Debuted at the March 1966 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari’s 330 GTC represented a pivotal moment in the evolution of the company’s V-12 GT cars. Elegant, refined, and exceptionally usable, it marked Ferrari’s transition from the dualpurpose, competition-derived road cars of the early 1960s to a new generation of sophisticated, high-speed grand touring coupes. Designed and built by Pininfarina, the 330 GTC featured sublime coachwork, combining the visual lightness of the 275 GTS with cues drawn from the flagship 500 Superfast. The result was a triumph, offering outstanding visibility and a remarkably spacious interior for a two-seat Ferrari.

Mechanically, the 330 GTC shared much with the contemporary 275 series, including a tubular steel chassis with four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a rear-mounted five-speed transaxle. Power came from the four-liter Tipo 209 SOHC V-12 engine, producing 300 bhp and abundant torque. Approximately 600 examples of the 330 GTC were built, and the model has since come to be regarded as one of the most successful and beloved Enzo-era Ferrari road cars.

According to the research of noted marque historian Marcel Massini, chassis 06431 occupies a historic place in this lineage as the pre-production prototype of the 330 GTC. The provenance of this remarkable automobile begins in December 1964, when it was initially developed under the designation 275 GTC – a closed companion to the contemporary 275 GTS Spider that ultimately never entered production. In effect, 06431 served as the developmental bridge between Ferrari’s 275 series and the fully realized 330 GTC.

Ferrari build sheets document that the chassis frame was shipped to Carrozzeria Pininfarina on July 25, 1965. Once completed, the car was retained by Ferrari in Maranello, where, according to Massini, it underwent extensive factory testing, reportedly including evaluation by Enzo Ferrari himself. The prototype is distinguished by its assembly sequence number (no. 1) and Pininfarina body number (99607), and it is referenced in several authoritative works on the marque and model, including Angelo Tito Anselmi’s Le Ferrari di Pininfarina, Jess Pourret’s Ferrari 275 GTB – 275 GTS – 275 GTB-4A, and Maurice Khawam’s Ferrari 330 GTC: Elegance and Pedigree.

Following its testing and development duties, 06431 was comprehensively rebuilt by Ferrari to align with production 330 GTC specifications. Upon completion in December 1966, Ferrari issued the official Certificate of Origin and sold the car to its first private owner, Carlo Bombieri of Milan.

As delivered, the GTC was finished in Rosso Cina (China Red) over black leather upholstery and equipped with Borletti air-conditioning, Campagnolo cast alloy wheels, and metric instrumentation. Despite its extensive refurbishment prior to sale, the car retained numerous telltale features of its prototype origins, many of which remain evident today. Most notable among these features are its 275 GTS-style hood and a range of distinctive interior elements, including the dashboard layout, instrumentation, switchgear, luggage shelf, and handbrake release mechanism, all of which differ from the equipment found on production 330 GTCs.

Registered in January 1967 as “MI D28441,” chassis 06431 was maintained by Ferrari’s Assistenza Clienti department in Modena through May 1971, by which time it had accumulated approximately 32,000 km. Sig. Bombieri retained ownership until June 1982, when he sold the car to Francesco Santovetti of Rome. The Ferrari remained in Italy until 1993, when it was sold to Italian Motors Ltd. of Hong Kong and exported. After a brief period with Kowloon-based collector Danny Chow, the car entered a prominent private collection specializing in one-off, custom-bodied, and special-series Ferraris of the 1950s and 1960s, where it remained for nearly three decades.

Presented today as a well-kept, older restoration, chassis 06431 offers a rare opportunity to acquire a historically significant prototype that played a direct role in shaping one of Ferrari’s most admired grand touring models.