Cortile Cup 2013 Winner: 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso
Painted a beautiful “Azzurro Metallic” blue and featuring chrome Borani wheels and a black leather interior, this 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso was a full, ground-up, every nut and bolt restoration.
Equipped with the 245 horsepower 3.0 liter v-12 engine and mated to a 4 speed transmission, the car will do 0 to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds (which was quite impressive in its day). |
The Cortile was the first judged appearance of this car.
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Designed by Pinninfarina and built by Scaglietti, the 250GT Lusso was the last of the 250 series cars offered by Ferrari.
The body/frame of this car was alkaline dipped to remove all rust and corrosion. Extensive bodywork followed to repair any damage and new aluminum door skins were fabricated to replace the original ones that had deteriorated. The engine, drivetrain and suspension where completely rebuilt. The gauges where also rebuilt and a new carpet and interior installed. The final major component that was not yet installed for Cortile judging was the distinctive egg crate grille.
The body/frame of this car was alkaline dipped to remove all rust and corrosion. Extensive bodywork followed to repair any damage and new aluminum door skins were fabricated to replace the original ones that had deteriorated. The engine, drivetrain and suspension where completely rebuilt. The gauges where also rebuilt and a new carpet and interior installed. The final major component that was not yet installed for Cortile judging was the distinctive egg crate grille.
The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is a GT car which was manufactured by Italian automaker Ferrari from 1963 to 1964. Sometimes known as the GTL, GT/L or Berlinetta Lusso, it is larger and more luxurious than the 250 GT Berlinetta. The 250 GT Lusso, which was not intended to compete in sports car racing, is considered to be one of the most elegant Ferraris.
Keeping in line with the Ferrari "tradition" of that time, the 250 GT Lusso was designed by the Turinese coachbuilder Pininfarina, and bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Although the interior was more spacious than that of the 250 GT, the 250 GT Lusso remained a two-seat GT coupe, unlike the 250 GTE. The car was manufactured for only eighteen months, from early 1963 to mid 1964, and was the last model of Ferrari 250 GT generation.
Auto shows often provide an opportunity for manufacturers to introduce new designs publicly. Ferrari did so at the 1962 Paris Motor Show to unveil, as a prototype, the 250 GT Lusso. The prototype was almost identical to the production version, and only minor details changed thereafter.
The new model was a way for Ferrari to fill a void left between the sporty 250 GT SWB and the luxurious 250 GTE 2+2, the Lusso met the new demands of the 1960s. Indeed, fans of sporting driving of the time became as fond of civilized designs, that is, comfortable and spacious, as they were of radical sports cars. Ferrari did not skimp on details in the GTL, which shows on the scales; weight ranged from 1,020 to 1,310 kg (2,250 to 2,890 lb), depending on equipment.
Unusually brief for a Ferrari model, GTL's production began January 1963 and ended August 1964. According to a longstanding American expert on Ferrari, Peter Coltrin, the construction of the 250 GT Lusso must have begun soon after the presentation of the prototype of the Paris Motor Show.
Keeping in line with the Ferrari "tradition" of that time, the 250 GT Lusso was designed by the Turinese coachbuilder Pininfarina, and bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Although the interior was more spacious than that of the 250 GT, the 250 GT Lusso remained a two-seat GT coupe, unlike the 250 GTE. The car was manufactured for only eighteen months, from early 1963 to mid 1964, and was the last model of Ferrari 250 GT generation.
Auto shows often provide an opportunity for manufacturers to introduce new designs publicly. Ferrari did so at the 1962 Paris Motor Show to unveil, as a prototype, the 250 GT Lusso. The prototype was almost identical to the production version, and only minor details changed thereafter.
The new model was a way for Ferrari to fill a void left between the sporty 250 GT SWB and the luxurious 250 GTE 2+2, the Lusso met the new demands of the 1960s. Indeed, fans of sporting driving of the time became as fond of civilized designs, that is, comfortable and spacious, as they were of radical sports cars. Ferrari did not skimp on details in the GTL, which shows on the scales; weight ranged from 1,020 to 1,310 kg (2,250 to 2,890 lb), depending on equipment.
Unusually brief for a Ferrari model, GTL's production began January 1963 and ended August 1964. According to a longstanding American expert on Ferrari, Peter Coltrin, the construction of the 250 GT Lusso must have begun soon after the presentation of the prototype of the Paris Motor Show.
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Although it was not intended to compete, the 250 GT Lusso made a few appearances in several sporting events in 1964 and 1965, such as the Targa Florio and the Tour de France. The final iteration of the 250 GT series, 351 copies of GT Lusso were produced before being replaced by the Ferrari 275 GTB. (Note nomenclature change due to increase in engine cylinder capacity.) Originally sold for $13,375, the GTL saw sales in 2010 between $400,000 and $500,000, and currently in 2013 values are approaching 4 times this figure.
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Alfa Romeo Winner: 1970 GT 1300 Junior
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The Giulia GT 1300 Junior was a sports car (coupe 2 +2) built by Alfa Romeo (Type Code 105.30 chassis, engine 00530. During the last period of production it officially lost the name "Guila". Alfa stopped importing them in the US market sometime in 1967.
The 1300 was the heir of the Giulietta Sprint. Founded as a cheaper version of the Giulia Sprint GT 1600's, it later became more famous older sister buying a diffusion and a major sporting fame . The first series was characterized by the so-called "dash pot " with four instruments that included an indication of the temperature of the engine oil . |
In its first version (the first year with Dunlop disc brakes ) lacked equipment already at the time considered almost as essential as the brake booster, while the second version had only a few minor changes including a brake booster.
The second series (1969) represented a turning point, with the adoption of a new instrument panel similar to that of the GT 1750 14 "wheels , rear stabilizer bar , hydraulic clutch and alternator instead of a dynamo. The first two series are also referred to as "step" , with reference to the space between the front edge of the bonnet and the front of the plane . the "step" is common to the first two series of the GT Junior with the Sprint GT and GTA .
The GT Junior was a real sport , with all the quality of the models and higher power capacity such as Sprint GT which resulted . Equipped with four disc brakes and also thanks to a small enough overall weight, it had excellent braking. The rear suspension rigid axle suffered from a certain lightness on slippery surfaces , but overall the grip was very high, even taking into account the tire technology of the time, which required choices now considered obsolete.
1968 model
Acceleration was remarkable, given the displacement. The maximum speed was over 170 km / h. The five-speed gearbox (then reserved for the few sports models), with the fifth "long", it was very handy and well synchronized . The cooling system was very effective even if equipped with a fan driven by the belt and no electricity. The exhaust valves were hollow, with inside sodium which served as a temperature compensator . The candles were "four points" which helped to limit the contamination in mid range and eliminated the need for periodic recording of the gap of the electrodes.
The second series (1969) represented a turning point, with the adoption of a new instrument panel similar to that of the GT 1750 14 "wheels , rear stabilizer bar , hydraulic clutch and alternator instead of a dynamo. The first two series are also referred to as "step" , with reference to the space between the front edge of the bonnet and the front of the plane . the "step" is common to the first two series of the GT Junior with the Sprint GT and GTA .
The GT Junior was a real sport , with all the quality of the models and higher power capacity such as Sprint GT which resulted . Equipped with four disc brakes and also thanks to a small enough overall weight, it had excellent braking. The rear suspension rigid axle suffered from a certain lightness on slippery surfaces , but overall the grip was very high, even taking into account the tire technology of the time, which required choices now considered obsolete.
1968 model
Acceleration was remarkable, given the displacement. The maximum speed was over 170 km / h. The five-speed gearbox (then reserved for the few sports models), with the fifth "long", it was very handy and well synchronized . The cooling system was very effective even if equipped with a fan driven by the belt and no electricity. The exhaust valves were hollow, with inside sodium which served as a temperature compensator . The candles were "four points" which helped to limit the contamination in mid range and eliminated the need for periodic recording of the gap of the electrodes.
Ferrari Winner: 1974 365 GT4 BB
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The all-new 365 GT4 BB appeared on the world stage at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and received a rapturous reception. Of monocoque/tubular steel construction, it featured a mid-mounted, flat-12 engine derived directly from Ferrari's sports prototype program. This rear wheel drive, 5 sped stick gearbox, weighed in at 3,419 lbs and has a displacement of 4.4 litres (269 c.i.).
Pininfarina clothed the state-of-the-art mechanical package in a sleek yet uncluttered berlinetta body carrying trademark black lower panels. |
Not only did the Boxer have six rear lights, but six exhaust pipes too-one-upmanship as only the Italians know how. Mid-1976 saw the 365 Boxer replaced by the evolutionary 512, but to many the 365 remains the definitive Berlinetta Boxer, despite-or perhaps because of-its raw and uncompromising feel.
A 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Boxer sold for $159,531 at Bonhams' Gstaad sale held Dec. 18, 2004.
According to Frank Ziccarelli: "My 365 GT4 BB is a 1974, very early model, one of about 380 built between 1974 and 1976 It is Ferrari's first 12 cyl. boxer motor which they raced and it was very successful. This car was never built for the US market and it is about one of 30 that is in the USA. Car has an honest 15,000 KM on the odometer. The 365 is the pureist boxer of them all. The 512 BB and 512 BBI are slower cars (due to emmission etc. etc.) and a lot more luxury went into them. I restored the car to factory specs and as built by the factory. I feel it is not over restored. I wanted to use all of the original parts, clamps etc. etc."
A 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Boxer sold for $159,531 at Bonhams' Gstaad sale held Dec. 18, 2004.
According to Frank Ziccarelli: "My 365 GT4 BB is a 1974, very early model, one of about 380 built between 1974 and 1976 It is Ferrari's first 12 cyl. boxer motor which they raced and it was very successful. This car was never built for the US market and it is about one of 30 that is in the USA. Car has an honest 15,000 KM on the odometer. The 365 is the pureist boxer of them all. The 512 BB and 512 BBI are slower cars (due to emmission etc. etc.) and a lot more luxury went into them. I restored the car to factory specs and as built by the factory. I feel it is not over restored. I wanted to use all of the original parts, clamps etc. etc."
Fiat Winner: 1976 124 Spider
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Since the 1950s, Fiat had marketed a series of attractive convertibles (Spiders) in the U.S., usually designed by Pininfarina. They were generally a lower price and lower performance alternative to Alfa Romeo Spiders. The last series sold in the U.S. was to be the longest lived of these.
First known as the 124 Spider, when introduced in 1966, the car sported a 1500 cc DOHC four-cylinder engine that over the years went up and down in displacement several times, with most of the cars sold in the U.S. being 1756 cc and 1995 cc, both variants equipped with a single Weber carburetor. |
Fuel injection was added to California cars first in 1980 and to the other 49 State cars later that year. The earliest cars with small bumpers and no emission controls and the last Bosch injected cars are the most desirable with the latter being genuinely quick.
A coupe version of the 124 was also produced. While it shared the same platform as the Spider, it was slightly longer and wore Boano styling as opposed to Pininfarina.
About 700 turbocharged cars were factory authorized conversions by Legend Industries. These are quite entertaining and usually bring a significant price premium over standard Spiders. All of the 1995 cc cars (known as Spider 2000s) are quite well appointed and sport one of the best designed manual convertible tops ever. Some came with leather and all feature a real wood instrument panel and handsome Veglia gauges.
Following Fiat’s exit from the U.S. market in 1983, Pininfarina offered the car for sale for another two years as the Pininfarina Azzurra. Build quality of these final cars is said to be quite good. No matter the vintage, rust is the biggest problem along with soft second gear synchros. All are quite nice to drive and make ideal first collector cars.
Source: Hagerty
A coupe version of the 124 was also produced. While it shared the same platform as the Spider, it was slightly longer and wore Boano styling as opposed to Pininfarina.
About 700 turbocharged cars were factory authorized conversions by Legend Industries. These are quite entertaining and usually bring a significant price premium over standard Spiders. All of the 1995 cc cars (known as Spider 2000s) are quite well appointed and sport one of the best designed manual convertible tops ever. Some came with leather and all feature a real wood instrument panel and handsome Veglia gauges.
Following Fiat’s exit from the U.S. market in 1983, Pininfarina offered the car for sale for another two years as the Pininfarina Azzurra. Build quality of these final cars is said to be quite good. No matter the vintage, rust is the biggest problem along with soft second gear synchros. All are quite nice to drive and make ideal first collector cars.
Source: Hagerty
Lancia Winner: 1963 Flaminia GTL
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The Flaminia was named after the Via Flaminia, the road leading from Rome to Ariminum (Rimini). This respected the established Lancia tradition of naming individual models after Roman roads.
The Lancia Flaminia is a luxury car from the Italian automaker, Lancia, built from 1957 to 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as saloon, coupé and cabriolet. |
The Flaminia coupé and cabriolet were coachbuilt cars with bodies from several prestigious Italian coachbuilders. Four "presidential" stretched limousine Flaminias were produced by Pininfarina for use on state occasions.
There were 12,633 Flaminias sold over 13 years. Coupés outsold the four-door saloon, an unusual occurrence otherwise seen at the time only in American compact and midsize models whose coupe versions were standard factory models that cost the same or less than the sedan, while the Flaminia coupes' coachbuilt bodies made them considerably more expensive than the limousine-like Berlina.
According to David, his Flaminia is one of 300 hand built by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring in Milan,Italy with an all aluminum body. The car is one of 7 currently known in the United States. The car was purchased in Shaler, Pa in 2000 with many people thinking car was beyond restoration. Restoration was a six and half year body off process completed in 2007.
There were 12,633 Flaminias sold over 13 years. Coupés outsold the four-door saloon, an unusual occurrence otherwise seen at the time only in American compact and midsize models whose coupe versions were standard factory models that cost the same or less than the sedan, while the Flaminia coupes' coachbuilt bodies made them considerably more expensive than the limousine-like Berlina.
According to David, his Flaminia is one of 300 hand built by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring in Milan,Italy with an all aluminum body. The car is one of 7 currently known in the United States. The car was purchased in Shaler, Pa in 2000 with many people thinking car was beyond restoration. Restoration was a six and half year body off process completed in 2007.
Lamborghini: 1998 Diablo Special Edition
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This Diablo is one of seven built with white tan interior. The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001, it was also the first Lamborghini to top 200 MPH, before it was replaced by the Lamborghini Murcielago.
The Diablo VT was introduced in 1993. Although the VT differed from the standard Diablo in a number of ways, by far the most notable change was the addition of all-wheel drive, which made use of a viscous center differential (a re-modified version of LM002's 4WD system). |
Maserati Winner: 2005 Gran Sport
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The Maserati Coupé and Spyder (Tipo 138) are grand tourers. They have now been replaced by the GranTurismo.The two nameplates refer to the four-seater coupé and two-seater roadster versions, respectively. Both models were based on the 3200 GT, which was sold in Europe, but not in the United States.
The starting point for the modern GranSport is the Coupé Cambiocorsa, which appeared in its current form, with a 4.2-liter V-8 engine and a transaxle incorporating a paddle-shift automated six-speed manual transmission, in 2002. |
Designed to bring a bit of the Trofeo race car's edgier performance to the street, the GranSport coupe rides on 19-inch wheels with the Trofeo's trident-spoke design, shod in special 235/30-series front, 265/30 rear Pirelli P Zero Rossos. The active-damping suspension is lowered 0.4 inch, and the response rate of the shock absorbers is increased to limit pitch and roll.
The engine, which is related to the 4.3-liter V-8 in the upcoming Ferrari F430, is "blueprinted"-built with selected components to finer tolerances than the standard Maserati-and has a different exhaust system and inlet manifolds. The result is an 11-hp increase, to 396, although with rather different power and torque curves than the 394-hp version of the same engine in the Maserati Quattroporte sedan. And taking a cue from Ferrari, the exhaust system has a pneumatic valve to reduce back pressure and make a gloriously rich sound when the "sport" button is pressed.
Every successive version of the Cambiocorsa electrohydraulic shift system is a little bit better than the previous one. Maserati says the GranSport has specially developed software that makes shifting in sport mode 35 percent faster than before.
The engine, which is related to the 4.3-liter V-8 in the upcoming Ferrari F430, is "blueprinted"-built with selected components to finer tolerances than the standard Maserati-and has a different exhaust system and inlet manifolds. The result is an 11-hp increase, to 396, although with rather different power and torque curves than the 394-hp version of the same engine in the Maserati Quattroporte sedan. And taking a cue from Ferrari, the exhaust system has a pneumatic valve to reduce back pressure and make a gloriously rich sound when the "sport" button is pressed.
Every successive version of the Cambiocorsa electrohydraulic shift system is a little bit better than the previous one. Maserati says the GranSport has specially developed software that makes shifting in sport mode 35 percent faster than before.
Italian Specialty Car: 1972 Detomaso Pantera
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The car made its public debut in Modena in March 1970 and was presented at the 1970 New York Motor Show a few weeks later. Approximately a year after that production Panteras started finding their way into the hands of customers and production had already been ramped up to a remarkable (by the standards of Modena-built exotica) 3 per day.
The car was designed by American designer Tom Tjaarda and replaced the De Tomaso Mangusta. Unlike the Mangusta, which employed a steel backbone chassis, the Pantera was a steel monocoque design, the first instance of De Tomaso using this construction technique. |
The Pantera logo included a version of Argentina's flag turned on its side with a T-shaped symbol that was the brand used by De Tomaso's Argentinian cattle ranching ancestors.
The ZF transaxle used in the Mangusta was also used for the Pantera: a passenger in an early Pantera recorded that the mechanical noises emanating from the transaxle were more intrusive than the well restrained engine noise. Another Italian exotic that shares the ZF transaxle is the Maserati Bora, also launched in 1971 though not yet available for sale.Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were all standard equipment on the Pantera. The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver.
Several modifications were made for the 1972 model year Panteras. A new 4 Bolt Main Cleveland Engine, also 351 in3, was used with lower compression ratio (from 11:1 to 8.6:1, chiefly to meet US emissions standards and run on lower octane standard fuel) but with more aggressive camshaft timing (in an effort to reclaim some of the power lost through the reduction in compression). Many other engine changes were made, including the use of a factory exhaust header.
The "Lusso" (luxury) Pantera L was also introduced in 1972. It featured large black bumpers for the US market as well as a 248 hp (185 kW) Cleveland engine. The U.S. version 1974 Pantera GTS featured GTS badging but not the higher compression, solid lifter engine of its European GTS "cousin".
Notably, Elvis Presley once fired a gun at his Pantera after it would not start.
The ZF transaxle used in the Mangusta was also used for the Pantera: a passenger in an early Pantera recorded that the mechanical noises emanating from the transaxle were more intrusive than the well restrained engine noise. Another Italian exotic that shares the ZF transaxle is the Maserati Bora, also launched in 1971 though not yet available for sale.Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were all standard equipment on the Pantera. The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver.
Several modifications were made for the 1972 model year Panteras. A new 4 Bolt Main Cleveland Engine, also 351 in3, was used with lower compression ratio (from 11:1 to 8.6:1, chiefly to meet US emissions standards and run on lower octane standard fuel) but with more aggressive camshaft timing (in an effort to reclaim some of the power lost through the reduction in compression). Many other engine changes were made, including the use of a factory exhaust header.
The "Lusso" (luxury) Pantera L was also introduced in 1972. It featured large black bumpers for the US market as well as a 248 hp (185 kW) Cleveland engine. The U.S. version 1974 Pantera GTS featured GTS badging but not the higher compression, solid lifter engine of its European GTS "cousin".
Notably, Elvis Presley once fired a gun at his Pantera after it would not start.
We would like to extend a special thank you to Pittsburgh based Dan Vaughan from ConceptCarz for providing some of the specific details and history on several of the award winners.
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