-A million dollars for a car is insane. Yet, we continuously see classic Ferraris pull in more than 5 to 10 times that at auction, and this one-off 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale is expected to far exceed that number.
In 1912, Giovanni Bertone founded Carrozzeria Bertone in Turin, Italy. The company’s main focus was automotive coachbuilding, design, and manufacturing. Giovanni struggled to keep the business alive during the wars and financial crises of the early 20th century, but in 1933, Giovanni’s son, Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone, began working for his father and quickly brought new life to the company. By 1950, Carrozzeria Bertone found itself with manufacturing and design contracts from auto manufacturers outside of Italy.
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-By the early ’60s, with Nuccio in the driver’s seat, the company was building more than 30,000 cars a year and expanding rapidly. By this point, Carrozzeria Bertone had designed or manufactured cars for a large number of European brands—that is except for the legendary Ferrari.
In 1962, completely enamored with Ferrari cars, Nuccio took it upon himself to order a Ferrari 250GT SWB. He wanted to build the ultimate Ferrari and chose Giorgetto Giugiaro, a rookie designer at Carrozzeria Bertone, to help him do it. The result was this one-of-a-kind Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta Speciale.
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-Nuccio’s creation made its first public appearance in 1962 at the Geneva motor show. The media’s reaction was one of stunned delight, and Nuccio continued to enter the car in other shows and events throughout Europe, garnering endless praise along the way. Although he had gotten the media’s attention with his one-off marvel, he still hadn’t gotten Ferrari’s. After sending a Christmas gift to Enzo Ferrari himself in 1962, Nuccio received a response complimenting him on his automotive passion. The letter was signed, “Your – if you permit me – friend, Enzo Ferrari.”
Eventually, Nuccio sold the 250GT, which traded hands several times over the next few years and eventually made its way to California. There, it was owned by a musician who drove it daily for 13 years adding nearly 100,000 miles to the odometer. Later, the car was sold to its current owner, a car collector from Mexico, who’s had it restored several times over the last three decades.
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Despite the restorations, the car retains its original engine, transmission, and chassis—an impressive feat for any car of this vintage. This August, at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction, for the first time ever, the car will be available to the public. Gooding & Co. expect bidding to reach between $14 million and $16 million, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see such a great car, with such a rich history, go even higher.
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