Blessed with ingenuity, a competitive spirit, and an unyielding desire to be the best, Enzo Ferrari was a past master at perfecting his racing cars. That same determination permeated the marque as Maranello expanded its road car offerings in the 1950s, and as technological developments continued at pace, the firm’s grand tourers just got better and better—not least the 250 GT Coupé.
It is often the case that the latest example of a given model presents as the best of the breed, and that is certainly true of the 250 GT Coupé, where late-production cars built from 1959 onwards are considered to be the most accomplished. Four-wheel disc brakes were introduced from that year, while the 3.0-litre Colombo V-12 evolved from the original Tipo 128C to the twin-distributor Tipo 128D, and in 1960 the outside-plug Tipo 128F. That final iteration also brought with it a four-speed overdrive gearbox; combining the most powerful engine with relaxed motorway cruising and superior braking, the 1960 250 GT Coupés were truly grand tourers par excellence.
Chassis number 2003 GT is among the final 250 GT Coupés produced, completed in September of 1960. Finished in Grigio Conchiglia (MM 16249) over a vinyl and leather interior in Nero (VM 8500), it was built for the Italian market and delivered new to Nicolo Denora of ATS Automobili in Milan and registered MI 506597. Incredibly, the car was pictured alongside Enzo Ferrari at Monza in 1961. Il Commendatore is seen leaning on the driver’s side of chassis 2003 GT, which is clearly identifiable by its registration number (photograph courtesy of Marcel Massini).
That same year, 2003 GT was sold to its second owner, Luigi Macchi, a Milanese industrialist. Remaining with him for just under a year, the car passed through the hands of an owner in Bergamo and was re-registered there before moving to Naples in June 1964. The Ferrari remained in Naples until at least 1974, and was later seen at the Raid Ferrari d’Epoca in Modena, having been repainted white and with its interior retrimmed in red leather. Passing to an owner in Ravenna in 1989, the car remained in Italy until it was purchased by a French enthusiast in 2017, yet it would remain registered in Italy. Under his ownership, the car was shown at the 3rd annual Concours d’Elegance Suisse held at Castle Coppet.
Later in 2018, 2003 GT was purchased by the present owner, and was subsequently returned to its original colour of Grigio Conchiglia yet retained its smartly retrimmed red leather interior. With the current owner, the car has remained largely in static storage but received some mechanical and cosmetic work from Tower Garage in Marlow in April of 2022 and further mechanical work by QV London LTD in July of 2023.
More than 60 years since the final 250 GT Coupé left Maranello, these magnificent grand tourers still exhibit a level of comfort and performance that ranks them among the very best—traits that Enzo Ferrari’s earliest customers came to know and expect. That this example has a tangible link to the man who became the legend, having been photographed alongside Enzo Ferrari at the home of Italian motorsport, only makes it stand out further as a truly remarkable example.
