Description
The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione Speciale by Bertone, built in 1962, is a unique and remarkable example of design innovation and craftsmanship. It stands apart not only as a one-off creation but also as an early collaboration between Ferrari and the Bertone design house, better known for its work with other Italian marques. This car blended race-bred mechanical engineering with a strikingly unconventional body, reflecting both performance and artistic experimentation.
At its core, the car was based on Ferrari’s proven 250 GT mechanical underpinnings. It featured the familiar 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine that had powered numerous Ferrari GT and racing cars of the era. Tuned for competition use, it was capable of producing approximately 280 horsepower, and was paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The chassis was the short-wheelbase (SWB) type, known for its agility and performance balance, particularly on twisty circuits.
What truly set this car apart, however, was its bodywork. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, then a young designer working for Bertone, the car was a radical departure from the more conservative lines penned by Ferrari’s usual design partner, Pininfarina. The Competizione Speciale had a low, wide stance and an angular, aggressive appearance that hinted at the future of automotive styling in the 1960s.
The front end was sharp and horizontal, with recessed headlamps and a wide, low grille. The rear was distinctive for its flat surfaces and crisp contours, capped with a subtle rear spoiler integrated into the bodywork—an unusually modern detail for its time. The greenhouse was also more angular than the typical Ferrari of the era, with thin pillars and a fastback roofline that gave it a purposeful look.
This car was not just a design exercise—it was intended to race. It was entered in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Lucien Bianchi and Giorgio Scarlatti, where it unfortunately retired after only a few hours. Despite its short racing career, it demonstrated Ferrari’s willingness to explore alternative ideas and aesthetics, even within its tightly controlled design language.
Only one example of the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione Speciale by Bertone was built, making it one of the rarest Ferraris of all time. Over the years, it has passed through the hands of prestigious collectors and appeared at top-tier concours events, where it is celebrated not only for its rarity but also for its unique place in Ferrari history.
Today, it stands as a bold fusion of Ferrari’s motorsport DNA and Bertone’s avant-garde design philosophy—a car that anticipated the more aggressive and geometric forms that would define sports cars in the years to follow. It remains a testament to creative freedom during one of Ferrari’s most iconic eras.