1968 Ferrari 330 GTC

Ferrari had become a well known racing team and producer of sports cars for the public, but its Gran Touring machines were still lacking refinement. Enzo may have thought little of this, but as time has gone on these larger Ferrari models have done very well for the company and now, with the new FF model, they will introduce 4-wheel drive to the company’s lineup for the first time.

At the 1966 Geneva Motor Show Ferrari introduced its new 330 GTC model. With the 330 GT 2+2 model, Ferrari already had a less sporty car for sale, so the 330 GTC needed to be both Grand Tourer and true performance car. Utilizing a shorter wheelbase and modified engine, the 330 GTC Coupe is widely regarded as one of the best overall Ferrari models of all time.

Canepa Design in California is currently offering a Silver 1965 model with 47,033 miles on the odometer. It has been restored and features a clean title.

Hit the jump for more details on the Ferrari 330 GTC.

Design Once again the coachbuilder Pininfarina was commissioned to put together an elegant body for this new Ferrari. As usual for this legendary company they produced a beautifully sculpted 2-dor coupe with classic Ferrari inspirations. A long front hood, oval grill and round headlamps got their style from the 500 Superfast models. With the car being built on a shortened 275 GTB frame, Pininfarina was able to incorporate the more aggressive looking 275 GTS rear end and make everything blend together. The cabin stand tall allowing for easy entrance and exit expected in a touring car as well as increased visibility versus more sporting Ferrari models. This model may showcase the non-racing side of Ferrari, but quad exhaust pipes and side vents on the hood still tell you that this car means business. In 1988 this particular car was repainted in the Silver color shown. It also had the seats and carpets redone on the interior. The new red carpet and black seats look stunning and show little wear. Large wooden steering wheel with yellow Ferrari prancing horse sits in front of a wood dash panel with all original gauges. Performance A redesigned version of the Colombo V12 sat under the large hood, delivering power to the rear wheels. The engine is roughly 4-liters and uses 3-Weber DFI carburetors to produce 300hp and 240 lb-ft. of torque. Acceleration to 60mph takes just 6.9 seconds and the 300 can reach a top speed of 146mph. This may not sound like much in today’s world, but for 1968 this Ferrari was well ahead of the competition. The five-speed gearbox featured its own set of upgrades for the 330 GTC in order to compliment the desired driving characteristics that Ferrari was looking for. The new gear allowed the car to incorporate different gear ratios and reach a higher top speed than the four-speed unit would have. In addition they were also able to have the gearbox placed inside the rear axle which gave the car a better front to rear weight ratio. Making the car easier to drive on long trips was the fully independent suspension featuring unequal A-arms in the front and rear. This setup was preferable to the old live axle system that had been employed in the past. Car History After the cars introduction in Geneva production began in 1966 and continued for two years. The Ferrari factory was nothing like the production line found in an American auto manufacturer and that’s the way Enzo wanted things. These cars were special and took many hours to complete. It is surprising that Ferrari produced 604 examples of this car and was able to maintain production of what was a large Ferrari lineup at the time. After this car was produced it was shipped to Manhattan being purchased by a customer through Luigi Chinetti’s import business. Chinetti was a Ferrari driver in the past and had become quite the savvy businessman. Much of Ferrari’s commercial success could be due to his growing import business that was able to introduce these Italian sports cars to North American buyers that were looking for a more composed and sporty automobile than the United States was producing. This 330 GTC has changed hands several times, but has been maintained throughout its life. At 29,000 miles it had its engine rebuilt and as previously mentioned the paint, seats and carpet were all changed. Most recently the car has been under the care of a California technician who rebuilt the suspension, steering box and transaxle. Canepa has checked the car and confirms it ready for driving and show.