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Hand-Built, 150 MPH Ferrari From 1969 Chicago Auto Show Priced at $247K

By Alex Nitkin | February 3, 2016 5:38am
 The muscle car was one of only a few hand-crafted models to make it to the US in the 60s.
The muscle car was one of only a few hand-crafted models to make it to the US in the 60s.
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DriverSource Fine Motorcars

CHICAGO — As car geeks prepare to check out the cutting edge of automotive technology at this month's Chicago Auto Show, a rare relic of the event's past hit the market this week.

A cherry red 1969 Ferrari 365GT Coupe, which older diehards may remember from its appearance in the 1969 Chicago Auto Show, has been acquired by a dealer and put up for sale for $247,500.

The advertisement for the car describes it as "The 1969 Chicago Auto Show Car" and says it "was delivered new to Chinetti Motors for display at the 1969 Chicago Motor Show." Chinetti Motors, owned by racecar driver Luigi Chinetti, was the first Ferrari dealer in the U.S.

A total of 809 copies of this model were assembled, according to dealer Jose Romero, and only a fraction of those ever made it over from Europe.

"What's really special about this car is that it was hand-built, not put together on an assembly line like everything is today," Romero said. "Every car like that has a kind of craftsmanship, like a work of art."

At the time it was unveiled nearly a half-century ago, Romero said, the car stood out for its ahead-of-the-curve "creature comforts," like power steering and air conditioning.

The Ferrari also boasts impressive power, according to the listing, with "the final iteration of the Colombo V-12 two-cam engine ... while the familiar front-mounted 4.4 liter V12 and striking Pininfarina styling ensured that the car retained all of the traditional positive Ferrari traits."

The car was recently re-painted to cover its original blue color, Romero said.

The advertisement at posted on the Hemmings web site says the car "is in need of a major tune up and top end rebuild at a minimum to reach its full and celebrated performance potential." Still, such vehicles, which are said to be capable of going 150 miles per hour, possess "a timeless style and uncompromising performance."

Anyone interested in making an offer for the car can call DriverSource Fine Motorcars at 281-497-1000.

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