The 250 GTO is many things to many people. Purists know that it’s the magnum opus of the Cavallino Rampante, whereas the skeptics call it the most overrated classic car ever. Believer or not, the 250 GTO is a rarefied exotic, and it’s a thoroughbred racecar.
Only 39 examples were ever built, including the 330 GTO and '64. Of the latter, four cars were ever converted by the Maranello-based automaker. Mechanically similar to the ’62 and ’63 models, the ’64 breaks the mold with a wider track made possible by fitting slightly wider wheels. From an aesthetic level, the ’64 resembles the 250 LM for a terribly simple reason.
For the 1964 GT racing reason, Ferrari wished to field the mid-engined 250 LM. But as fate would have it, the FIA rejected Ferrari's homologation, forcing the Scuderia to use the GTO. And that, ladies and gents, is how chassis no. 5571GT, 5573GT, and 5575GT became 250 GTO ’64 or Series II.
And that’s the thing with the whole GTO family. They’re rarer than a unicorn, they’re mighty expensive, and they’ve always had this blue-chip investment appeal to them. For all these reasons, it’s all the more impressive to watch the 250 GTO do its thing in its natural habitat: a fast and winding circuit.
The owner of this particular ’64/Series II took his beloved machine to Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands, a race track with 13 highly-technical corners. The last time a Formula 1 Grand Prix was held at Zandvoort was 1985, with Niki Lauda winning the race with the McLaren MP4/2B. Alain Prost finished second in his McLaren, at a mere 0.2 seconds behind Niki Lauda.
F1 was a romantic delectation back in the '80s, but seeing a '60s superstar duking it out is mesmerizing. And so, press play if you want to see and hear arguably the best two-and-a-half minutes you'll spend today.
For the 1964 GT racing reason, Ferrari wished to field the mid-engined 250 LM. But as fate would have it, the FIA rejected Ferrari's homologation, forcing the Scuderia to use the GTO. And that, ladies and gents, is how chassis no. 5571GT, 5573GT, and 5575GT became 250 GTO ’64 or Series II.
And that’s the thing with the whole GTO family. They’re rarer than a unicorn, they’re mighty expensive, and they’ve always had this blue-chip investment appeal to them. For all these reasons, it’s all the more impressive to watch the 250 GTO do its thing in its natural habitat: a fast and winding circuit.
The owner of this particular ’64/Series II took his beloved machine to Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands, a race track with 13 highly-technical corners. The last time a Formula 1 Grand Prix was held at Zandvoort was 1985, with Niki Lauda winning the race with the McLaren MP4/2B. Alain Prost finished second in his McLaren, at a mere 0.2 seconds behind Niki Lauda.
F1 was a romantic delectation back in the '80s, but seeing a '60s superstar duking it out is mesmerizing. And so, press play if you want to see and hear arguably the best two-and-a-half minutes you'll spend today.