Last of the 250 GT Series: 1963 Ferrari Lusso

Possibly the most beautiful of Ferrari’s 250 GT series, the three hundred fifty GT/L road cars produced from 1962 to 1964 were soon known simply as “Lusso” – Italian for luxury. Technically, these cars were the final evolution of a lineage that stretched back to 1952, when the 250 MM arrived on European tracks. Wealthy clientele requested a well-behaved iteration of the sports racer for touring. Ferrari obliged, producing the 250 GT Coupé and the Europa GT, with most of these constructed and designed by Pinin Farina and Vignale. More iconic models followed, from the SWB California Spider to the GTE 2+2. Each of these has earned a berth in the pantheon of collectibility, but perhaps none so much as the Lusso, the last of the breed. To be offered by Mecum at its Monterey auction on Saturday, August 15th is this 1963 Lusso, complete with Ferrari Classiche Red Book and Marcel Massini report. No estimate is available at this point, but we can bet the price tag will range between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. A tip of the hat to Araknid78 for finding this elegant GT for us!

The Lusso benefited from Ferrari’s simultaneous homologation of the 250 GTO – a car aimed at Group Three GT racing. Both cars share the same short wheelbase, disc brakes at all four corners, and similar suspension, including “helper” springs around the rear shocks as well as a Watts linkage arrangement. The same basic 3.0-liter Colombo V12 sits in their front bays, but the Lusso borrows its internals from the GTE and the SWB. Single overhead cam construction and three Webers make for a simpler set-up than the GTO’s double of everything. Power output was 240 hp, and top speed hovered around 150 mph – a figure that ranked the Lusso as one of the fastest road-going cars of its time. This car retains its matching numbers engine and original four-speed gearbox.

The cabin offers sculpted leather bucket seats (only two!) set on either side of an extravagant console, like a piece of furniture separating the driver from the passenger. With the engine set forward in the chassis, leg room is generous. Curiously, Ferrari chose to place the ancillary gauges directly in front of the driver, with the speedometer and tach centrally located. In keeping with this car’s original destination of Belgium, the gauges are metric. To slightly appease Barn Finders who grumble at yet another near-perfect car, I pulled this photo of the pedals – where we see genuine wear!

Devoid of sheet metal gimmicks, the Pinin Farina design is perfectly balanced from front to rear. The Lusso’s curves are understated, yet effective, almost intimate. Impossibly thin A and C pillars anchor a generous greenhouse, and Borrani wire knock-offs ground this ethereal machine. Notably, the car has no badging. Mecum’s description recounts the provenance of chassis 4635 in detail, including stints at restoration shops in several countries. The car was featured in several marque-specialist magazines. The single blemish on the car’s résumé is a minor accident in 1997, which was fixed at the time and then addressed again in 2014. Any guesses about the final price here?