Tag Archives: speciale

300B by Boano

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1956 Chrysler 300B Coupe Speciale by Boano

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 18-19, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Chrysler had quite the Italian coachbuilding hookup in the 1950s. But this car really wasn’t their creation. It was built at the behest of Gianni Agnelli, of the family that owned Fiat. Why he chose a Chrysler 300B is beyond anyone, but he did. And this is the result.

It’s different but pretty similar to the other Chrysler Ghia specials of the era (Felice Boano had worked at Ghia before starting out on his own). Just 1,102 Chrysler 300Bs were built in 1955, and they were powered by a 5.8-liter FirePower V8 that made 355 horsepower.

This is one of two Boano-bodied cars on an American chassis with an American engine (this is the other). Agnelli did not take delivery of the car, as Fiat/Chrysler was still decades and decades away. It came to the U.S. in 1989 and was restored after its current owner bought it in 2018. Awards at Pebble and Villa d’Este followed. Now it’s for sale, and you can read more here.

Update: Sold $1,105,000.

Giai Speciale

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1946 Giai Speciale

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 2, 2022

Photo – Artcurial

Philippe Giai was a Citroen dealer from Provence before and after WWII. Prior to the war, he built a Rosengart-based sports special. After the war, he built a Peugeot-based sports special. This is that car.

The chassis was from a 1939 Peugeot 202 and was modified, and for power he relied on the 202’s 1.1-liter inline-four that made about 29 horsepower new. A tubular structure was built around the chassis, and a Darl’Mat-inspired body was mounted over the top.

The car was used in hillclimb events from 1947 into the 1950s. It was restored in 2008 and has been in the same ownership since 2004. The pre-sale estimate is $74,000-$95,000. Click here for more info.

458 Speciale

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2014 Ferrari 458 Speciale

Offered by Bonhams | Cheserex, Switzerland | September 20, 2020

Photo – Bonhams

I remember when the 458 Italia launched, and I remember seeing one shortly thereafter at a gas station near Cannes where some girl got out of the passenger side. She slammed the door into a concrete pillar, and the driver just laughed. A different world.

Somehow, Ferrari is already two generations down the road from the 458. The 488 GTB and the F8 Tributo are both fairly derivative of this design, as the F430 was to the 360, and the F355 was to the 348 back in the ’90s. In that regard, the 458 has aged kind of well. It’s not as garish as the later cars. And as all of the models just listed have done, the 458 was littered with special editions, including the 2013-2015 Speciale, which was akin to the F430 Scuderia or the 360 Challenge Stradale.

Differences from the base car include forged wheels, a larger rear spoiler, finned side sills, and re-designed bumpers. The 4.5-liter V8 also got a power bump to 597 horsepower. This example is essentially brand new and is registered in Switzerland. This Bonhams sale has become a supercar highlights sale, but there are no “confiscated dictator” collections this year (sad face). This is like “supercar-lite” when compared to the three Veyrons already announced. The price for this Blu Mirabeau car is estimated at $440,000-$550,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

375 MM Speciale by Ghia

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1955 Ferrari 375 MM Coupe Speciale by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15-17, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 375 MM was a race car. The MM stood for Mille Miglia, the famed Italian road race. That’s what the 26 examples of the 375 MM were destined for, along with the Carrera Panamericana and other similar events.

But sometimes exclusive Ferrari clientele convinced Enzo that his latest race car would make their perfect road car. Such was the case with this car, which was purchased by early Ferrari fan Bob Wilke. It’s powered by a 340 horsepower, 4.5-liter V12 and was the second-to-last 375 MM built.

It carries a striking body by Ghia and was the final Ferrari bodied by that particular carrozzeria. The paint scheme is spot on and compliments the Borrani wire wheels and the overall stance of the car exceptionally well. Debuting at the 1955 Turin Motor Show, the car was retained by Wilke’s family until 1974. It was never restored but has been repainted. It’s one of RM’s “big money Ferraris” and you can read more about it here. Check out more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

250 GT Speciale

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1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 18, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Pinin Farina was responsible for what we’ll call the “base” Ferrari 250 GT Coupe. Produced from 1958 through 1961, these cars were the volume-leader model among so many special, limited-edition 250 GTs.

The car pictured here is about the farthest possible thing from a “base” model. This particular car was built specially for a Belgian Princess by Pinin Farina and has known ownership history from new. A restoration was completed in 1997 and it’s been on the show field at Pebble Beach.

Somehow, RM’s catalog entry is completely devoid of any technical information on the car. Power is likely from a 3.0-liter V-12, and this is thought to be one of four Coupe Speciales bodied by Pinin Farina, though the coachwork is unique. It should sell for between $11,000,000-$13,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Alfa 6C 2500 Speciale

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1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cabriolet Speciale by Pinin Farina

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

The 6C was a long-lasting Alfa Romeo model, having been built in a variety of different series between 1927 and 1954. What we have here is a 6C 2500, which were built between 1938 and 1952. It was the ultimate 6C model as the 6C 3000 never really went beyond the prototype stage.

This 6C 2500, which is powered by a 2.4-liter straight-six making 90 horsepower, was delivered as a bare chassis to Pinin Farina in 1942 (along with 13 other chassis). The first owner, a wealthy Milanese woman, had Pinin Farina body it for the first time in 1946. The body was an instant hit, winning awards at car shows upon introduction.

It had a slew of American owners later on before being faithfully restored between 2008 and 2013. This is an extremely stylish car wearing a unique, one-off body that was way ahead of its time (for comparison, here is what the standard Pinin Farina Cabriolet looked like from this same era). As a rolling piece of art, this car is expected to bring between $1,225,000-$1,600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Not sold.

275 GTB Speciale

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1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Speciale by Pininfarina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20, 2018

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Ferrari 275 is one of the most iconic Ferraris. Produced between 1964 and 1968, production totaled less than 1,000 units and they are highly sought after today, with every example bringing over $1,000,000 – and the convertibles… if you have to ask you can’t afford them.

The first 275 built was the standard 275 GTB (there would also be a competition version of this coupe offered as well). Introduced in 1964, it lasted through 1966 when it was updated to four-cam 275 GTB/4 specification. The engine in this car is a 3.3-liter V-12 making 265 horsepower.

275 GTB coupes sold by Ferrari were all bodied by Scaglietti. Except the car you see here, which was the only one bodied by Pininfarina – and it became Battista Pininfarina’s personal car until he sold it just before his death in 1966. Ownership is known since then and the restoration dates to 1992 – not that you’d know because it’s been kept in pristine condition. You really should head over to Gooding & Company’s site and check out more images because this thing is gorgeous inside and out. The interior is stunning. And so is the expected sale price: between $8,000,000-$10,000,000. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,085,000.

Alfa 1900C SS Speciale

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1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale by Boano

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 18-19, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Alfa Romeo 1900 was Alfa’s executive car introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show. Produced through 1959, it could be had as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, or two-door convertible. This is not the standard coupe.

There were a few sub-models of the 1900, including the 1900 Super, 1900TI, and the 1900C – which was the short wheelbase version. This SS version is powered by a 115 horsepower, 2.0-liter straight-four.

Quite a few of these were coachbuilt specials and many of those were one-offs, including this Turin Motor Show car by Mario Boano. Sold after that show to a Milanese buyer, it remained in Italy for quite some time, finally finding a foreign owner in 2013. The restoration you see here wasn’t complete until 2017 – and it has been restored back to as it was on the Turin Motor Show stand.

The styling on this car is very Jet Age, carrying bodywork that fit right in with other coachbuilt specials from the era. When it crosses the block in January, it is expected to bring between $1,250,000-$1,750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,270,000.

The First Dino

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1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale by Pininfarina

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 11, 2017

Photo – Artcurial

Okay, so the first Dinos were actually Ferrari race cars, but the Dino road cars (which lacked Ferrari badging) went on sale in 1968 and lasted through 1976 (before being rolled back into the official Ferrari product line). Dinos were V6-powered cars, an engine that was co-developed by Enzo’s late son and car namesake, Dino.

Ferrari had Sergio Pininfarina get to work on the Dino road car in 1965. And the resulting concept car, seen here, was spectacular. Built on a short wheelbase 206 P competition chassis, the car debuted at the 1965 Paris Motor Show. The body is very low and streamlined. Check out the front “bumper” – it’s just the headlight glass. The 2.0-liter V-6 is mid-mounted, which would make the Dino the first road-going, mid-engined Ferrari.

Pininfarina retained the car after the show circuit and donated it to the ACO (organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and their Le Mans Museum, where it has remained since 1967. The car is being sold by the ACO to help fund future projects and is being sold because the mission of the museum is to present cars that have competed in the race (which this car did not).

The car is currently complete save for its mechanical internals (i.e. it’s missing important parts of the engine and transmission that make it go, like the pistons and the clutch). Regardless the pre-sale estimate for this important, one-off Ferrari concept car is $4,225,000-$8,445,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,653,824

330 GTC Speciale

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1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale by Pininfarina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 29-30, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Ferrari 330 was a series of cars built by the House of the Prancing Horse over a period of years lasting from 1963 through 1968. The 330 GTC (and it’s convertible sibling, the 330 GTS) were built between 1966 and 1968. The 330 GTC was the second-most-produced model among the few different models built. But this is a Speciale – it wears a special body courtesy of Pininfarina.

The drivetrain is the same: a 4.0-liter V-12 making 300 horsepower drives the rear wheels. Pininfarina bodied four 330 GTCs with this body work. The front resembles the 365 California and the rear features a dramatic, vertical rear windscreen and sloping side panels that make the car look mid-engined when the engine is actually up front.

This is car number three of four that wear this styling. It was sold new to a woman in Northern Italy. Less than a decade later, it was in the U.S. and it would bounce between owners on the two continents for the next twenty years before the current owner acquired it in 1994. It was restored in the late 1980s and hasn’t been shown at many major shows. It should bring between $3,400,000-$4,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,410,000.