1963 Ferrari 330 America
In mid-century America, Ferrari wasn’t just selling cars; they were selling status. A V12, with triple Webers and a rampant horse on the badge, meant you were somebody. Parked outside a country club or a casino, you were guaranteed attention.
Except that very nearly wasn’t the case. Post-war, whilst Europe picked through the rubble, ex-Le Mans winner Luigi Chinetti returned to his homeland to pitch an idea to Enzo Ferrari. During the war, the Ferrari factory had been converted to build tooling, but it was high time he got back to building race cars and on top of that, road cars. Road cars that Chinetti would sell into the American market. And, sell Chinetti did. Becoming arguably the most important person, who wasn’t called Ferrari, in the brand’s American success story.
Limited production models, with Americanised monikers, became signifiers of success, with rarity only fuelling more desirability. And in 1963, as Ferrari prepared to launch the all-new 330 GT 2+2, it launched the 330 America; just 50 were built. Visually, it looked remarkably like the outgoing 250 GTE. Retaining its elegant Pininfarina styling, but beneath the skin, a larger 4.0-litre Colombo V12.
This car didn’t just pass through Chinetti’s hands; it was supplied by Luigi Chinetti Motors himself. And its first owner? Bill Harrah, casino magnate, serial collector, and the man who was responsible for grafting a Colombo V12 into a Jeep Wagoneer to create the Jerrari. The 330 America joined his fleet, occasionally pressed into service as a “pool car” for high-rolling clientele.
By 1968, it had moved on, and in 1971, it found a long-term owner in Mr Gehrke, who would keep it until 2006. During his ownership, respected Ferrari specialist Will Haible carried out an extensive restoration: the engine rebuilt, the body stripped to bare metal and refinished, and the interior retrimmed. The matching-numbers car emerged in near-concours condition and even took its place at a GTE gathering in Monterey, California.
It crossed the block at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction in 2017 before making the journey to the UK. Since arriving on British soil, its current owner has covered more than 10,000 miles while maintaining it with exacting detail.
Invoices from Vulcan Classics totalling over £14,000 tell the story. Routine servicing, yes, but also a water pump replacement in 2025 and the painstaking remanufacture of the original fan-clutch assembly. Corrosion at the leading edge of the sills was discovered and properly addressed by hand-formed repair sections let in with care and finished as they should be.
Rather than merely blending the paint around those areas, the decision was taken to refinish the entire front end back to the trailing edge of the doors. Inside, the door card backings have been remade by hand, and fresh hide subtly aged to harmonise with the existing cabin.
Yes, this is one of just 50 330 Americas, one of the rarest series-production Ferraris ever built. But it’s also something richer than a production number. It’s a running, driving piece of history, part of the story of how Ferrari conquered America, with one of the greatest engines and most beautiful cars ever built.
As with all our vehicles, an entire digital folder is available upon request and contains more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.