FERRARI 250 GT “NEMBO” SPYDER, 1963

The short-lived 250 Europa was soon followed by the Pinin Farina-designed 250 GT Coupé. As the Carrozzeria Pinin Farina's production capacities were being expanded at that time, the cars were initially bodied at the Carrozzeria Boano, then the Carrozzeria Ellena.  After the body production was carried over to Pinin Farina, Ferrari could produce the Coupé in greater numbers than before. This series of models marked the production process transition from hand-crafted to semi-series production. Even though great strides were taken to standardise the production, there were still a few individual cars produced identified as Speciale.

The original Gioacchino Colombo engine block used smaller bore-spacing then Lampredi and hence was called a 'short-block'. The engine was mounted in the front behind front axle. The Type 112, 60° V12 unit had a bore and stroke of 73 by 58.8 mm, and the resulting total capacity was 2,953 cc). Unitary displacement measured 246.10 cc, which rounded up gave the basis for the name of the series, the 250, as was the naming convention used by Ferrari.

The donor Ferrari 250 GTE was originally owned by French film actor Alain Delon, and the commission from collector David Barraclough was to build the world’s only right-hand drive Nembo. The finishing of the all-alloy construction was carried out by Bodylines of Olney and the car was engineered by Rosso Ltd in 1981.  Borrani 15” wire wheels were fitted and the Spyder was repainted by Spray Tec of Northampton to the last owner’s specification.  By using the GTE chassis, it allowed for the engine to be moved back just enough to ensure that the handling matched the looks. The suspension and geometry adjustments were completed by Geoscan Racing Car Engineers of Melksham.  The finished engine was dyno tested at just over 230 bhp.

Originally displayed at the Haynes Museum, the car has been in the custody of its last owner for 22 years. After completing many successful continental road trips, and winning Modena Cento Ore Classic awards, the 250 GT “Nembo” Spyder is now offered for sale, after a recent refresh at GTO Engineering.  This is a very rare opportunity indeed. Available to view now at our London showroom.