Among the beauty pageant of 1960s Ferrari road cars, arguably the most dazzling is the 275 GTB/4 coupe. Masterfully designed by Pininfarina and hand-built by Scaglietti, this exquisitely proportioned berlinetta combines jaw-dropping style with towering V-12 power and performance.
It’s no wonder that the so-called “four cam” attracted the attention of celebrity car lovers the world over. The roster of A-list owners included such names as Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, James Coburn, Miles Davis, George Harrison, and Ralph Lauren. In the case of this 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, guitar great Eric Clapton is included in its provenance. Clapton acquired chassis No. 09261, one of just 31 right-hand-drive examples built, in 2003. During the two years he owned it, Clapton commissioned an exhaustive 12-month restoration.
Just 300 examples of Ferrari’s 275 GTB/4 were made, and only 31 were given a right-hand-drive configuration.
James Brown, courtesy of Fiskens
Developed from the original 1964 275 GTB, the updated GTB/4 debuted in 1966 and was distinguished by its longer nose and power-domed hood, along with a more powerful four-camshaft version of the legendary Colombo V-12 engine. It was also the first road-going Ferrari equipped with a five-speed manual transaxle and all-round independent suspension. Producing 300 hp, the power plant enables the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 163 mph. In total, just 300 examples of the 275 GTB/4 were built between 1966 and 1968.
