Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I by Pininfarina RH
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Car producer : |
Ferrari |
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Model: |
330 GT 2+2 Series I by Pininfarina RH |
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Year: |
1964-1965 |
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Type: |
Coupe |
The Ferrari 330 cars are the successor of the 250, first introduced by Ferrari in 1963. The first 330 America was simply a 250 GT/E with a larger engine, and the 330 GTC/GTS shared their chassis with the 275. Only the 330 GT 2+2 was a truly unique product. Production ended in 1968 with the introduction of the Ferrari 365 series.
Pininfarina was once again entrusted with the styling, adopting a four-headlamp frontal treatment that reflected the tastes of Ferrari's most important export market, the USA. The 'Series 1' 330 GT has become truly evocative of 1960s fashion, lauded both for its individuality and Pininfarina's purity of design.
Like its predecessor, the 330 GT employed a tubular chassis; the newcomer's though, was 50mm longer in the wheelbase, which made conditions less cramped for the rear passengers. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs while at the back there was a live axle/semi-elliptic set-up. Improvements to the discs-all-round braking system saw separate hydraulic circuits adopted front and rear.
The 330's Colombo-type, 60-degree, V12 engine had first appeared in the 330 America (effectively a re-engined 250 GTE 2+2) in 1963. Displacing 3,967cc, the two-cam all-alloy unit was good for 300-plus horsepower at 6,600rpm, an output sufficient to propel the 330 GT to a maximum velocity of 152mph (245km/h) making it, when introduced, the fastest road-going Ferrari.
Equipped at first with a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox, the 330 GT gained a five-speed transmission in mid-1965 and later that year had its four-headlight front end replaced by a two-lamp arrangement, these later cars being known as the 'Series 2'. By the time production ceased in 1967, Ferrari had built 1,080 330 GTs, the split being 625/455 Series1/Series 2. Built alongside the ultra-exclusive Superamerica models, the 330 GT was Ferrari's ultimate grand tourer for the sophisticated client during the era known in Europe as 'La Dolce Vita'. A favourite of Enzo Ferrari, it was the first of his cars to sell in excess of 1,000 units.
All 330 models used an evolution of the 400 Superamerica's 4.0 L Colombo V12 engine. It was substantially changed for the 330 cars, however, with wider bore spacing and the notable use of a true alternator rather than a dynamo generator.
