Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta

Anatomy of a Classic
Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta
Designed by Pininfarina
Built by Sergio Scaglietti
1962

The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta is one of the classic icons of Italian car styling. The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta is perhaps Pininfarina's most revered designs of all time. The beautifully styled Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta was introduced at the 1962 Paris show. The Ferrari 250 GT sported flowing lines and a fastback shape typical of the GT cars of the mid-1960s. Rightly regarded as one of the most beautiful GT cars ever created, the 250 GT was the final iteration of Ferrari's celebrated 250 series. Popularly known as the Lusso (Italian for "luxury"), the new car drew instant acclaim for its curvaceous and perfectly proportioned Pininfarina design, which was hand built at Sergio Scaglietti’s workshop in Modena. Though it was conceived and marketed as a luxurious grand touring evolution of the renowned 250 short wheelbase berlinetta, the new model combined chassis elements of the celebrated race car with greater creature comforts, whilst retaining characteristic Ferrari performance. The elegant interior featured true bucket seats with leather upholstery and a unique instrument panel centred by two large dials for the rev counter and speedometer, which were angled towards the driver for optimal functionality. Only 350 examples of the Lusso were built over the model’s short two-year production run, and it remains one of the most admired and desirable Ferrari cars of all time. Steve McQueen was an absolute car nut (unlike his wife Neile) and owned two of these cars. He could often be found racing one of his Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta's through Los Angeles and the the
Palm Springs desert.

This exceptional Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta has the distinction of being the fourth to last car built, and therefore, is one of the very last of the legendary 250 series Ferraris, essentially marking the end of a golden era of Ferrari production, which included the iconic 250 GTO. As clarified by the research of marque historian Marcel Massini, this car was initially sold on 28 July 1964 to Francesco Di Benedetto, a Sicilian residing in Caltanissetta, Italy. Records reflect that Mr Di Benedetto returned the Lusso to the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Clienti in Modena twice over the next two years, dutifully servicing his cherished car. 

Text and Image Credits:

RM Auctions, Constantin Fischer, William Claxton and Lucia Fontana for moderndesign.org