We pick our 12 favourite classic Ferraris

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

November 4, 2024

Prancing horses for courses
© Ferrari
The 125 S of 1947 was the first car to wear the famous Ferrari badge. Since then, the Italian company has built some of the finest road and racing cars in the world, as well as being a major player in Formula One. Here, we select a dozen of our favourite Ferrari road cars from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Ferrari 250 GT California Spider
© Ferrari
The Ferrari importer for the United States, Luigi Chinetti, encouraged Maranello to build an open version of the 250 GT Berlinetta for an American audience. The result was the stunning 250 GT California Spider, styled by Pininfarina and powered by a 3.0-litre V12 engine. It debuted in 1957, with the short wheelbase (SWB) version premiering at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. Production continued until 1962.
Ferrari 250 GTO
© RM Sotheby’s – Jeremy Cliff
In 2023, a Ferrari 250 GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) sold for $51.7m (£42.2m) at an RM Sotheby’s sale in New York, making it the second-most expensive car ever sold at auction. Hardly surprising, given the GTO’s reputation as the pinnacle of the 250 series and its achievements in motorsport. Only 39 were built between 1962 and 1964, each one powered by a 3.0-litre V12, which propelled the GTO to a top speed of 176mph.
Ferrari 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’
© Ferrari
Unveiled at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, the 365 GTB/4 was Ferrari’s stunning response to the Lamborghini Miura, which had made its grand entrance in 1966. Known unofficially as the ‘Daytona’ after Ferrari’s success at the Florida circuit in 1967, the 365 GTB/4 was powered by a 4.4-litre V12 engine and showcased styling by Pininfarina. The most famous feature of early cars was the ‘droop snoot’ front end, complete with a full-width strip of Plexiglass – recently reimagined on the 12Cilindri.
Dino 246 GT and GTS
© Car and Classic
The Dino name was first used on racing models in the 1950s and was the Christian name of Enzo Ferrari’s son, who died in 1956. The Dino 246 GT arrived in 1969, just six months after the 206 GT went on sale, with power sourced from a revised 2.5-litre V6 engine fed by three Weber carburettors. Production continued until 1974, by which time the GT had been joined by the targa-topped GTS.
Ferrari 365 GT4 BB
© Salon Prive
The 365 GT4 BB represented a turning point for Ferrari, because while it had adopted a mid-engine layout for its racing cars and the Dino models, this was the first time it had been used for a Ferrari-badged road car. Unveiled as a prototype in 1971, the BB (Berlinetta Boxer) featured a mid-mounted 4.4-litre V12 producing 380hp and could hit a top speed of 186mph.
Ferrari 308 GTB
© Barkaways
Made famous by its role in TV detective series Magnum P.I., the Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 308 GTB remains one of the best-loved Ferrari models of the 1970s and ’80s. It’s also one of the most significant, with its 90-degree V8 engine mounted in a rear-central position that became a staple of Ferrari models. Early cars featured glassfibre body panels, but heavier steel was used from 1977.
Ferrari 512 BB
© Ferrari
In 1976, the 365 GT4 BB became the 512 BB, with power sourced from a 4.9-litre V12 producing 360hp. Its Pininfarina-styled body was largely unchanged, although tweaks included a lip spoiler at the front, two NACA air intakes to improve cooling and revised rear lights. In 1981, the 512 gained Bosch fuel injection to become the 512 BBi, with its power output dropping to 340hp.
Ferrari GTO
© Ferrari
The Ferrari GTO, also known unofficially as the 288 GTO, made its debut at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show and was as close as you could get to a thoroughbred race car for the road. The figures were astonishing, including a 190mph top speed – from a 2.9-litre V8 engine, no less. It could also hit 60mph in just 3.8 seconds. Only 272 were built, each one sold before production had even started.
Ferrari Testarossa
© Ferrari
Indeed, 1984 was a fabulous year for Ferrari. Not content with launching one legend (the GTO), it also pulled the wraps off the most ‘1980s’ of 1980s supercars: the Testarossa. Unveiled at the Paris Lido, the Testarossa would become one of the pin-up stars of the decade, helped by a starring role in the hit TV series, Miami Vice.
Ferrari F40
© Ferrari
Launched in 1987 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the company, the F40 was another ‘race car for the road’, featuring a chassis made from composite materials, a body constructed using Kevlar and glassfibre, and a 3.0-litre V8 producing 478hp at 7,000rpm. With a 201mph top speed and price tag of £250,000, it was the fastest and most expensive Ferrari to date.
Ferrari F355
© Ferrari
The ‘F355’ name stood for the car’s cubic capacity (3,495cc) and the new five-valves-per-cylinder configuration. Thanks to 380hp, the F355 could lap Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track some seven seconds faster than the 348 – and it could hit a top speed of 185mph. It went on to sell more than 11,200 units, making it Ferrari’s most successful car thus far.
Ferrari F50
© Ferrari
Built to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari, the F50 was the closest thing to a road-legal F1 car the company had ever built. Highlights included an aeronautically designed fuel tank, a carbon-fibre chassis and a body made entirely from composite materials. Just 349 cars were built, each one powered by a 4.7-litre V12 engine serving up 520hp.