Trend Setter

What is the most historically significant Ferrari? With such a storied car maker, the choices are wide and varied. The first-ever Ferrari, the 125 S of 1947, clearly has a good claim. So does the Le Mans-winning 166 MM of 1949 that put the Scuderia on the global motor racing map. The 250 GTO of 1962 is also a strong contender. Apart from its racing success, it remains Ferrari’s most valuable model, if auction prices are your barometer. Or perhaps the F40, which many Ferrari enthusiasts insist is still Maranello’s most exciting road car – and Ferraris, more than anything, are surely about driving excitement.

Witness the story of how the 250 GT Coupé shaped early Ferrari history…

The list of contenders is long. But one of the prime candidates – and the most historically significant car of the 1950s – is undoubtedly the 250 GT Coupé, which was Ferrari’s first series production car.

Launched at the 1954 Paris Show, it would transform Ferrari from a tiny volume producer of hand-crafted bespoke road-going racing cars into a production road car maker. Production numbers of the 250 GT Coupé far exceeded any Ferrari built before. And bigger production volumes, to a common design, were essential to Ferrari’s viability as a car maker.

Pininfarina was chosen to make the bodywork, while a new factory at Grugliasco, in Turin, was built. Decades of close co-operation between Ferrari and Pininfarina would follow, and the relationship between the two would become one of the most famous partnerships in car industry history.

Above: the 1954 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé, which was developed in partnership with Pininfarina, is considered by many to be the most important Prancing Horse of the 1950s

As it was to be built in bigger volumes, the new car had to appeal to more people. So, the 250 GT Coupé was designed to be very much a road car, aimed at wealthy clients who wanted a grand tourer that could be used every day. Indeed, this was to be Ferrari’s first true GT.

Succeeding the 250 Europa, on which it was based – early cars were known as Europa GTs – the 250 GT Coupé replaced the previous car’s Lampredi V12 with the classic Colombo V12, now with 3.0 litres capacity. As well as being more powerful – it produced 220cv, up from the Europa’s 200cv – the engine was more compact, allowing for a smaller and more agile Ferrari.

Early cars were assembled by Pininfarina, but when the famous coachbuilder found itself unable to meet the demand for the new 250 GT, production was subcontracted to Carrozzeria Boano, founded by former Pininfarina designer Mario Boano. It was only after Pininfarina’s new factory was completed in 1958 that true series production began, with the classic ‘notchback’ Coupé version of the 250 GT being introduced.

Above: the beautiful interior of the 1958 250 GT Coupé was as compelling as the car's Pininfarina-styled exterior

Even when ‘standard’ Pininfarina cars were being produced in volume, detail body modifications were common. In traditional Ferrari style, the 250 GT Coupé sired many exclusive variants, including lightweight competition versions and special one-off coachbuilt cars, such as a Vignale-bodied 250 GT ordered for a Belgian princess and an exclusive model made for the King of Morocco. There was also a Speciale edition, of which only four were built.

Numerous technical upgrades were introduced, including coil spring front suspension and, in late 1959, disc brakes. Maximum power would increase to 240cv, while still breathing through three classic twin-choke Weber carburettors.

The 250 GT Coupé’s chassis and engine would form the backbone of most Ferrari production cars until the mid ’60s, including the 250 GT 2+2 (the first four-seater Ferrari to be produced in significant volume) and the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso (the last of the 250 GTs). These cars were also, effectively, the replacements for the GT Coupé.

Above: the chassis and engine of the 250 GT Coupé would form the basis of most Ferrari production cars up until the mid 1960s

Although big by Ferrari standards, the production numbers were still tiny by car industry norms. Between 1958 and 1960, when production of the 250 GT Coupé ended, just 353 examples were built.

Following the 250 GT Coupé’s lead, Ferrari series production capacity would grow sharply as new models were introduced and new markets around the world started to covet Maranello’s cars.

To this day Ferrari cars remain highly exclusive. Just like in the early years, new Prancing Horses can truly be unique, thanks to an increasingly popular personalization programme that allows customers to create their own bespoke cars. The stunning 250 GT Coupé, seventy years old this year, was one of the cars that started the trend.