1963 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III 'Le Mans Safety Car' by Pininfarina
- Engine
- 4.0L V12, modified camshafts, 370 hp
- Colour
- 'Rosso Miura' (red)
Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III, chassis 4155, departed Maranello in January 1963 finished in Blu Sera over Grigio leather and was delivered to Franco-Britannic Autos in Paris. Immediately modified by coachbuilder Henri Chapron, it served as the official safety car at the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by FBA proprietor Donald Sleator. It subsequently appeared in the French film Pouic-Pouic before passing through several noted French owners. A matching-numbers, low-mileage survivor, it retains its original paintwork, interior, and Chapron fittings.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €545,000 (≈ $600K)
- 1963-01-30 → 1963-08-01Factory deliveryFranco-Britannic Autos Ltdfull documentation
Paris-based importer that took delivery of the car new from Maranello, had it modified by Henri Chapron for use as the official Le Mans safety car, and subsequently used it in a French film before preparing it for resale.
- 1963-08-01 → 1964Private saleGuy Verrechiapartial documentation
- 1964 → 1965-05-01Private saleCharles Pozzifull documentation
Official Ferrari concessionaire who used the car for roughly one year; period invoices confirm considerable expenditure on maintenance during his ownership.
- 1965-05-01 →Private salePierre Foujeanpartial documentation
- 2017 →Acquisition unknownCurrent consigning ownerfull documentation
Spent over €12,000 on recommissioning with FB Motors in Haute-Savoie, carefully preserving original components, and conducted extensive historical research into the car's past.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownChristian Fifispartial documentation
Acquired the car approximately five years after Foujean, with some 57,000 km recorded. Preserved the car carefully for nearly half a century until his death, after which it remained unused for roughly twenty years.
Competition
- 1963-06-151963 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Donald Sleator
Car served as the official safety car for the race on 15–16 June; Sleator, the FBA proprietor, drove it and acted as a marshal during the event. Period photographs and footage documenting this role are on file.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1963ModificationHenri Chapron
Sent to Henri Chapron's coachbuilding workshop, where crests, flag stands, specialised lighting, and various other fittings were installed to prepare the car for its safety-car role.
Work commissioned by Franco-Britannic Autos; period invoices from both FBA and Chapron documenting the modifications are retained in the history file.
- 1964ServiceCharles Pozzi
Significant expenditure on maintenance carried out during Charles Pozzi's approximately twelve-month ownership, as evidenced by multiple contemporary invoices.
Invoices from this period form part of the history file covering 1963–1970.
- 2017RestorationFB Motors
Full recommissioning of the car following a lengthy dormant period, with deliberate care taken to retain original period components throughout; odometer read approximately 63,219 km at the time of the work.
Cost exceeded €12,000; work carried out by FB Motors of Haute-Savoie, France, on behalf of the consigning owner.
- —InspectionFerrari Classiche
Ferrari Classiche inspection underway at the time of cataloguing, with full certification anticipated; car retains matching-numbers body, chassis, engine, and gearbox.
Certification process was in progress when the auction catalogue was prepared.
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