Room for Four

Mechanics, parts suppliers and restoration shops do not discriminate; Ferrari parts and labor do not relate to market value (Part I: More seats, less money. The early 2+2s)

by Michael Sheehan

In the late 1950s, Aston Martin and Maserati found a very lucrative market niche supplying GT cars to owners who wanted to bring the occasional extra friend or children along for the ride. While Ferrari had built four-seaters with bodies by Ghia, Touring, and Vignale, they were compromised coupes, and so Ferrari, ever eager to pay the racing bills, built an all-new car from the ground up as a 2+2.

The 250 GTE was introduced in October 1960 at the Paris Salon, an evolution of the highly successful 250 series. The traditional frame was lengthened, the engine was moved forward, and the rear track was widened, giving usable rear cabin space. The defining 2+2 supercar of its era, a factory test car went from a dead stop to 100 mph and back to rest in 25 seconds, topping out at just under 140 mph, with 0–60 mph in just over seven seconds. Thanks to the stretched...