Few automotive silhouettes evoke as much reverence as the Ferrari 275 GTB. On October 31, RM Sotheby’s will test the upper limits of global auction hysteria in London by placing chassis 08059 under the gavel.
Estimated to fetch between £1,750,000 and £2,000,000 ($2.2M to $2.5M), this is a four-wheeled masterpiece that actually earned its keep on the track. Built and delivered in 1965, this 275 GTB is one of roughly 80 sought-after “long-nose” models wrapped in lightweight aluminum bodywork, blending Pininfarina’s sweeping proportions with Scaglietti’s legendary metalwork. Naturally, it sports a jaw-dropping Giallo Fly paint job paired with a Bleu Vaumol leather interior.
First purchased by a pharmaceutical firm in Bologna, the Ferrari passed to an enthusiastic female owner in Reggio Emilia before hopping across the Atlantic in 1973 to Lee Wilson’s collection in Indiana. California collector Shin Takei kept it from 1976 until at least 1993.
Fast-forward to 2003, and renowned Belgian collector Philippe Lancksweert acquired the GTB, commissioning a complete restoration by Italian masters Bacchelli & Villa for the chassis and bodywork, while Tappezzeria Luppi retrimmed the cabin. Then came the track-focused treatment by Roelofs Engineering, which endowed the alloy beast with a six-Weber carburetor setup, an external fuel filler, a roll bar, and 15-inch racing wheels.
For the past 22 years, its current owner treated the car as a high-octane passion project rather than a static financial asset, regularly thrashing it at historic motorsport spectacles like the Le Mans Classic, Tour Auto, and Modena Cento Ore. Every Ferrari fan can perfectly understand why he did such a “sin” of pleasure.
Complete with Ferrari Classiche certification and its coveted “Red Book,” this lightweight 275 GTB remains a rare, race-bred icon. Hopefully, whoever signs the massive check in London shares the same genuine driving passion instead of treating this aluminum sculpture like a glorified tech stock.