Rare Rides: A Vintage Zagato-bodied Ferrari 330 From 1967
by Corey Lewis
June 25th, 2019 9:51 AM
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Italian design house Zagato was featured here recently, when Rare Rides took a look at a reworked Ferrari 348 from 1990. Opinions were mixed, but most found the effort dated and overworked. Today we have a look at another polarizing Zagato Ferrari, this time from the sixties. It’s a 330 GTC from 1967, and it’s quite a looker.
Ferrari’s 330 model entered production in 1963, as a grand touring model. Less speed, more luxury, and space for four people and their luggage – all rendered in classic Pininfarina styling. The first run was called the America, and 50 were produced in 1963. The 330 America used the old chassis from the 250 GTE, but paired its new body design with a new engine. Out front was a 4-liter Type 209 V12, which produced 300 horsepower.
The very next year, the 330 was redesigned. Pininfarina was hired once more, and in January ’64 the 330 GT 2+2 debuted at the Brussels Auto Show. Styling grew sharper and the wheelbase increased by two inches. This version of the 330 remained in production between 1964 and 1967, with swaps back and forth between quad headlamp and dual headlamp front ends.
Another 330 overlapped with the 330 GT: the GTC and GTS. These versions were only available in 2-seat configuration, and in coupe or spider body styles. Related to the smaller 275 model rather than the 330 GT, 598 coupes and 100 spiders were produced between 1966 and 1968. At that point, the 330 made way for the 365.
Four years later, Zagato received a commission from an American customer. Ferrari importer and former racing driver Luigi Chinetti wanted to see a special kind of 330. In 1972, he hired Zagato to take a standard and slightly wrecked GTC and give it a new body and a new roof design. The resulting “Zagato Convertible” looked very different from the basic shape of the donor GTC.
Classic lines were gone, replaced by a more upright, stumpy shape which will look familiar to anyone who’s viewed a Fiat X1/9 (though the Zagato preceded the Fiat by five years.) Inset rear lamps, and covered headlamps combine with AMC-style door handles for a contemporary (perhaps downmarket) look.The 330 Zagato remained a one-of-one, so disputes of rarity shan’t occur in this instance. On sale at Villa Erba in May of 2019, the unique targa did not find a new home.[Images: RM Sotheby’s]
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My comment is not related to the vehicle itself but to the ruin-porn empty factory used to highlight it. The well worn shop floor, the weathered bricks, the broken windows, the rusted metallic structures....simply beautiful!
Corvette meets X/19 in Maranello. This is a very lovable critter and it's welcome in my garage any time.