This piece is part of an ongoing editorial partnership with RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle site that connects successful men to everything they need to know. Be sure to head over to their website for the latest.
Bruce Springsteen had his pink Cadillac.
Prince had his little red Corvette.
And Jamiroquai alum Jay Kay had his purple Lamborghini Diablo SE30 — as well as this metallic grey Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake.
The former property of the Jamiroquai lead singer, this 1965 model began its automotive life as a standard 330 GT that rolled out of the factory with a 2+2 body style.
Tipping the scales at 3,000 pounds, the standard 330 GT was powered by a single-cam V12 mated to a five-speed manual transmission, a 300-horsepower combination that was capable of launching the car from zero to 60 mph in well under seven seconds.
Eventually offered as a two-seat coupe, Ferrari never offered a shooting brake model on a 330 chassis. (The term “shooting brake” refers to a vehicle that was used to transport a hunting party as well as a chassis that was used to break in horses. Now it basically refers to a wagon.)
Since he couldn’t buy a Ferrari wagon, Luigi Chinetti Jr., the son of an American importer of the Italian marque, decided to commission his own when he took possession of a 330 GT in 1967.
Collaborating with commercial artist Bob Peak, Chinetti designed a sport wagon concept that could ride atop the standard 33o chassis and contracted Alfredo Vignale to turn his mock-ups until metalwork.
Vignale, a Carrozzeria (Italian for coach-builder) who had done work for brands such as Alfa Romeo, Cisitalia, Fiat, Maserati, and Lancia, had plent of experience with Ferraris as he had worked for the Italian carmaker before Pininfarina became its exclusive coachwork provider.
Displayed by Vignale on his stand at the 50th Annual Turin Motor Show in 1968, the funky Ferrari had almost none of its original panels and looked like a completely different car.
Though Chinetti and Peak originally planned to start a business offering tailor-designed Ferraris with work from Vignale, that never came to fruition. The acclaimed Carrozzeria was killed in a 1969 car crash.
Believed to be the last Ferrari with Vignale coachwork the car was fully restored in the 1990s and refreshed even more recently — including its new paint job — to make it a more attractive buy.
Being offered without reserve during RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum Auction on December 8, the car is expected to fetch up to $1 million when it crosses the block.
For more info about chassis No. 7963 or to register to bid, head over to RM Sotheby’s website.
Also, here’s a little ‘Quai:
All images via RM Sotheby’s.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
