects including fit and finish from top to bottom, selecting a stunning cream exterior finish and red leather interior to complete the car. Over 600 hours were spent reconditioning, restoring, and locating authentic components for the restoration which was comprehensively documented including over 500 photos and nearly 100 pages of invoices, parts purchase records, and detailed notes covering the history and restoration services performed on this beautifully presented Boano. In addition to the restoration documentation, a binder containing reference information on the history includes highlights such as the 2019 Massini report, letters from former owners to the Ferrari factory, period photos of the car from 1973 when finished in silver over black, Ferrari factory build/origin paperwork, English translations of Ferrari service work performed on the car, handwritten notes documenting the history of ownership including phone numbers and locations, and the original signed correspondence letter returned from Phil Hill. Current Condition and Presentation Today, this matching numbers Ferrari 250GT Boano presents as a superb example of the rare and distinctive “low roof” Boano design, combining exceptional documentation and premier restoration artistry. The paintwork was done to very high standards with excellent gloss and depth, a challenge in any color, but beautifully rendered in this elegant vintage cream color. The body is beautifully formed and displays excellent panel fit with crisp closures to the hood, trunk, and doors. The chrome bumpers, Marchal headlamps, Carello headlight trim, and exterior lighting are in excellent condition, including correct Securit brand etching on the glass, correct fog lamps nestled in the grille opening, delicately shaped door handles, and “250 Granturismo” script lettering for the trunk lid. The body design is pure and clean, void of any fussy trim that dominates other brands of the same era. The body contours are gracefully softened in the Boano design, while the distinctive low roof line creates a powerful stance. A set of perfectly finished 16” Borrani wire wheels and dual ear “Carlo Borrani Milano SPA” knockoffs are the perfect performance accent, shod with 185 VR 16 Pirelli Cinturato tires positioned against the large cast aluminum brake drums, giving the wheel design a perfect profile signature. The interior is beautifully finished and handsomely trimmed, displaying high quality workmanship and a consistently fresh appearance throughout. The red leather, red carpeting, and door panels have been expertly crafted accented against the darker red dash and upper door trim. The seats are authentically constructed with correct foam, perimeter piping, and accurate pleat lines. The dashboard is laid out with beautifully finished Veglia instrumentation and supporting gauges nestled inside the wide instrument panel. The instruments feature high contrast dial faces, crisp lettering, and correct needles. The interior finishes are heightened by a rich wood rimmed flat spoked Nardi steering wheel with a yellow Ferrari center emblem. The interior effect is both elegant and performance oriented, capturing driver and passenger with distinct visual accents and vintage appeal. Finishing off the interior, the rich red carpets and light toned headliner give an open-air feeling to the space, further enhanced by the wraparound rear glass, gently curved windshield, and uninterrupted large side glass. Most importantly, the interior seating room is spacious even for taller drivers, a desirable feature in the 250 GT series. The trunk has been restored using high quality materials, lined with matching red carpeting and binding. A full-sized spare tire with Borrani wire wheel is stowed on the passenger side and a large tool set is rolled with leather straps containing an impressive array of tools. Under the hood, the original matching number V12 engine has been faithfully restored to a very high standard. Both the engine and engine compartment are beautifully detailed, accurately refinished, and correct in presentation. The engine finishes and textures are factory correct including the crackled black Ferrari cam cover castings and associated mechanical components. Numerous correct details include original specification hardware, proper fasteners, correct triple downdraft Weber carburetors, tufted black hood insulation padding, and distinctive yellow fuel lines. The underside of the car reflects a high level of attention to detail, consistent with efforts performed in the engine compartment. Finishes on the brakes, engine castings, and hardware are very accurate with very little evidence of use. There are no areas of structural compromise evident in the floor pan or suspension mounting points. Entering the car, the seating position is comfortable and spacious. The thin A-pillars and expansive glass offer clear views of the front and rear of the car, while the rear glass wraps around, inviting daylight into the interior adding to the open cockpit feel. The car starts easily and warms up with a smooth idle and crisp throttle response. Once at speed, the engine pulls strong, making very good power over a wide RPM range. Acceleration is brisk, understandably so as this is the same engine that powered so many of Ferrari's top competition cars of this era. The four-speed gearbox shifts smoothly, with excellent synchros, both warm and cold. The four-wheel drum brakes are effective, pulling the car down progressively even from higher speeds. Delightfully balanced and remarkably nimble, this low-roof Boano can be driven on Ferrari club gatherings, vintage tours, and participate in numerous world class concours events. In addition to the copious notes contained in the reference binder accompanying this car, this Boano is accompanied by a set of tools and tool roll, a full sized spare tire with Borrani wire wheel, a car cover, and a Ferrari 250/GT Service and Maintenance book compiled by Jim Riff. This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a rare, matching numbers, beautifully restored Ferrari 250 GT Boano. Benefitting from a recent premier restoration with minimal miles since completion, this rare Ferrari exemplifies the earliest refined road cars that set the world standard not just for Ferraris. but for all sports cars in this era. This Ferrari 250GT is ready to deliver the history, excellence, and performance that will continue to capture the hearts of current and future Ferrari enthusiasts for decades to come.