Ferrari 250 GT Alloy by Boano
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Car producer : |
Ferrari |
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Model: |
250 GT Alloy by Boano |
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Year: |
1956-1957 |
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Type: |
Coupe |
Pinin Farina introduced a 250-based prototype at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show which came to be called the 250 GT Boano. Intended as a styling exercise and inspiration to 250 GT Europa customers, the car generated demand that soon called for a production series.
Unable to meet the demand without expansion, Pinin Farina asked Mario Boano, formerly of Ghia, to handle the construction. When Fiat later recruited Boano, he handed production duties to his son-in-law Ezio Ellena. With partner Luciano Pollo, Carrozzeria Ellena would produce the 250 GT for another few years. Ellena revised the car, raising the roof and removing the vent windows from the doors. These examples became known as the 250 GT Ellena.
Carrozzeria Boano built 74 250 GTs on the long-wheelbase chassis. Carrozzeria Ellena built another 50 Coupés.
All but one were coupés. The single convertible, 0461 GT, was sold to New York collector Bob Lee off the stand at the 1956 New York Auto Show. At the direction of Enzo Ferrari, Lee bought the car for $9,500, far below cost. He still owns it, making it one of the oldest Ferraris still in the hands of the original purchaser.
Boano-bodied 250 GTs were constructed mostly in steel, but 14 were rendered in lightweight aluminum, unlocking even greater performance from the V-12 engine, delivering 220 bhp standard and higher ratings for competition. While a fast, stylish, and well-appointed road car, the Boano-bodied 250 GT was highly effective in competition, garnering high-profile victories at the 1956 Alpine and 1957 Acropolis Rallies, and a creditable 14th at the final competitive running of the Mille Miglia in 1957. At Lime Rock Park in June 1957, a Boano coupe driven by rising star Richie Ginther won the first GT race held in the Eastern US. Depending upon the source, some 68 to 80 Boano-bodied Ferrari 250 GT Coupes were produced in all, with variances attributable to the number of prototypes and pre-production cars, and the handover of production from Pinin Farina to Carrozzeria Boano. However, it is certain that just 14 all-alloy cars were built there
