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Ferrari 250 GT 1959 - a Ferrari with Bertone's signature

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Created on May 1, 1985

Reading time 4min

Written by:

Wallace Wyss / Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Scott Williamson Courtesy RM Auctions

Michael Furman - Courtesy RM Auctions

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv Bertone

Archiv

Scott Williamson Courtesy RM Auctions

Michael Furman - Courtesy RM Auctions

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv Bertone

Archiv

Ferrari 250 GT Bertone (1959) - angeboten von RM Auctions an der Versteigerung "Ferrari – Leggenda e Passione" in Modena im Jahr 2009

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Ferrari 250 GT Prototipo EW Bertone (1961) - Einzelstück von Bertone

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Ferrari 250 GT Bertone (1959) - nur einmal so entstanden

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Ferrari 250 GT Prototipo Bertone (1959) - Einzelstück von Bertone

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Ferrari 250 GT (1959) - Mit deutlichen Giugiaro-Kennzeichen - Der zweite 250 GT, der bei Bertone karrossiert wurde

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Ferrari 250 GT (1959) - ebenfalls überarbeitet - der Innenraum, der gerade zwei Personen Platz bot

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Motor des Ferrari 250 GT Bertone (1959) - angeboten von RM Auctions an der Versteigerung "Ferrari – Leggenda e Passione" in Modena im Jahr 2009

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Ferrari 250 GT (1962) - Als «split nose» berühmt geworden - Der 250 GT mit dem Kurzradstand-Chassis

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Ferrari 250 GT Bertone (1962) - aus dem Schaffen von Bertone

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Aston-Martin DB4 GT Jet Bertone (1960) - elegant gezeichnetes Coupé von Bertone auf Aston-Martin-Basis am Genfer Autosalon 1961

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Aston Martin DB 4 GT - DB4 GT - Modell 'Jet' von Bertone

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Ferrari 250 GT SWB "Competition" Berlinetta Speciale Bertone (1959) - angeboten als Lot 136 an der RM Auction "Art of the Automobile" am 21. November 2013 in New York

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Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Bertone (1959) - am Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014

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Summary

From around 1955, most Ferraris were fitted with Pininfarina bodywork, if only because Battista Pininfarina had maintained good contacts with Enzo Ferrari for years. Bertone did not succeed in breaking this long-lasting series, despite several attempts, including one car based on the 166 Inter and two based on the 250 GT. This report looks at the first of the two 250 GT derivatives and shows both in pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

The other major coachbuilder
Giugiaro at the drawing board
The front of the car folds up
Restored twice
Increasingly valuable

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

From around 1955, most Ferraris were fitted with a Pininfarina body, if only because Battista Pininfarina had maintained good contacts with Enzo Ferrari from the very beginning. Battista's son Sergio continued the friendship. This may be the reason why, with the exception of Bertone's 308 GT4, all later Ferrari production cars are also fitted with bodies by Pininfarina. Carrozzeria Bertone was founded in 1912 and at that time produced bodies for horse-drawn carriages. It was not until 1920 that automobile bodies were added. Bertone's biggest customer before the war was Lancia. After the war, Nuccio Bertone, Giovanni's son, took over the business. The main orders were now for special bodies for sports cars. One example is the Arnolt Bristol, which the Italians built for the American Bristol importer "Wacky" Arnolt using mechanical parts from England. A contract with Alfa Romeo finally provided Bertone with his breakthrough, whereupon he had a huge factory built in Grugliasco near Turin.

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