Legacy Metrics

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I

0791GTroadItaly
Engine
2.95L SOHC V12 with triple Weber carburetors, 240 bhp
Colour
White ('Bianco') over blue ('Blu') interior

Chassis 0791 GT is the fourteenth of approximately forty Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolets bodied by Pinin Farina, delivered new in March 1958 to Parauto in Genoa before making its way to the United States via Luigi Chinetti Motors. Originally finished in white over blue leather, the car passed through five owners over more than six decades, including two noted gentleman racers, and was latterly returned to its factory specification through a restoration by DK Engineering that included fitting a correct type 128-C engine sourced directly from Ferrari Classiche.

Ownership

  1. Auction sale
  2. Auction sale
    Sold €4,719,000 (≈ $5.19M)

    RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →

  3. 1958 → 1958Private sale
    Luigi Chinetti Motors
    partial documentation

    New York-based Ferrari distributor who took the car from the Genova dealer and arranged its shipment to the United States before selling it to the first private buyer.

  4. 1958 → 1959Private sale
    John R. Fulp Jr.
    partial documentation

    Gentleman racer from Greenville, South Carolina, who used the car on public roads rather than in competition; traded it back to Chinetti in exchange for a 410 Superamerica Coupe.

  5. 1958 → 1959Private sale
    John R. Fulp Jr.
    partial documentation

    Gentleman racer based in Greenville, South Carolina; used the car primarily on public roads rather than in competition. Traded it back to Chinetti in exchange for a 410 Superamerica.

  6. 1958 → 1958Private sale
    Luigi Chinetti Motors
    partial documentation

    New York dealership that took the car from Italy and sold it to the first private owner.

  7. 1958-03-01 → 1958Factory delivery
    Parauto S.r.l.
    partial documentation

    Italian Ferrari dealership in Genova that received the car as its first destination after factory completion.

  8. → 1958-03-01Factory delivery
    Parauto (Genova dealership, first delivery agent)
    partial documentation

    Italian dealership through which the car was delivered new; car left Italy shortly thereafter.

  9. 1959 →Private sale
    Luigi Chinetti Motors
    partial documentation

    Received the car back from Fulp as part of a trade, then subsequently sold it to a buyer in Paris.

  10. 1959 →Private sale
    Luigi Chinetti Motors
    partial documentation

    Re-acquired the car via trade, then sold it onward to a buyer in Paris; also later supplied a replacement engine to Harrison.

  11. → 1971Private sale
    James Harrison
    partial documentation

    American resident of Paris who had the car repainted silver with red interior by Charles Pozzi and also had the dashboard restyled; later relocated to Palm Beach, Florida, after arranging an engine replacement through Chinetti in 1969.

  12. 1971 →Private sale
    Robert Donner Jr.
    partial documentation

    Colorado Springs-based gentleman racer who kept the car for approximately four decades, had the engine rebuilt and the car refinished red in 1975, and used it regularly for open-top driving including multiple Colorado Grand outings.

  13. 1971 →Private sale
    Robert Donner Jr.
    partial documentation

    Noted American gentleman racer based in Colorado Springs; had the engine rebuilt in 1975 and the car refinished red over red. Used it as a regular warm-weather driver and entered it in numerous Colorado Grand events. Ownership ended with his death.

  14. → 1971Private sale
    James Harrison
    partial documentation

    American resident of Paris who had the car refinished in silver over red by Charles Pozzi and the dashboard modified. Later relocated to New York and then Palm Beach, Florida, where he kept the car until selling it in 1971.

  15. Date unknownAcquisition unknown
    West Coast-based enthusiasts
    partial documentation

    Acquired the car after Donner's death and carried out a minor cosmetic restoration before selling it onward to the fifth owner.

  16. Date unknownPrivate sale
    Current fifth owner
    partial documentation

    Europe-based custodian who commissioned DK Engineering to return the car to original factory specification, including a correct replacement engine sourced from Ferrari Classiche and a repaint to the original white-over-blue color scheme.

  17. Date unknownAcquisition unknown
    Current owner (consignor)
    partial documentation

    Entrusted the car to RM Auto Restoration in Blenheim, Ontario, for final preparation to concours standard.

  18. Date unknownPrivate sale
    Fifth owner (European)
    partial documentation

    Returned the car to Europe and had it restored to original delivery specification — white over blue — and fitted with a correct type 128 C engine sourced via Ferrari Classiche.

  19. Date unknownAcquisition unknown
    West Coast enthusiast group
    partial documentation

    Group of California-based enthusiasts who acquired the car after Donner's passing and carried out a minor cosmetic restoration before selling it on.

Competition

  1. 2007
    2007 The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering
    Displayed in dedicated Series I Cabriolet class

    Car was exhibited rather than driven competitively; shown in a class specifically for Series I Cabriolets.

  2. 2007
    The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering
    Displayed in dedicated Series I Cabriolet class

    Car was exhibited in a special category reserved for Series I Cabriolets while still in Donner's ownership.

  3. Colorado Grand
    Colorado Grand
    Driver: Robert Donner Jr.

    Donner participated in this event on at least twelve separate occasions during his long ownership of the car.

  4. Colorado Grand
    Driver: Robert Donner Jr.

    Donner participated in this event with the car on at least twelve separate occasions, using it as his preferred warm-weather road car.

  5. Le Mans 24 Hours
    Driver: John R. Fulp Jr.

    Fulp also competed at Le Mans during the 1950s; again these entries were not in this particular car.

  6. Sebring
    Driver: John R. Fulp Jr.

    Fulp achieved creditable results at Sebring during the 1950s, though these appearances were in other cars, not in 0791 GT.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. 1969Engine rebuild
    Luigi Chinetti Motors

    Original engine replaced with a newer outside-plug unit sourced via Chinetti after mechanical issues developed.

    Harrison was living on Park Avenue, New York, at the time.

  2. 1975
    Engine rebuild

    Engine rebuilt and the car refinished in red with a red interior.

    Carried out during Robert Donner Jr.'s ownership in Colorado.

  3. Bodywork
    Charles Pozzi

    Exterior refinished in silver and interior retrimmed in red; dashboard layout revised to resemble that of the 400 Superamerica.

    Commissioned by James Harrison while the car was in France.

  4. Restoration

    Minor cosmetic restoration carried out prior to sale to the fifth owner.

    Undertaken by the West Coast enthusiast group following Robert Donner Jr.'s passing.

  5. Engine rebuild
    DK Engineering

    Outside-plug replacement engine removed and substituted with a brand-new, period-correct type 128-C engine supplied by Ferrari Classiche.

    Part of the broader restoration to original specification commissioned by the fifth owner after the car arrived in Europe.

  6. Restoration
    DK Engineering

    Full return to factory delivery specification: exterior repainted in the original white and interior retrimmed in the correct blue Connolly leather.

    Work carried out shortly after the car arrived in Europe with the current owner.

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Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.