VIN: the Walter Wolf Ferrari 288 GTO chassis 54783
History of chassis 54783
Chassis 54783 was the 288 GTO purchased by renowned exotic car buyer, F1 team owner and oil magnate, Walter Wolf.
Configured to arguably the ultimate specification for a 288 (manual windows, no air-conditioning and fabric seat inlays), chassis 54783 was supplied via Garage Foitek in Zurich on April 24th 1985.
A naturalised Canadian, Walter Wolf made his first fortune during the early 1970s having got involved with the undersea engineering required for offshore oil rigs. The Oil Crisis of 1973-1974 then saw his company undergo rapid growth fuelled by a massive expansion in offshore oil exploration by western petro companies who were suddenly being backed by large government subsidies to ensure a greater degree of energy independence.
During this time, Wolf also made a killing buying and selling crude oil cargoes.
Thanks to this vast wealth, Wolf was able to indulge his passion for fast cars and motor racing. Most famously, he created the Wolf Formula 1 team from the ashes of Hesketh and the Frank Williams Racing Team. With Jody Scheckter at the wheel, the Wolf WR1 won first time out at the 1977 Argentine Grand Prix!
Walter Wolf also became famous in automotive circles for his array of special order supercars. One-off Lamborghinis, Kremer Porsches and even a road-going BMW M1 Procar were commissioned at enormous expense and frequently appeared in the motoring press.
As for the GTO, soon after delivery it was customised with a Wolf logo on the tail fascia. It remained in Switzerland (albeit registered on Mexican plates) and stayed with its first owner until June 1992. At this point, chassis 54783 returned to Italy and joined the collection of a Milan owner who cared for it until 2001.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Bonhams - https://www.bonhams.com/department/CAT-MOT/motoring/
