Some cars are perfect examples of a time long gone. Others are timeless altogether. These two fit squarely in the latter category. Meet the 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS and 1965 Aston Martin DB5, a pair of sports cars which have aged like fine wine.
It’s not too often that cars like these surface from the hands who treasured it so dearly. But this isn’t a drill– they really are up for sale, available to the public! For the first time in a long time, the Italian silver fox and 007–style cars are going up for sale at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions in August. You can register to bid here, if we’ve already hooked you.
1968 Ferrari 330 GTS (estimated to sell for $2,200,000 - $2,700,000).
If you’re big into classic Ferraris, there’s a good chance you know how beautiful Pininfarina-bodied ones are. But if you aren’t, we will give you a solid tidbit of intel. They truly turn heads. The S in GTS stands for Spider, which is Ferrari speak for convertible. This one is a highly original example with an impressive road-racing history.
When this car debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1966, it stunned critics with its styling and performance– not only does it look good (still), but it could also reach a top speed of 150 mph with its large 4.0-liter engine. The car is also finished in its original color combination of Argento Metallizzato (Metallic Silver) over Rosso Scuro (Dark Red) leather.
Not only is it the best of both design and engineering worlds, but also is a rare find. Only 100 examples of the 330 GTS were manufactured between 1966 and 1968. From its birth, it entered the hands of discerning collectors, accompanied by extensive documentation.
In January 1968, the GTS was shipped to Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada, which was owned by casino magnate William F. Harrah. Mr. Harrah is lauded as one of the most prolific car collectors in history, famous for his good taste.
Can you guess where this is going? Harrah selected this 330 GTS for himself to drive, though he also gave the car to his wife at the time, country singer Bobbie Gentry. He customized it slightly, adding a custom accessory– a Targa top similar to the Porsche 911, which could simply rest on the coachwork. The unique 330 GTS Targa captivated such great attention, it even landed the cover of Road & Track magazine in December 1969. In 1970, when his marriage to Ms. Gentry fizzled, the car was put up for sale. It passed through a few pairs of hands, racing the whole way, before it sold to a Los Angeles-based collector, who returned the car to its convertible configuration in typical Southern-California style.
At the time Gooding & Company catalogued it, the car had only 27,000 miles on it, making it highly original, low mileage, desirable, and stunningly rare.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible (estimated to sell for $2,500,000 - $3,000,000).
The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the most classic cars of all time. Just ask James Bond. But right now, one of the most elegant, notable versions has surfaced and is sure to be the talk of the car community until it sells. Whether you’re registering to bid or not, we’ll leave the catalogue here so you can swoon some more.
I know we said this car was rare, but did we say how special? Between 1963 and 1965, Aston Martin only built 1,021 examples of the DB5. Among the DB5, only 123 ultra-desirable convertibles were made. We’re not done yet… of the exclusive supply of convertibles, only 39 were produced in the left-hand-drive configuration for export markets. So long story short– this isn’t just any Aston Martin.
Its engineering is nothing to scoff at either. The DB5 Convertible has a four-liter Tadek Marek-design straight-six engine and an excellent ZF five-speed gearbox, taking the sportiness of the DB4 and maturing it. The Italian-styled alumnium coachwork handcrafted in the old-world Superleggera method patented by Touring of Milan supercharges the sophistication-feeling.
When Road & Track tested the DB5 in October 1964, they suggested that “If one were planning a trip from Paris to Rome, a car such as the Aston would be hard to beat,” and concluded that the Aston represented “the essence of GT driving.”
This particular model, chassis DB5C/1903/L comes equipped with air-conditioning, a Blaupunkt Köln radio, chrome wire wheels, and Avon Turbospeed GT whitewall tires. This is the way it was first delivered to Harold Dubilier in Brooklyn, New York, though he insisted it be painted black prior to delivery.
Over the years, across a few discerning owners, the car was raced and showed extensively, amassing titles like nobody’s business. Its third and fourth owners performed sympathetic restorations, with a single stage paint job to achieve a period-correct appearance.
Attention Ferrari junkies and Aston Martin Enthusiasts: the time is now! You can comb through the Gooding & Company online catalogue ahead of the Pebble Beach Auctions in August with even more beautiful examples here, or register to bid if we’ve already convinced you.
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