One to Buy: ex-works / Pierre Bardinon 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione
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Because competitive Group C cars had been available at a cost effective price for both the premier C1 and junior C2 category, Group B circuit racing never took off in the same way as rallying.
A dearth of manufacturer support for the Group B racing class also played its part for, although Porsche and Ferrari created purpose-built models for the new category, no other firms entered the fray. As a consequence, Ferrari quickly chose to abandon the Group B racing formula with the 288 GTO while Porsche’s 959 ran massively over budget and was hit by major delays.
With the 288 GTO having been heavily over-subscribed, Ferrari ultimately took the genius move to use their GTO race car, the 288 GTO Evoluzione, as the basis for a second super high end model that followed in 1987: the F40.
Just five examples of the legendary GTO Evoluzione were produced by Ferrari, the first pair of which served as development test beds while the final trio were completed in 1988 and sold to VIP clients.
Currently on offer at Bingo Sports’ Tokyo showroom is the first GTO Evoluzione constructed: chassis 70167.
Following its life as a development mule, 70167 was sold to one of the most renowned Ferrari collectors of the 20th century: Frenchman Pierre Bardinon. The exciting prototype joined Bardinon’s epic Mas du Clos collection where the Chapal heir had even created a private racing circuit to exercise his fabulous array of cars.
From Bardinon, chassis 70167 headed to the Art Sports collection in Japan. Since acquisition by Bingo Sports, the car has undergone a complete restoration by Michelotto in Padova (Ferrari’s technical partner for production racing cars).
