Watch a Three-Seater Ferrari 365 Make an Emotional Return Home
An impossibly-rare 1966 Ferrari 365 P Berlinentta Speciale Tre Posti that was originally commissioned by Gianni Agnelli has been restored and sent back to Turin where the Fiat boss lived.
The story behind the car is fascinating, with the Pininfarina-penned machine being the first mid-engined, V-12 Ferrari for the road and built despite objections from Enzo Ferrari himself. It was Agnelli and U.S. Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti who pushed the project and three were built. Chassis number 8815 was commissioned by L’Avvocato Agnelli himself and was powered by a 4.4-liter, 375-hp version of the now-legendary Colombo 60-degree V-12 engine.
The design was based on the Dino concept, but what made the 365 P unique was its three-wide seating arrangement, with the driver positioned at the center of the car. It would take Gordon Murray more than 25 years to catch up with the McLaren F1 (and another two decades with the T.5o).
Swiss-based specialist Kidston recently brought the car back to life with a complete restoration and, in a wonderfully-emotive short film, tells the tale of how the car and its owner had a lifelong impact on one young Italian. The boy would regularly attend football (soccer) games at the Juventus stadium with his father, but was far more interested in the gentleman who would arrive at matches in a fancy car. Unusually for a man of his station in life he would always drive, with his chauffeur sat beside him, who would then park the car while he watched the game. One day the great man turned up in an incredible Ferrari and an act of kindness would stay with the boy for ever.
We won’t spoil the story any further, just watch and enjoy this beautiful film, and don’t miss the literal high point on the roof of the former Lingotto factory.
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I was lucky enough to see one of the 3 when it was on loan to the Simeone Museum. It is a special machine. And the Fiat roof is certainly a spectacular place to showcase the restored car. I really loved the detail of showing the driver of this car wearing his watch over his sleeve a la Agnelli.
We loved that car. It was very special and a lot of us cried when it left the building.
Thank you for the opportunity to see it. Another reason why the Simeone is one of the greatest car museums in the world!
Who put that awful rear spoiler on the car, and why?
This was a polarizing Ferrari.
The one here in the states has been for sales several times but it never brings the money to clear the sale.
It did sell a few years back.
Great short film. Sorry to hear that it left the Simeone.
Even as I have enjoyed this and other of his short movies, I will never forgive Kidston (or the Daimler-Benz executives) for orchestrating the sale of the Uhlenhaut coupe.
It’s a very unique car, I have never heard of this 3 seater before. It definitely has 60’s style in it. Love it!