Page 1 of 1 Most Ferraris delivered to customers for road use in the 1950s received custom coachwork. Most of these road cars were directly derived from race cars and it was not until the last years of the 1950s that Ferrari first offered a pure road going model. Only richest of clients could afford a road going Ferrari and usually no expense was saved on the mostly PininFarina designed bodies. One of these customers was King Leopald III of Belgium, whose custom bodied Ferraris are still show stoppers.
In the 1960s the 'series-production' of road going Ferraris really took off and custom coachwork changed from rule to exception. One of these rare exceptions was the featured 330 GTC, built especially for King Leopald III's wife, Princesse Lilian de Rethy. s/n 09439 was her third custom Ferrari, she previously owned a Vignale bodied 250 GT Europa and a PininFarina bodied 250 GT Coupe.
Used as base for the Princesse's third Ferrari was the 330 GTC, first introduced at the 1965 Geneva Motorshow. Two chassis were supplied to PininFarina in the fall of 1966 to receive the bodywork. The second car was to be delivered to a close friend of the family, Dr. Michel De Bakey. The body fitted was unique but it did use cues from other PininFarina designed Ferraris; at first glance it looks like the Coupe version of the last Ferrari built in small numbers, the 365 California.
Both cars were completed in February 1967 and delivered in the same steel blue grey finish. Later that year two more custom 330 GTCs were constructed, one with a similar body as the Princesse's and a second with a different rear styling. Of the 604 330 GTCs built, these four are the only custom bodied chassis.
Today 09439 remains in completely original condition, with 26030 km on the odometer. It will be offered for sale for the first time in an Artcurial auction in Juin 2003. The 330 GTC Coupe Speciale is pictured here on the Artcurial stand at the 2003 Techno Classica. Page 1 of 1
Ultimatecarpage.com
> Cars by brand
> Italy
> Ferrari
330 GTC Coupe Speciale
Most Ferraris delivered to customers for road use in the 1950s received custom coachwork. Most of these road cars were directly derived from race cars and it was not until the last years of the 1950s that Ferrari first offered a pure road going model. Only richest of clients could afford a road going Ferrari and usually no expense was saved on the mostly PininFarina designed bodies. One of these customers was King Leopald III of Belgium, whose custom bodied Ferraris are still show stoppers.