Introduction
The Ferrari 250 GTO is widely regarded as the most coveted classic sports car in the world. Now consider this example is the only Ferrari 250 GTO ever finished in white by the factory, and it certainly earns its place among the world’s elite automobiles.
Highlights of Chassis 3729GT
- 1 of 36 Ferrari 250 GTOs produced from 1962-64
- 1 of 8 configured in right-hand drive
- The only Ferrari 250 GTO finished in Bianco (white) by Ferrari
- Maintained, Repaired, Refinished—but Never Restored
- Ferrari Classiche Red Book Certified
- Unrestored interior
- Body designed by Bizzarini, developed by Ferrari and built by Scaglietti
Race Proven
Few cars encapsulate Ferrari’s dominance in 1960s sports car racing like the 250 GTO, a machine widely regarded by collectors and historians as the marque’s finest creation. Among the 36 examples built, one stands apart. Chassis delivered new to British racing impresario John Coombs in 1962 would become the only Ferrari 250 GTO ever finished in factory white—an anomaly that secured its place in automotive history as Bianco Speciale.
Coombs, a successful Jaguar dealer and fiercely loyal to the British brand, acquired the GTO with a pointed objective: to prod Jaguar’s management into making the sensational E-type competitive against Ferrari’s racing juggernaut. Completed on May 7, 1962, the car was sent to Scaglietti for coachwork penned by Giotto Bizzarrini, following Ferrari’s standard GTO build process. What was not standard, however, was Coombs’ request for a white finish—an audacious departure from Ferrari’s deeply entrenched tradition of red.
Granting that request required discreet maneuvering inside Maranello. It is widely believed that Alfredo Reali, Ferrari’s trusted intermediary for sensitive and bespoke client demands, played a decisive role in securing approval. Combined with Coombs’ standing in the racing world, the result was unprecedented: the sole Ferrari 250 GTO delivered new in white, forever setting Bianco Speciale apart from its peers.
The car made its competition debut in August 1962 at Brands Hatch, entered by John Coombs Racing for the British Racing and Sports Car Club’s Peco Trophy. With Roy Salvadori at the wheel, Bianco Speciale faced five other GTOs on the circuit’s undulating 4.26-kilometer layout—an ideal test of brakes and suspension. Salvadori finished second overall, trailing only fellow GTO driver Mike Parkes.
From Brands Hatch, Bianco Speciale progressed to the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, as Coombs continued his effort to spur Jaguar into action. This time, Graham Hill took the wheel. The race proved pivotal. While Innes Ireland claimed victory in another GTO by just 3.6 seconds over Hill, the result delivered a Ferrari one-two-three finish and secured the marque’s eighth international championship in a decade—cementing Bianco Speciale’s role in one of Ferrari’s most dominant eras.
The following season, Coombs escalated his experiment. Throughout 1963, Bianco Speciale was raced alongside one of his Lightweight Jaguar E-types, often with different drivers rotating between the two cars. The comparison was revealing. Though the E-types showed flashes of brilliance in national events and secured notable wins, they struggled to match the GTO’s balance of power, durability, and handling—particularly in longer international contests.
In August 1963, Bianco Speciale claimed its first outright class victory. Driven by Jack Sears, the car won its class in the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch and finished fifth overall behind four sports prototypes. Sears later recalled the race as a friendly introduction to the GTO—one that would prove prophetic. He acquired Bianco Speciale in 1970 and retained ownership for nearly three decades.
The car returned to Goodwood later that year for the RAC Tourist Trophy in a carefully calculated team strategy. John Coombs Racing and Maranello Concessionaires fielded Graham Hill in a new 1963-spec GTO, while Mike Parkes piloted Bianco Speciale. Facing a field that included additional GTOs and even one of Coombs’ own Lightweight E-types, the plan paid off. Hill and Parkes finished first and second, with Bianco Speciale trailing the winner by a razor-thin 0.4 seconds.
Ferrari Certified
Today, Bianco Speciale’s credentials are beyond dispute. The car received Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification in 2008 and is fitted with a Ferrari Classiche-built engine prepared specifically for the chassis. An additional period-correct GTO-specification engine accompanies the car, suitable for vintage competition. Throughout its restoration and maintenance, care has been taken to preserve originality, including numerous Coombs-era modifications—ensuring that this singular GTO remains not only authentic, but vividly connected to its storied past.
Mechanical Highlights
- Colombo 2953cc all-aluminum Tipo 168/62 Comp V-12 engine built by Ferrari Classiche
- A separate Ferrari 250 GTO-spec V-12 engine for street, touring and track use is included
- Original 5-speed manual gearbox
- Six Weber twin-choke carburetors
- Twin Marelli distributors
- Dry-sump oiling system
- 4-wheel disc brakes
- Borrani knock-off wire wheels
- Veglia instrumentation
Steve Matchet on the significance of the 250 GTO
“When we think of the Ferrari 250 GTO, its legacy and where it stands in the history of the automobile, well, there are many facets to that diamond that are worth investigating. For me, I will always go back to its lineage. It’s the fact that the 250 GTO the culmination of that incredibly successful series of cars, the 250 GT series that started in the ‘ 50s and went through into the 1960s. So when we look at the GTO, we’re seeing the modifications that all the designers, the mechanics, the engineers, the aerodynamicists when they followed that GT series of cars through wanted to put everything on one last car. It was the last hurrah, if you like, of the 250 GT series. I mean, when you look at Ferrari’s legacy, their racing heritage, their racing history, their determination always to make the next car better than the one that went before, that is why the 250 GTO stands alone. The 250 GTO is without question amongst the most collectible cars in the history of the automobile.”
Owner – Jon Shirley
“When you look at any Ferrari race car, what you’re buying is the history. So, you want to have a car that that you think has the history that appeals to you… Graham Hill (who raced this car) won the Formula 1 championship in 1962 and 1968, but he then went on to win the Indy 500 in 1966 and Le Mans in 1972. He is the only driver in the history of motorsport to win what is known as the Triple Crown.”
Timeline
- May 7, 1962 – Chassis 3729GT completed and sent to Scaglietti for coachwork
- July 13, 1962 – Certificate of Origin and Modena registration MO 79396 issued
- July 28, 1962 – John Coombs of England takes delivery of Bianco Speciale
- August 6, 1962 – In Bianco Speciale’s competition debut, Roy Savadori placed 2nd overall in the Peco Trophy race at Brands Hatch, runner-up to Mike Parkes in a Ferrari 250 GTO
- August 18, 1962 – RAC Tourist Trophy Race at Goodwood, Graham Hill drove Bianco Speciale to 2nd place overall, runner-up to Innes Ireland in a Ferrari 250 GTO
- Late 1962 – Loaned to Jaguar Competition Department for aerodynamic and performance testing; Jaguar concluded the Ferrari 250 GTO was superior to the Jaguar E-Type in nearly every test performed
- April 15, 1963 – Driven by Graham Hill in practice for the Sussex Trophy at Goodwood, however, Hill decided to race Coombs’ lightweight Jaguar E-Type instead
- June 3, 1963 – Driven by Mike MacDowel for the Whitsun Trophy Race at Goodwood and placed 2nd overall, runner-up to Mike Parkes in a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO
- July 13, 1963 – Driven by Mike Salmon for the Grovewood Trophy Race at Mallory Park and placed 6th overall
- July 20, 1963 – Driven by Mike MacDowel in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and placed 10th overall and 5th in GT class
- August 3, 1963 – Driven to victory by Jack Sears for the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch, with Bianco Speciale finishing 1st in GT Class; Sears placed 5th overall behind four sports prototype racers
- August 24, 1963 – RAC Tourist Trophy Race at Goodwood, Mike Parkes drove Bianco Speciale to 2nd overall, runner-up to Graham Hill in a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO
- September 28, 1963 – In Bianco Speciale’s last race with owner John Coombs for the Autosport 3 Hours at Snetterton, Jack Sears finished 4th overall and 2nd in the GT Class, runner-up to Mike Parkes in a Ferrari 250 GTO
- January 1964 – John Coombs sold Bianco Speciale to Eddie Portman, who entered the Ferrari in three races that season
- August 28, 1964 – In the car’s final race at the highest level of international competition, Richie Ginther drove Bianco Speciale to 9th overall and 6th in GT Class at the 1964 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Goodwood
- In September 1964, Bianco Speciale was sold to John Pearce through broker Robert Perry of Elmbridge Motors Ltd.
- In December 1967, Pearce sold Bianco Speciale to collector Neil Corner
- Corner sold Bianco Speciale to former driver Jack Sears in 1970
- Sears retained ownership for nearly 30 years before Bianco Speciale was sold to Jon Shirley in 1999
- Part of the Jon Shirley Collection since 1999
During Shirley’s ownership, Bianco Speciale was returned to its original Bianco livery and has participated in several Ferrari 250 GTO Anniversary Tours, competed in the Ferrari Challenge racing events, made multiple appearances at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca, and returned to England for the Goodwood Revival
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Above contents © 2025 Mecum Auctions, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee
