One to Buy: ex-Paris Motor Show 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT
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On February 14th at RM Sotheby’s Cavallino Palm Beach sale in Florida, one of the most beautifully configured vintage Ferraris we have seen in recent months will be going under the hammer.
Completed in August 1955, chassis 0405 GT is one of 25 250 Europa GTs built with Pinin Farina’s rakish Coupe bodywork. And it’s arguably the most handsome of the lot.
Destined to go on display at the Paris Motor Show which opened on October 6th, chassis 0405 GT was commissioned by Ferrari in the stunning colour scheme of Grigio Latte with Arancio leather upholstery.
Following its appearance in Paris, chassis 0405 GT was invoiced to Modena-based company Societa Assistenza Incremento Partecipazioni Agonistiche Srl (SAIPA) during early December of 1955. Established by former Ferrari works driver, Ferdinando Righetti, SAIPA enabled foreign owners to register their new cars in Italy and take advantage of preferential export / import tax rates.
1956 then saw chassis 0405 GT exported to the United States where it found its way into the hands of New York-based David Leopold who owned several Ferraris during the 1950s to include a 250 Mille Miglia and a brace of 166 Mille Miglias.
Unfortunately, owing to freezing weather conditions on the Eastern Seaboard, 0405 GT’s cylinder heads were later damaged which led Leopold to seek out a replacement power unit. In 1960, the engine from 250 GT chassis 1585 GT was installed.
Six years later, chassis 0405 GT passed via Luigi Chinetti to Ferrari collectors Charles Betz and Fred Peters and the car headed south west to the sunnier climes of Orange, California. The Europa subsequently went through the hands of several more US owners before acquisition by the current custodian in 2013.
During 2014, chassis 0405 GT was dispatched to Ferrari Classiche where it was fitted with a brand new Tipo 112 engine manufactured to the original specification. More recently, the last couple of years has seen the Europa (already in concours condition as evidenced by a litany of awards) put back to its striking Grigio Latte over Arancio configuration.
Following this work, in January 2024 chassis 0405 GT returned to the Cavallino Classic where it won a Platinum Award and fittingly also took home the Ferrari Elegance Award. Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification was issued a few weeks later, confirming the presence of the matching-numbers gearbox, rear axle, and coachwork.
