RIP 1961 250GTE #2709

We can't compare a V12 fitted with an automatic transmission by the factory with the massacre of so many original 2+2s.

 

Nope, 365GT 2+2 was the first.

 

Exactly. Replica industry is stealing money from the owners of real cars, that is how they generate the edge. I would not be concerned if I could see any enthusiasm in building these fakes. I can't see anything but business.

 

Its called an English sense of humour

 

A risky thing to say I know......but are you sure, as I thought the 365GT only came in manual

 

About 6 automatic 365 GT 2+2's were sold by Chinetti around 1970 according to Tom Yang.

 

The numbers I saw were (14) 365 GT 2+2's total were fitted with GM Turbo-Hydramatic (automatic) transmissions. Whatever the 'correct' number is, 365 GT 2+2's were first production Fcars with auto transmissions available.

 

David - I think the # is 6, and also believe that the cars are called out in Raab's Odd-Numbered Serials book. the late Pietro Castiglioni owned one for decades.

 

Interesting choice of gearbox. Were they all sold to the American market through Chinetti

 

I'm very surprised to hear that 365 GT 2+2's had auto. I knew Pietro, but never saw his 365.

A very good choice to base it off of a common gearbox in my mind. It spells trouble when a very low production car uses a unique automatic transmission because parts and expertise to service them quickly become extinct. The 456's auto transmission was unserviceable for a while, though people have learned how to service them now and have figured out which parts can be sourced through GM.

 

I first read about this phenomenon long ago in Ferrari by Fitzgerald, Merritt & Thompson.
I think they quoted a production number for the GM automatics- which I may be conflating with the total production figure for 365 Spyder Californias (14).
6 automatic 365 GT 2+2s sounds like it was the real number.

I just remember thinking at the time that if I were ever in the market for a 365 GT 2+2, to make sure it was a stick(!).

Kim's question is a good one- were they all destined for US?
(Also) were they all sold through Chinetti or did Harrah sell any, and to tie it all together, did this come about at Chinetti's urging?

 

Interesting choice insofar as at the time Borg Warner were the more popular automatic boxes being used by the other European manufacturers such as Aston and Porsche and FIAT

 

I think Borg Warner was more closely associated with Ford, and Enzo wasn't so happy with Ford in those days, so maybe that drove him to use a GM transmission. This pure guess, probably wrong, but interesting to speculate.