The 1966 Earls Court London Motor Show
1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Coupé

Footnotes

'Coming out of corners the combined action of the ZF limited-slip differential and the ample contact area of the tyres allows you to accelerate much earlier and with more gusto, and this without affecting the chosen line through the bend. Because of this, the 330 GT is blessed with exceptional speed on twisty roads and on coming out of corners it leaps forward like a rocket, leaving behind two thick black tyre marks.' – Sporting Motorist, 1964.

By the end of the 1950s, the market for sports cars with 'family accommodation' had grown sufficiently for Ferrari to contemplate the introduction of a four-seater model. Introduced in the summer of 1960, the first such Ferrari - the 250 GTE 2+2 - was based on the highly successful 250 GT. Pininfarina's brief had been to produce a 2+2 without sacrificing the 250's elegant good looks or sporting characteristics, and Italy's foremost carrozzeria succeeded brilliantly, moving the engine, gearbox, and steering gear forward and the fuel tank back, thus creating sufficient room for two occasional rear seats.

The 250 GTE provided the basis for its replacement: the 330 GT 2+2 introduced in January 1964. Pininfarina was once again entrusted with the styling, adopting of a four-headlamp frontal treatment that reflected the tastes of Ferrari's most important export market, the USA. The 330 GT's tubular chassis was 50mm longer in the wheelbase than before, which made conditions less cramped for the rear passengers. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs, while at the back there was a live axle/semi-elliptic set-up. Improvements to the discs-all-round braking system saw separate hydraulic circuits adopted for front and rear. Nevertheless, and as may be deduced from Sporting Motorist's comments above, Ferrari had not lost sight of the requirement to offered the ultimate driving experience, despite the increase in bulk necessitated by the 330 GT's additional accommodation.

The 330 GT's Colombo-type, 60-degree, V12 engine had first appeared in the 330 America (effectively a big-bore 250 GTE 2+2) in 1963. Displacing 3,967cc, the single-overhead-camshaft, all-alloy unit was good for 300-plus horsepower, an output sufficient to propel the 330 GT to a maximum velocity of 152mph (245km/h) making it, when introduced, the fastest road-going Ferrari. Equipped at first with a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox, the 330 GT gained a five-speed transmission in mid-1965 and later that year had its four-headlight front end replaced by a two-lamp arrangement, these later cars being known as the 'Series 2'. By the time production ceased in 1967, Ferrari had built 1,080 330 GTs, of which 455 were to 'Series 2' specification.

A copy on file of Ferrari's original invoice shows that this 'Series 2' car was delivered new to the UK for the London Motor Show in October 1966, finished in Blue Sera with grey hide interior. First owner Mr J R Knowles attended the show and decided this car would be his first Ferrari. Post-show letters between Mr Knowles and Maranello Concessionaires' proprietor, Colonel Ronnie Hoare, confirm that Mr Knowles initially intended to part-exchange his Humber Super Snipe but changed his mind and part-exchanged his 1961 Austin-Healey 3000 instead. The invoice for the 330 was for £6,577, with a part-exchange allowance of £400 for the Healey. The Ferrari was registered 'DBY 6D', which it retains today.

Copies of early correspondence on file include a lovely letter from Mr Knowles' son, George, dated 23rd October 1967, to Colonel Hoare thanking him for the Ferrari ties for his father. Mr Knowles obviously enjoyed the 330 and owned it for three years before trading it in with Maranello Concessionaires for the 1969 London Motor Show Ferrari 365 GTC.

In February 1970, Maranello Concessionaires sold the Ferrari 330 to a Mr A Moore for £4,000, taking his Rolls Royce Silver Cloud as a trade-in. 'DBY 6D' had two more owners in the UK before Mr Anthony Clyde Carroll purchased the car in March 1977 and exported it to New Zealand. Mr Keith Hunter bought the Ferrari from Mr Carroll in 1978; he changed the colour to red in 1981 and had the engine rebuilt at circa 90,000 miles. A full bare-metal repaint, again in red, was completed in 1985 following the car's purchase by Mr Alan Styles three years previously.

On Mr Styles' death in 1995, the 330 passed to daughter, Pippa, and she and her husband kept the car until 2002 when it was sold and repatriated to the UK. The Ferrari had passed through the hands of three more owners when the vendor purchased it from Talacrest for his collection in September 2013.

While in the present ownership, this superb 330 has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard by Ferrari specialists, Italia Autosport, with the last service and other maintenance work carried out in September 2017. Prior to the vendor's acquisition, the interior had been fully re-trimmed in tan leather by Keys Motorsport Limited (in 2010).

This superb car is offered with its jack; two sets of keys; an original 330 operating manual; and original magazines and books from the 1966 Earls Court Motor Show. An indoor car cover and a battery conditioner are included in the sale. The car also comes with a substantial history file containing an old-style logbook; service history, correspondence between previous owners; MoT to September 2018; a V5C Registration Certificate; and a quantity of expired MoTs. A wonderful opportunity to acquire a rare right-hand drive example of this landmark Ferrari Gran Turismo.