The 10 Most Beautiful Ferraris
1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta
Specs
- Year: 1948
- Type: 2-seat spider
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 140
- Top Speed: 136 mph
The 166 MM is one of the earliest Ferraris to ever grace the earth, and it’s also one of the rarest. The MM stands for the famous Mille Miglia race, and the Barchetta name stands for “little boat”, which is an open-top design for two-seat Ferraris. A scant 25 versions of Barchetta were made, which means even if you’re loaded, you’re not an automatic shoe-in as an owner. Design-wise, this is the iconic early-generation Ferrari. The 166 MM’s large eggcrate grille leads to a long raised hood, punctuated by a beautifully executed small vent. Flanking the striking fascia are two of the longest, sexiest front fenders the world has ever seen. And though the 166 MM is powered by a 160 horsepower V12, it maintains a high degree of performance thanks to its structural rigidity and light weight. It even took first place at its racing debut at the 1950 Mar del Plata in Argentina. Racing pedigree is imperative for vintage Ferraris — but the 166 MM’s stunning simplicity alone gets it onto this list.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Specs
- Year: 1962
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 300
- 0-60: 6.1 seconds
- Top Speed: 174 mph
This rare racer might garner over $52 million at this year’s Bonhams’ Quail Lodge auction at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours. It’s understandable; the 300 horsepower V12 250 GTO is an icon among icons, and it’s widely considered the most coveted and most valuable car on earth. Though it was primarily built for racing, and in fact birthed generations of Ferrari race cars, it also owes its place in the pantheon of great Ferraris to its functional beauty: its striking elliptical grille, topped by unmistakable triple vents; its hulking rear fenders and interminable quad exhaust pipes; the vents aft of the front and rear wheels, and the large integrated spoiler, like a ramp off the GTO’s perfectly executed fastback. Finally, in today’s age of low-profile tires and big diameter wheels, the GTO’s tall black sidewalls and Boranni wire wheels are a thing of beauty. Each one of the 36 250 GTOs produced between 1962 and 1964 still exists today, which is one of the automotive world’s biggest blessings.
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Specs
- Year: 1957
- Type: 2-seat spider
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 300
- 0-60: 6 seconds
- Top Speed: 167 mph
This might just be the most curvaceous Ferrari ever created, and it also happened to destroy everything in its wake on the track. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958, ’60 and ’61 and stands as the last front-engined car to win the storied race. The 250 Testa Rossa, or “Red Head”, was so named for its painted red valve covers. Designed and built by Scaglietti, the body of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was most noted for its big pontoon fenders that stretched all the way to the base of the front windshield, giving the 250 TR both a muscular and artistic flair. It’s considered the second most valuable Ferrari (after the 250 GTO), with prices approaching $20 million.
250 GT California Spyder LWB
Specs
Year: 1958
Type: 2-seat spider
Engine: V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Horsepower: 228
0-60: 4.5 seconds
Top Speed: 145 mph
If there’s a Ferrari Spyder to covet, it’s this one. The California name simply means Ferrari created it for wealthy Americans to drive and flaunt. Scaglietti designed the California Spyder as a convertible interpretation of the iconic 250 GT, and he kept it light with aluminum in the hood, doors and the trunk. The long wheelbase design and long hood give it supreme elegance, especially with the top down — and the fact that only 50 were made make it a true collector’s prize.
1968 Ferrari 365 “Daytona” GTB/4
Specs
- Year: 1968
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta or spider
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 352
- Top Speed: 174 mph
Don Johnson had great taste, at least in cars. His black Daytona upstaged even the white Testarossa on any given night. And there’s good reason for that: the 365 GTB/4’s slick wedge shape boasted virtually no angularity, with a neatly curved front end flanked by big yellow parking lights. The long, grand touring-style hood boasted nothing dramatic, but it gave the Daytona its sleek shape. Under that smooth hood snarled a big 4.4-liter V12 engine fed by 6 Weber twin-choke 40mm carburetors, which, together with great weight balance, made for some impressive driving dynamics for such a potent GT car. Though the Spider version was Don’s car of choice, the hard top is a worthy option with its long, sloping roofline.
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO
Specs
- Year: 1984
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: twin turbo V8
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 400
- Top Speed: 189 mph
It’s the one that all newbies misidentify as a run-of-the-mill 308. Big mistake. It is, by all accounts, Ferrari’s first supercar, and it was bonkers for its time. Beautifully penned by Pininfarina, the GTO uses composite materials in its wide, low-slung body. Big quad driving lights, flared fenders and vents echo the forefather 250 GTO. It was built for Group B homologation, but due to high demand, Ferrari exceeded the required 200-car production quota by 72. All of the road cars were purchased before they were even made. The GTO’s 3-liter twin-turbo V8 pushed it past the 186 mph mark, making it the fastest production car in the world. It just also happened to be marvelous to look at; witnessing one in the flesh is a sight you’ll never forget.
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta
Specs
- Year: 1964
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 280
- Top Speed: 160 mph
Yellow definitely isn’t synonymous with Ferrari, but the 275 GTB/4 in yellow is worthy of the name. Unveiled at the 1966 Paris Motor Show, the 275 GTB/4 was a breathtaking rightful successor to the 250, with a wide eggcrate grille leading to a long flat hood, and three sets of shark-gill vents punctuating its simple profile. Ferrari’s first production car, with four overhead camshafts on a 3.3-liter V12 engine (300 horsepower), was a GT car that was just as fast as it was beautiful. Though it isn’t as dramatic as the 250, it’s still viewed as one of Ferrari’s most elegantly designed cars.
1967 Dino 206 GT
Specs
- Year: 1967
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V6
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 180
- Top Speed: 146 mph
This small “Ferrari” just gets more and more popular. Despite its initial sales struggles due to the Dino (not Ferrari) badging, it was both wonderfully nimble and uniquely designed. It was, in fact, Ferrari’s first lower-displacement small sports car created to increase sales, and it won over prospective owners once they got behind the wheel. It has a low-slung sort of look, with its flat duckbill front end and its sloping tail, but with its curved front fenders and thin side vents, it exudes the same elegance that befits more expensive stallions. And now that purists have accepted it as a true Ferrari, the Dino is all the more desirable. Even when Enzo went econo, he could do no wrong.
1962 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta
Specs
- Year: 1962
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 240
- Top Speed: 149 mph
Those who know the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso simply call it the Berlinetta Lusso. Unlike many other Ferraris of its period, the Lusso was not initially created for racing. Compared to the 250 GT Berlinetta, it’s far more lush, with more interior space and luxury appointments, and an upscale cabin that marked a welcome departure from the more hard-edged, racing-minded Ferraris. It was clearly a gentleman’s car — so much so that Steve McQueen bought one for himself.
1959 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Speciale
Specs
- Year: 1959
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 4-speed manual
- Horsepower: 340
- Top Speed: 174 mph
Ferrari’s first 400 Superamerica looked less like a Ferrari and more like an thick Russian limo. Fiat wanted something different, so Pininfarina premiered this unique three-box Ferrari at the 1959 Salon de Torino in Coupé Speciale, built especially for Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli with a 340 horsepower V12 engine. It was boxy and beautiful in ways other sleeker Ferraris could never match, sporting a tall rectangular grille, chrome headlights and a thin chrome bumper, and a tall greenhouse with a schmaltzy wraparound windshield. Most folks would never recognize it as a true Ferrari — but that’s precisely what makes it so unique.
1976 Ferrari 512 BB
Specs
- Year: 1976
- Type: 2-seat berlinetta
- Engine: V12
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
- Horsepower: 360
- 0-60: 5.5 seconds
- Top Speed: 187 mph
The 512 BB looks small, but it’s a serious driving machine. The mid-engine car is a true Berlinetta Boxer, sporting a 5-liter 12-cylinder engine with two banks of 6 horizontally opposed cylinders. Pininfarina’s coachwork outclassed the 365 GT4/BB it replaced, with a sharp front end that barely peaks over the front fender wells, making for an incredibly sleek body. Safety and function are understated, though present in a simple front bumper and a small, low-set NACA duct; but the stark, protruding black engine cover housings and massive rear tires add a perfect touch of menace.
