Classic, exquisite, unique, and exclusive are some of the words that best describe the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. The automobile company boldly affirmed that the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is the car that best summed up the philosophy of Ferrari — the Ferrari of Ferraris. If we are to look back in time for era-defining cars, this machine won't be overlooked. Popular Mechanics named it the "Hottest Car of all time." Similarly, the 250 GTO topped Motor Trend Classic's list of the greatest Ferrari of all time.
The Ferrari 250 GTO was designed with FIA GT racing in mind. The "250" in the name of the car represents the displacement in Cubic Centimeters of each of its cylinders. The GTO is the Italian word "Gran Turismo Omologato" which means "Grand Touring Homologated." Only 36 of the 250 GTOs were ever built; 33 had the 1962 - 1963 framework, while the remaining 3 had the 1963 - 1964 framework. It cost $18,000 to own the sports car in the United States in 1962 and buyers had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and his dealer for North America, Luigi Chinetti. Today, the GTO is among the most sought-after cars by collectors, and it has broken many records of,"most expensive cars."
In August 2018, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold at an auction for as much as $48.4 million, making it one of the most expensive cars ever. The direct predecessor of the 1962 GTO, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO currently holds the record of the most expensive car ever when it was sold in a private auction for $70 million. There are a lot of good things to say about the Ferrari GTO 250, but here are some of the coolest features of the car.
The Ferrari GTO 250: An Embodiment Of Tested And Trusted Components
The Ferrari 250 GTO was built to race and in making sure the two-door Berlinetta-styled sports car does it well, Ferrari took a conservative approach — opting for engine and mechanical components of Ferrari models that have proven themselves on the track. The 250 GTO sport a chassis that has been tested in the 250 GT SWB and earned trust, though the frame structure and geometry were slightly adjusted to make it stronger and reduce weight. The Ferrari GTO 250 also got a hand-welded oval tube frame with an A-arm front suspension, Borrani wire wheels disc brakes and a rear live-axle with Watt's linkage. The 250 GT0 was fitted with a 5-speed manual gearbox with a Porsche-type synchromesh technology.
For the engine, Ferrari opted for the roaring Le Mans winning Tipo 168/62 Comp. 3.0 L (2,953 cc) V12 of the 250 Testa Rossa with 300 horsepower. The engine is an all-alloy design utilizing a dry sump and six 38DCN Weber carburetors, and could also hit 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. This made the Ferrari GTO 250 the fastest Ferrari ever made at the time.
The sports car, due to its simple design, can be easily tweaked and upgraded, and it saw a lot of upgrades during its few illustrious years for it to perform better on the tracks.
The Ferrari GTO 250: Super-Impressive Aerodynamics
The design of the Ferrari 250 GTO was a major technical breakthrough for Ferrari in the aerodynamics field. Ferrari's focus was on improving speed, handling, and stability. To achieve this, the Ferrari 250 GTO was given a simple design. It got an all-aluminum bodywork, a low nose, radiator inlet, and air intake. The interior and exterior of the car also received a minimalistic design, Ferrari ditched the speedometer, carpets, bulky chairs with leather upholstery with the intent of reducing weight, and the cockpit were ventilated via exterior air inlets. The fanciful component that the 1962 250 GTO's competitors were fitting their cars with was overlooked by Ferrari.
The exterior had a minimalistic yet classic design too. Ferrari used a different frame structure, which was lighter than what they've used before. The exterior had fewer components, and all this cumulatively reduced the weight of the car and increased speed and handling. The Ferrari 250 GTO went on to have an illustrious track record, winning races that include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Tour de France Automobile, and several Grand Prix.
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Is Super Rare
In the 1960s, when the car was produced, the 250 GTO was a rare sight on roads. Only 33 units of the 1962 model of the car were ever produced during its production, and 36 in total, as three more with a body similar to that of Ferrari 250 LM were also built before the curtain was shut on the sports car. It cost only $18,500 to own the car during its production years, but it cost millions to own one these days.