1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé
- Engine
- 3.0L Colombo V12 with three twin-choke Weber carburetors, 240 bhp at 7,000 rpm
- Colour
- Blu Genziana (deep blue)
Ferrari 250 GT Coupe chassis 1391 GT, the 168th of 353 built between 1958 and 1960, was completed in mid-1959 and originally delivered to celebrated racing driver and California Ferrari dealer John von Neumann. After passing through several American owners over two decades, the car was acquired in disassembled condition and subjected to a comprehensive concours-level restoration completed in 2019, costing in excess of $330,000. It has since been exhibited at national-level Ferrari concours events and retains its numbers-matching Colombo V-12.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$731,000
- 1959 → 1959Acquisition unknownJohn von Neumannpartial documentation
Prominent racing driver and Ferrari dealer based in Los Angeles; retained the car only briefly before passing it on.
- 1959 →Private saleUnidentified buyer, circa 1959none documentation
Identity not recorded; one of several owners through whom the car passed over roughly two decades.
- 1975 → 2012Acquisition unknownCharles Klinglerpartial documentation
Chicago-area resident who occasionally drove the car before disassembling it for a planned restoration that was never completed; sold it in a stripped-down state.
- 2012 →Private saleCurrent consignorfull documentation
Acquired the car in a disassembled condition and commissioned a comprehensive concours-level restoration completed in 2019, with documented expenditure exceeding $330,000.
Competition
- 2019Ferrari Club of America2019 Ferrari Club of America National Concours
Shown in Scottsdale, Arizona following completion of the full restoration.
- 2020Cavallino Classic2020 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic
Displayed in Palm Beach, Florida as part of the car's post-restoration concours appearances.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2019RestorationMcCabe Automotive Restoration
Full concours-level restoration encompassing approximately 500 hours of bodywork to strip the coupe to bare metal, carry out metallurgical repairs, and achieve a perfectly straight surface prior to repainting in Blu Genziana. Correct period-appropriate tan leather interior was sourced from a specialist Dutch supplier. Total expenditure exceeded $330,000.
Work carried out by Skip McCabe and his team in Mundelein, Illinois. Leather hides sourced from HVL Class Leather in the Netherlands.
- 2019Engine rebuildMotor Kraft
Complete engine disassembly and rebuild using components procured directly from marque specialists; the numbers-matching Colombo V-12 was fully overhauled.
Performed by John Hajduk of Motor Kraft in Noblesville, Indiana; parts sourced from GTO Engineering of Berkshire, United Kingdom.
- 2019InspectionContinental Auto Sports
Post-restoration fine-tuning and adjustment carried out against Ferrari Cavallino judging criteria to align the car with Ferrari Club of America platinum-level standards.
Conducted by master mechanics at Continental Auto Sports in Hinsdale, Illinois following completion of the main restoration.
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