An interesting 1961 Ferrari Fantuzzi Speciale (Chassis number 2235) is for sale here:...
An interesting 1961 Ferrari Fantuzzi Speciale (Chassis number 2235) is for sale here: http://www.justfoundit.net/classic-cars-collectibles/item_detail.asp?cat_id=2&sub_id=&item_id=749 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I know the owner of that car and saw it yesturday at the Radnor Concours. It is news to me it is for sale, but then again everything is for sale for the right price. I am curious though why the price is in pounds when that was is here in PA in the USA. Erik
God, I hope this is not a scam. Is it possible that there are two such cars? I learned of the posting site from a neighbor. The site was put up by a long lost relative in France. I know nothing else about it. The price is listed in Euros not pounds....
Yeah i just realized the euros not pounds part but it is the same car see the license plate that is a PA plate and it reads NART if you go to the showroom section and view the radnor concours pics you will see the same car. I spoke to the owner at length yesturday and he didn't seem like he was letting it go anytime soon. Erik
I find this situation amusing. To my eye this car is "esthetically challenged", yet the owner thinks it's worth USD $429K (the USD equivalent of 350K Euros). If this car had been rebodied by a skilled but unknown panel beater everyone would be saying it was a worthless affront and should be returned to 250GTE form, but since Fantuzzi did it it's somehow worth a ton of money. Just my opinion.
Not just rebodied by Fantuzzi. This car is said to have been returned to Ferrari by Chinetti and then sent to Fantuzzi for the rebody, after which it went back to Chinetti in the US. At some point in this process, the engine was also upgraded to Testa Rossa specs (300bhp). In its new configuration, it was displayed at several events in the US including the 1965 New York Auto Show. Regardless of the aesthetics (an attempt to make a front-engined GT look like a mid-engined racer), there's definitely more market appeal with a car like this than with a modern GTE rebody.
Even though the scenario may not apply to this particular car (as LWayne indicated above, it sounds like a Ferrari factory authorized conversion), I agree as well. Exactly how many years ago did a rebody have to occur before it is consideriod a "period" rebody instead of "modern" rebody? If the unknown panel beater built the car last year, it's a hack job. If he built the car under the shade of an Italian cedar tree back in 1965, then it's a classic and let the bidding start at half a million dollars.
This is an excellent question. In some cases, "period" rebodies have increased the subject car's value considerably. The recent sale of a series II 250 GT Cabriolet (1777GT) for $895,000 is an excellent example. No one in his right mind would think of cutting up such a car today, yet Neri and Bonacini's 1965 rebody to a design by Tom Meade, has not only improved the look of the car (to my eye, at least), but has apparently quadrupled its value!
This particular car was not a "Ferrari Authorized" re body but as you point out the market has spoken as to exactly what it's worth. Correct me if I'm wrong, even though it wouldn't be welcome at Pebble or Cavallino, IMO it is a very beautiful and interesting car and with it's Meade connection an important artifact as well. I would have bid on this car as well except for the very uncomfortable current interior configuration which places the A pillar squarely in your line of sight. My Friend who did buy it has devised a way without major surgery to redo the seating to make it much more drivable and I very much look forward to seeing the results. If he succeeds he will have a very special car.
Definitely a beautiful car, imo. I think this is what's arguable. Does the Meade element make it any more important? If so, why? Why does this road car (rebodied for aesthetic reasons only) command four times the price that a standard body car does while something like the breadvan stuggles to attract decent comp SWB money? Of course, the answer is that beauty is a major factor in determining value. A good example of this are the road-going California Spyders that bring in the same or more money than their single-louvre TdF counterparts with competition history. In fact, regardless of its rebodied past, if 330 TRI/LM 0808 looked more like a TR59 (in 1961 and today), it would probably be one of the most valuable cars on the planet.
I read a great quote from Ed Niles about that car: It was something to the effect that he had to find a buyer who didn't care about the prospect of losing his left eye in an accident!
I hope Ed doesn't mind me posting this excerpt, but here it is: http://66.179.185.80/article.aspx?article_id=310
I was just put onto this site recently and have had a chance to review and read through commentary. I have known the owner of this car for many years and it is with his permission that I put it on the website "justfoundit.net" The car is located in Pennsylvania a few miles from my home there. I also reside in France. I am happy to field any thoughts or questions, and yes the advertised price is in euro's but after all, we need some negotiating room!
This must be the car I saw a few years back in Skippack, PA. It was parked in front of a used car dealership at Rt 73 and Rt 113. I was also told that it is owned by a man who has a business at Quakertown airport. Am I off base? It's really a stunning car. Didn't they make another similar car based on a 330GT? Bob Z.
Nembo Spider: For the record: Seller was the widow of Wolfgang von Schmieder. Buyer was Dan Ghose. Car is in England right now. Regards Wolfi
Can anyone post a few pictures illustrating the situation with the wind wing frame that made it dangerous? THANKS!! Bob Z.
Does everyone know that 0808 at one time had a similar body, but prettier? It was offered to me in that guise (painted gold) AND with a coupe body (similar) which was the body that was on it when it lived in NY. Is that too confusing? I wonder what happened to those 2 bodies?
Ed, yes one of those bodies is currently on 250 PF Coupe s/n 1087GT (Pat Hart Collection). We discussed this here, but the pic is now gone: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36452
More pics and discussion of 8733 here: http://70.85.40.84/~ferrari/discus/messages/18/230197.html At that time, I was under the impression that 8733 was the gold-colored car used in Federico Fellini's "Spirits of the Dead" but I think we've had some further discussion on this since. I even bought the DVD in order to see for myself. I can't find the thread where this discussion took place, though. Anyone recall what the verdict was? 4381SA (the donor to 8733), 8733, 0808?
Surely the main difference here and what makes this rebody acceptable is that it is NOT another case of an old car being hacked for another old model replica. Nobody has any issues with a current car being rebodied ... but nobody should purchase an OLD car and rebody it, with the exception of returning it to a previous more interesting period in it's history. I must say this car (from the first set of photos) is very challenged styling wise ... but the second car looks much better. Maybe they look better in the flesh, but not my cup of tea. Pete
