Description
The Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is one of the most celebrated competition-focused grand tourers of the 1950s, built to dominate long-distance sports car races while maintaining the elegance and usability of a road car. Introduced in 1956, the model earned its name from its repeated success in the grueling Tour de France Automobile, a multi-day rally that combined high-speed circuit racing, hill climbs, and road stages across France.
The car was powered by Ferrari’s 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine, producing approximately 240 to 260 horsepower depending on the series and tuning. With triple Weber carburetors and a lightweight chassis, the 250 GT Tour de France offered strong acceleration, excellent reliability, and a top speed approaching 250 km/h. It was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and featured disc brakes on later variants, though early models retained large finned drums.
The chassis, known as Tipo 508, was derived from the 250 GT Europa but modified for competition use with improved suspension and weight reduction. Despite its performance orientation, the car retained a level of comfort and finish that made it suitable for road use, and some examples were driven to races, competed, and driven home again—a hallmark of GT racing at the time.
The bodywork was styled and built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, though early design input came from Pinin Farina. Across the model’s production, several series were introduced, with small but noticeable design changes. These included variations in the number and shape of the side air vents, rear window configurations, and roof contours. Early cars featured distinctive triple-louvered vents behind the front wheels, while later series had fewer or differently arranged vents. Some had covered headlights, others exposed. These changes, combined with individual customer preferences, mean no two cars were exactly alike.
Between 1956 and 1959, only about 77 examples of the 250 GT Tour de France were built, spread across four distinct series. While each one was road-legal, they were designed with racing in mind and achieved major competition success. The model won the Tour de France Automobile no fewer than four consecutive times from 1956 to 1959, along with many other victories in European GT racing.
The interior of the 250 GT Tour de France was functional yet elegant. It featured bucket seats, a three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel, and a suite of white-on-black instruments. The dashboard and interior trim varied depending on whether the car leaned more toward racing or road use, with some stripped for weight savings and others trimmed more richly.
Today, the 250 GT Tour de France is considered one of the most desirable Ferrari GT cars ever made. It represents a perfect balance between motorsport pedigree and grand touring sophistication. Its rarity, beauty, and competition history ensure its place among the most collectible and valuable Ferraris of the 1950s.