OK, if you could buy any Ferrari made, price no object, would you buy a 250 GTO? Mr. Lauren is a designer; his eye
rules his heart (not to mention wallet). But if you’re a driver’s driver, consider this: the 250 GTO’s turning circle
is hopeless, the noise is deafening, there are hot and cold drafts and water leaks, the exhaust hangs very low, the
spare only fits the front and the skin is as thin as parchment (Dings R Us). While you’re contemplating the discrepency
between expectation and reality, here are three of Mr. Lauren’s Modena marvels, as seen at the
Boston MFA. The exhibit opens to the general
public this Sunday.
The legendary 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was created by one of Enzo?s favortie artisans: designer Sergio Scaglietti. While
the GTO lacks the delicacy of earlier models, its muscle car charisma makes it one of the most collectible (read:
expensive) of all Ferraris. That and the GTO?s racing pedigree. Mr. Lauren?s car, one of only 30 built, played its part
in that sporting heritage. It won three out of four races in 1962, and finished second in Daytona behind? another
GTO.
The ferociously stunning 1958 Ferrari 250 earned the nickname ?Testa Rossa? from the red cylinder heads atop its V12
powerplant. The racecar?s design, a nod to the torpedo-shaped F1 cars of its day, included an aerodynamic head rest to
help disguise its enormous gas tank. The Testa Rossa made good use of its fuel, completely dominating the 1958 race
season. In fact, Ferrari?s world championship points were more than double that of runners up Porsche and Aston
Martin.
One look at the Ferrari 375 Plus and you know why the relationship between Enzo Ferrari and designer Battista
?Pinin? Farina was a marriage made in Heaven. Ferrari?s engineers made his racecars incredibly fast and reliable;
Farina?s metal workers made them light, aerodynamic and drop-dead gorgeous. This 375 Plus, a gleaming show
stopper, was the fifth of five built. The car found racing glory in 1955 in Argentina, where it won first place in six
out of seven races.