1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
In 1967, Ferrari renamed the 275
to reflect its new four cam engine. It was an important evolution of Ferrari’s
signature sports car that already had 4-wheel independent suspension, disc
brakes, a 3.3-liter V12 and one of Pininfarina’s best body designs.
At the 1966, Paris Auto Salon
Ferrari launched the GTB/4 with the new Tipo 226 engine. It benefited from a
variety of upgrades introduced into the series that were tried and tested in
the 275 competition models. Upgrades included a long nose bodywork, a torque
tube driveline and an engine capable of 300 bhp with a dry sump lubrication
system.
GTB/4’s are easily identified by
a hood blister that accommodates the larger air filter housing. Most cars were
bodied in steel, but a few received aluminum bodies. The chassis was slightly
modified for a increased front and rear track.
The move to the quad cam engine
was motivated by Ferruccio Lamborghini who spent a fortune making engines that
were more radical than Ferrari’s. The quad cam kept Ferrari on pace, but it
could be argued that sales brochure figures were the primary beneficiary of the
GTB/4’s introduction since any actual performance increase was slight.
The GTB/4 was the last
incarnation of the 275 and was replaced by the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. In total,
almost a thousand examples were made and only a handful of these were made with
aluminum bodies and even less were delivered as NART Spyders.
