This Ferrari has earned its patina, so you better not restore it – Jalopnik

I’m almost certain that a statistically insignificant portion of the Ferrari community agrees with me, but this 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, coming to auction in March, is aesthetically perfect as it sits. Any attempt to restore this car to as good as new condition would not only be a waste of money, but also an almost criminal car sin.

There is an old saying in the classic car community that a car is only original once. Once you commit to restoring a vehicle and trying to make it look new again, its originality is compromised. An original vehicle, especially one with a heavy patina, is one that has lived a life, has stories to tell and carries a piece of its history with it every time you drive it. However, a restored vehicle is a risk that owners are often reluctant to drive for fear that adding miles to the odometer will make the vehicle less than perfect again.

As I perused the Gooding Christie’s auction catalog for the upcoming Amelia Island auctions next month, I saw a vehicle with so much presence that it stopped me in my tracks. Any old joker with money can have a perfect Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, but only one person (also with money) will be able to have this incredible patina machine. Over the past 57 years it has aged like a fine wine, and like grapes left on a shelf for decades, it has the kind of taste that a true connoisseur can enjoy.

According to the auction listing, this car has been in static storage, untouched by daylight since man first set foot on the moon. And that delicate Pinninfarina bodywork looks all the better for it. If it’s not nasty and structural, rust can definitely create an aesthetically wonderful picture.

Greetings Christie’s

When this car celebrated its tenth anniversary, it had already been owned by seven different people. The first two in Rome, then four in Brescia, before heading to Switzerland. In late 1969, the car was sold to an American soldier in Germany, who sent it back home to Newark, New Jersey. Once home in the Garden State, the soldier drove it a few times before putting the Ferrari in storage and letting it harden.

Getting rid of the surface rust and covering up the old exterior would be horrible, but getting it back into working condition would require quite a bit of work – and that’s acceptable. Rebuild the engine, service the transmission and differential, redo all the brakes, get the wheels back to perfect round, put some good tires on them and grease all the joints. The interior looks like it could use a minimum of new parts, maybe a restored seat and dashboard for example, but not much else.

If you are going to completely restore it, don’t bother bidding. You’re better off buying one that’s already done. If instead you want to experience the joy of driving a vintage Ferrari as often as possible, this is the car you’re looking for. Pre-auction estimates place the car’s value between $300,000 and $500,000. your chance to bid on it in Florida on Thursday, March 5. Be proud of this car. Let it live a little.