Although Ferrari earned its reputation through motor racing, Enzo Ferrari always had a soft spot for the most luxurious and expensive cars the company made: their 2+2s. Maybe it was simply because these cars, by virtue of their high prices, contributed the most to the Ferrari bottom line, but the experience of driving these cars has always had a certain imperious appeal. These are cars that cruise effortlessly at high speeds, delivering the performance and exciting mechanical bits that define Ferrari in an elegant and understated package that can accommodate a young family or at least a pair of heavy packers intent on doing some grand touring.
The first 2+2 was the 250 GTE, which made space for its rear passengers by moving the engine forward in the car but leaving the wheelbase unchanged. When its successor arrived in the form of the 330 GT 2+2, the model had become commercially important enough to warrant its own dedicated longer wheelbase. Partway through production of the 330 GT 2+2, a 5-speed transmission was added, and the technical sophistication of the car was enhanced further for the model’s third iteration, the 365 GT 2+2. The engine grew to 4.4 liters, providing ample torque to suit the car’s mission, and for the first time, independent rear suspension, which was coupled with a torque tube arrangement. Coupled with styling that echoed the exclusive (just 36 were built) and impossibly expensive 500 Superfast, the 365 GT 2+2 was a commercial success for Ferrari, selling more than 1000 units.
This particular example is a long-term California car which was first registered in California in late 1971. The current owner acquired the car in 1986 (finished then in Pino Verde as it still is today) and drove it regularly until approximately 1994, when it was parked in the garage and remained there unused for thirty years. It is now a wonderfully undisturbed car in excellent structural condition and is ready for recommissioning.
