The Ferrari 250 GTO is Finally Attainable

Only 39 examples of the fabled Ferrari 250 GTO have ever been built from 1962-64. And that includes three 330 GTO’s with 4.0-liter V-12 engines. This practically makes these prancing horses unicorns in a sea of cats, snakes, and the resurrection of David Brown.

What if Ferrari started selling the  vaunted 250 GTO again? Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, we sould want this. And yes, it will also be bloody expensive. But that seems to be the “in” thing to do these days. Jaguar made a run of 10 E-Types which cost £285,000 each. But these E-Types are less damaging compared to the Eagle E-Type which Jeremy Clarkson so loved. Aston Martin is also said to produce 25 DB4 GT’s; the Shelby Cobra is also rumored to have continuation models.

But let’s get back to those redhead Ferraris. At the Geneva Auto Show, FCA boss Sergio Marchionne said, “…there’s definitely a platform there, and hopefully we can show you something in the next few years.” Furthermore, Marchionne also shared that he once bought the shell of a Jag E-Type. “I bought the carcass of an E-Type when I was a kid, because I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever made. I sold it a while later, hadn’t fixed it. What Jaguar has done with the lightweight cars is clever, but reinventing the 250 is a tough gig, and living off the spoils of the past is a bad habit to get into,” he reminisced. The 250 GTO is, arguably, the most iconic Ferrari ever produced. It also has quite the most illustrious history.

GTO stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato” (Grand Touring Homologation). Back in 1962, FIA regulations that there must be at least 100 examples of a car to be homologated in Group 3 Grand Touring car racing. Yet Ferrari only made 39 examples. How did Enzo pull this off? First he skipped chassis numbers for an illusion that he produced the cars that did not exist. And upon inspection, he took the inspectors to different parts of the factory, while the cars themselves are being transferred simultaneously to further make the illusion as fact. Sly man, this Enzo.

Since these cars are so rare, combined with motorsport wins, you would have to shell out ridiculous amounts of money to have one. The most expensive change of hands happened in October 2013 for $52-million. Without a doubt a “new” 250 GTO would still cost an arm, a leg, a kidney, and a lung. But at least you won’t have to shell out for an original one. Which, if we are honest, would cost you all of the Jaguar E-Types ever made.