The Ferrari 250 GT Coupé Pininfarina is one of the defining grand touring Ferraris of the late 1950s. Elegant, balanced and beautifully proportioned, it marked an important step in Maranello’s move towards more structured road-car production, while still retaining the craftsmanship, character and exclusivity of Ferrari’s early coachbuilt era.
This 1959 example is presented in its exquisite original colour combination of Grigio Conchiglia MM 16249 over Connolly Leather Verde VM 3476 Aquamarine. The combination is both rare and highly distinctive, giving the car a level of elegance that perfectly suits the understated Pininfarina bodywork.
This car is one of only 354 examples produced and belongs to the desirable Series One, featuring drum brakes and the offset-lever 4-speed manual transmission. It is a configuration that places the car firmly in the early and highly collectible period of Ferrari’s 250 GT road-car development.
The car was completed by the factory on 12 August 1959 and delivered new in September 1959 via Johnny Von Neumann’s official Ferrari dealership, Ferrari Representatives of Hollywood, California. It was specially ordered by its first owner, who requested an interior comparable to that of his Ford Thunderbird.
Its history is complete and documented, with a clear chronology spanning the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Over the decades, the car has passed through the hands of recognised collectors, dealers and specialists, and has appeared at notable auctions and events including Bonhams & Brooks in Gstaad, Artcurial in Paris and Techno Classica Essen.
On 10 December 2014, the car received Ferrari Classiche certification, with Factory Certificate of Authenticity #4357 F issued. The certification confirms the car’s matching-numbers chassis, body, engine and gearbox.
In 2020, while with The Houtkamp Collection in the Netherlands, a new Schedoni interior was fitted in the original Verde VM 3476 Aquamarine colour. The result is a striking and faithful presentation of the car’s original specification.
With its original colour combination, Ferrari Classiche certification, matching-numbers status, complete documented history and elegant Pininfarina coachwork, this 250 GT Coupé represents a highly compelling example of one of Ferrari’s most important early grand tourers.
Provenance & Chronology
12 August 1959
Factory completion date.
September 1959
Delivered new via Johnny Von Neumann’s official Ferrari dealership, Ferrari Representatives of Hollywood, California. The car was specially ordered by its first owner, who requested an interior comparable to that of his Ford Thunderbird.
January 1960
Sold to its first owner, Donald Hampton of Los Angeles, California.
1970
Sold to Richard Mills in Ohio, USA.
1979–1980
Listed in the Ferrari Owners Club USA membership roster under the ownership of Richard Mills, President of Mills Alloy Steel Company and resident in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
1981
Sold by Richard Mills to Dutch broker Robert De La Rive Box, resident in Villmergen, Switzerland.
1981
Re-sold by De La Rive Box to Autodino SA & Foitek AG, official Ferrari dealers in Zurich, Switzerland.
1981
Driven by Karl Foitek on Swiss dealer plates “ZH 32402”.
1984
Sold by Foitek to Gösta Fredriksson, a plastic manufacturer resident in Örebro, Sweden.
1 September 1986
Registered in Sweden on license plates “MDF-565”.
1999
Still owned by Gösta Fredriksson.
19 December 2000
Offered at the Bonhams & Brooks auction held at Hotel Palace in Gstaad, Switzerland, Lot #139. Sold for CHF 97,000 to Philippe Lancsweert of Brussels, Belgium.
14 February 2004
Offered at the Artcurial Briest Poulain-Le Fur auction in Paris, Lot #121. Sold to Count Hubertus Dönhoff of Dietramszell, Germany. The auction catalogue stated that the engine had been rebuilt in Modena one year prior.
March 2013
Still owned by Count Hubertus Dönhoff. The car retained its original turquoise interior.
2013
Sold by Dönhoff through Axel Schütte Fine Cars GmbH to Helmut Eberlein Automobile in Kassel, Germany.
10–14 April 2013
Displayed by Eberlein Automobile during the 25th Annual Techno Classica in Essen, Germany.
10 December 2014
Ferrari Classiche “Red Book” certified. Factory Certificate of Authenticity #4357 F issued, confirming the matching-numbers chassis, body, engine and gearbox.
May 2019
Advertised for sale in Octane magazine, issue #191, by Will Stone Historic Cars Ltd. At the time, the car was registered in the United Kingdom.
2020
Owned by Rutger H. J. P. Houtkamp’s The Houtkamp Collection in the Netherlands. A new Schedoni interior was fitted in the original Verde VM 3476 Aquamarine colour. The car was later sold.
