1964 Geneva Motor Show display car on the Ferrari stand
Fabulous period competition history, including the 1964 Tour de France Automobile
Ferrari’s most refined, competition-specification V12 berlinetta
One of only four 250 GT/Ls upgraded to ‘Competizione’ specification
Ferrari Classiche certified
The Ferrari 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’
At the Paris Motor
Show in October 1962, Ferrari unveiled the breath-takingly beautiful 250 GT
Berlinetta Lusso (Luxury) prototype and, thanks to Pininfarina’s timeless
styling, it was an immediate success with the public.
As was common with
Ferraris of this era, the design was penned by Pininfarina, but it was
Scaglietti in Modena who actually brought the designs to life, with the bodies
being made from steel and the doors, bonnet and boot lids from aluminium. Under
its skin, the Lusso was hugely competent, with its Colombo-designed, twin-cam, alloy-block
V12 powering it from 0 to 60 mph in just eight seconds. This was the same
engine that powered the Berlinetta Passo Corto!
Designed to cruise
across the continent, the Lusso was equally at home on the Italian autostrada
as it was the infamous Mont Blanc pass, and thanks to its slender A- and
B-pillars, the driver and passenger were able to take in the full view whilst still
enjoying a typically simple yet functional Italian interior. A lovely design
feature of the Lusso was the speedometer and rev counter being separated from
the five smaller gauges, as they now sat in the centre of the dashboard and
pointed slightly towards the driver, whilst also allowing the passenger to stay
up to speed. The large-diameter, wood-rimmed steering wheel was truly
delightful, giving fabulous fluid feel. When some quick footwork was required,
the pedals are thoughtfully placed, with the smooth black gear knob always
where you’d expect it, making even the most intense routes a genuinely
enjoyable and rewarding experience.
The Lusso was the final road model in the 250 GT series, Ferrari’s most famous and remarkable family of road cars. Ending production in 1964, with only 350 examples manufactured, it is still accepted as the most refined and luxurious of all 3.0-litre Ferraris to this day.
This Ferrari 250 GT/L’s Geneva Debut
On 12 March
1964, Ferrari welcomed guests to its stand at the XXXIV Sale de L’Automobile in
Geneva, where this 250 GT/L Lusso took centre stage. Having only recently
completed manufacture in Maranello, this Lusso, finished in Blu Sera Metallizzato
with an elegant Beige interior, quickly caught the eye of the public, as well
as its first owner, who bought it directly from the stand! The 1964 Ferrari Annual includes an image of
the Geneva Show stand, in which this Lusso is clearly displayed.
The car’s first owner was Mr Charles Müller, a resident of Basel, Switzerland, although it was reportedly financed by his father-in-law, Mr Bisang of Lausen. Charles “Charly” Müller was an avid competitor, having raced in 1962 with a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL before moving on to a Ferrari 250 ‘SWB’ Berlinetta, 250 GTO and later a 250 LM.
Ferrari Upgrades and
Early Competition
Looking for
every advantage in competition, prior to delivery Müller had Swiss
Ferrari importer Garage Monteverdi fit six Weber 38 DCN carburettors, the same specification
as a Ferrari 250 GTO, which were supplied directly from the Ferrari factory in
Maranello. Müller also had a red and white stripe
painted down the length of the car, offset to the driver’s side. The car was
registered in Switzerland and issued license ‘BS 36585’.
The first
event Müller entered his new Lusso in was the ACS Cup at Monza in May 1964. The Lusso
was assigned race number 174 and, with Müller driving,
finished the race 2nd in GT class — a strong start to an exciting
partnership between Müller and this Lusso!
Only a few weeks later, Müller and the car travelled to France to compete in the Course de Côte Turckheim Trois-Epis, where the pair again enjoyed success — this time claiming victory in the GT class! Müller was clearly enjoying his time with this Lusso and, in mid-July, travelled to Belgium to enter the Grand Prix du Limbourg at Zolder, where he finished 9th overall. Again, only a few weeks later, in early August, Müller and 5367 competed at the Freiburg-Schauinsland Hillclimb in Germany. For this event, the car and driver were entered under the famed Scuderia Sant’Ambroeus of Milan banner. It was another strong weekend for the duo, with Müller and the Lusso finishing 2nd in class! For the end of August, Müller and 5367 returned to Switzerland to compete at the St. Ursanne-Les Rangiers and Sierra-Montana-Crans Hillclimbs.
XIII Tour de France
Automobile – The Highlight Event
For 10 days in
September 1964, the automotive world focussed its attention on 117 cars
competing over 6,000 km across France to claim victory in the XIII Tour de
France Automobile. As part of the International Championship for Manufacturers,
Division I, II and III classes, the event was comprised of eight circuit races,
eight hillclimbs and one timed road stage — the ultimate test for car, driver
and team! The circuits included Le Mans, Reims, Pau and Monza, with all
competitors also taking part in a short practise session to familiarise themselves
with the layout. The hillclimbs were held at world-renowned ascents, such as
Mont Ventoux, Rouen-les-Essarts and Col de Turini!
The tour was organised
in two distinct categories, Grand Touring and Touring, with each having both
overall and handicap classifications. There were seven Ferrari 250 GTOs taking
the start, with 5367 competing in the same class, Division I. Enzo Ferrari was
keen to repeat his success from years previous, sending his Assistenza Clienti
department to assist all Ferrari entrants, should they have any drama.
For this tough and
gruelling event, Müller had his friend, 1960, 1961, and soon to be 1964, European GT Hillclimb
Champion Heini Walter, share driving duties. Interestingly, and fortuitously, a condition of the Tour was that the
co-driver must drive a minimum of two hillclimbs.
Chassis 5367,
along with 116 other starters, gathered in Lille on Wednesday, 9 September, for
the technical delegates of the Automobile Club Du Nord to conduct scrutineering.
The engines and transmissions were sealed, race numbers and rally plates were affixed
and on Friday evening, at 7:00pm, the cars were flagged away from the Foire des
Expositions in Lille by the city’s deputy mayor, Augustin Laurent. Around
midnight, the cars arrived at Reims, with drivers and teams ready for the
following morning’s first race.
The Reims
circuit, comprised of closed public roads, was 8.3 km (5.2 mi) in length, with four
90-minute races being held over the course of Saturday morning. There were two
races per class, with each class being split into below and above 2,000 cc,
with 5367 competing against the GTOs and the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes in the
over 2,000 cc Grand Touring race. Finishing 9th in GT class, 5367
even beat the 250 GTO of Jean Guichet and Michel de Bourbon-Parme — a promising
start!
Following
an intense start, the competitors all headed towards the German border for the
7.0 km (4.3 mile) hillclimb at the Col de Bramont. With no less than 14
hairpins and an altitude change of 407 metres, the stage was testing, and to
spice things up even more, this one was held at night, with the first
competitors starting at 9:45pm and the final at 11:45pm! Thankfully, 5367 had
been fitted with four additional Marchal spotlights for this event, helping Müller and Walter finish 10th in class. Instead of resting, the
competitors immediately headed west to Rouen for Sunday’s races.
The 6.45 km
(4.06 mi) Rouen-les-Essarts circuit was inaugurated in 1950, remaining in use
until 1994, and consisted largely of public roads, with a long downhill section
along one side of the valley and a steep climb up the other. As at Reims, there
were four races, but this time lasting 60 minutes instead of 90. The
large-engined GT race started late on Sunday afternoon, with 5367 again
finishing 10th in class and beating another 250 GTO, this time the Sylvain
Garant and Jacques Lanners car. Again, the day was not over once the cars
crossed the finish line, as the teams had to go on to drive to Caen. However,
for the first time in 48 hours, they were able to rest overnight in a real bed.
Monday’s
race was held at the famed Le Mans circuit, with the small Touring car class
leaving Caen at 6:00am and the other classes following in close succession. Due
to the layout of the Le Mans circuit, there was only two races, one for Gran Turismo
classes and one for Turismo classes, with each race lasting two hours. Chassis 5367
ran another successful race — this time finishing 9th in class after
a pit stop to change tyres. The races were tough for many competitors, with no
fewer than 18 cars being posted as retirements before the field reached Cognac
at the end of a 900-km (560-mi) transit stage.
Tuesday, 25
September brought an Atlantic breeze, followed by clouds and rain, which were welcomed
by the teams who had been suffering in the stifling hot cockpits over the past few
days. Just south of the town of Cognac was the Châteaubernard (Parvaud)
military airfield, which played host to the Circuit de Cognac. The first race
started at 9:00 am, but 5367 and four GTOs were given mileage credit, which
meant they did not need to compete and had the opportunity to catch their
breaths. Once racing was completed, all remaining teams headed 300 km (190 mi)
to Pau, where the following morning’s stage would start at 6:10am.
Wednesday
dawned and the sun returned for the early morning Col d’Aubisque Hillclimb,
with only 70 of the original 117 crews remaining and all Shelby Cobra Daytona
Coupes now out before the halfway stage! The hillclimb was 12 km (7.5 mi) long
and 5367 was as consistent as ever, setting exactly the same time (9 minutes
36.6 seconds) as the GTO of Annie Soisbault de Montaigu and Nicole Roure, to finish
4th in class. After this short climb, the crews drove a further 50 km (30 mi)
to the next hillclimb at the Col du Tourmalet. This was the highest paved
mountain pass in the Pyrenees at a staggering altitude of 2,115 m (6,938 ft).
Although some considered this pass a slightly easier test than others due to
its lack of hairpins, there were also many unprotected steep drops to force the
teams to pay close attention! Again, 5367 beat a GTO to finish 5th
in class, ahead of the Garant and Lanners GTO.
The final
event for the day was held at the historic town of Pau, which hosted four one-hour
street circuit races, with the final race again being the large-engined GT
class. Although the first race started under dry and sunny skies, when the last
race was flagged away at 4:10pm, the heavens had opened and every inch of the
track was thoroughly wet. As is the nature of the street circuit, only the
leader was able to enjoy unmolested visibility, but this didn’t hinder 5367’s
performance, as it once again finished 5th in class.
This was
proving to be a long day indeed, and it still wasn’t over. After the Pau street
race, the remaining competitors headed over 680 km (423 mi) through Wednesday
evening into Thursday morning to compete at the Col du Minier Hillclimb, where
the first were given the green flag at 4:20am! The second-longest hillclimb of
the event clearly suited 5367, as it finished 3rd in class — ahead of two GTOs!
With numbers
depleting at every stage, the crews moved another 160 km (100 mi) west to the
Albi circuit, which was the host of the sixth of the eight planned circuit
races. Again, four 60-minute races took place, with 5367 finishing 5th
in class. Once this race was complete, all the teams had to do was navigate 170
km (105 mi) to the overnight stop, which also put the cars in parc fermé, meaning the crews were not allowed to work on
them but used the time to catch up on some much-needed rest instead.
Stage five
covered a total of 1,585 km (985 mi) and started at 6:00am on Friday morning.
The first event of the day was the only closed-road stage of the Tour, with
5367 finishing 5th. Next, the teams drove 120 km (75 mi) northeast
to the Circuit d’Auvergne, which, as per Le Mans, hosted two 90-minute races,
one per category. As was becoming expected now, 5367 finished 5th in
class.
The day was
not yet over, as there was still the small matter of a 450-km (280-mi) transit
stage to the Mont Ventoux Hillclimb. Measuring 21.6 km (13.4 mi) in length,
this was the longest hillclimb of the event and was run at night, with cars
starting between 10:25pm and 11:40pm. Mont Ventoux is undoubtedly the most
famous hillclimb in France, and in 1963, it was won by none-other-than 5367’s
co-driver Heini Walter, who commandeered a Porsche RS Spyder to the top in a
time of 11 minutes 50 seconds! On this occasion, Walter drove 5367 to a hugely
impressive 2nd in class (4th overall), beating three of the four remaining
250 GTOs!
Having
driven overnight, 40 teams arrived in Monza for the final circuit race of the
Tour, which was held at the oval course measuring 5.75 km (3.57 mi) in length. A
surprise and welcomed appearance was made by Enzo Ferrari himself, who was keen
to ensure one of the two GTOs leading overall claimed victory. Under Enzo’s
watchful eye, 5367 crossed the line 4th in class, before the Tour headed back
to France for the overnight stop at Grenoble.
Stage six
was the final day of the 1964 Tour de France Automobile, with the tired cars,
drivers and crews yearning for rest. The day started at 6:55am at the famed
Chamrousse Hillclimb, where 5367 finished 3rd in class and again
beat two GTOs!
The
penultimate hillclimb of the Tour, the Col de Turini, was 350 km (220 mi)
southeast and most famous for being a regular night stage of the Monte Carlo
Rally. For the 1964 TdF, the Col de Turini Hillclimb started around lunchtime,
and 5367 proved to once again be in its element, as it finished 3rd
in class. The final hillclimb was the Col de Braus, situated in the Alps,
roughly 20 km (12 mi) north of Monaco. The 7.15-km (4.44-mi) route started
smoothly and then quickly steepened with tight hairpin sections, but 5367 punched
through to finish 3rd in class — only 0.4 seconds behind the GTO of
Sosibault de Montaigu and Roure, which was driven by the latter.
All that
remained after the Col de Braus was a short transit stage to the finish line in
Nice, where the 36 surviving teams could finally relax and celebrate for the first
time in eight days! After 1,764.284 km of competitive stages, 5367, Charles Müller and Heini Walter finished 5th in class.
After this event, 5367 returned to Switzerland, where Charles Müller could take proper inventory of the car and ordered a new spare wheel, along with various other spare parts, which were invoiced to him directly from the Ferrari factory and totalled over 550,000 Italian lire.
The 1965 Racing Season
Onwards
After a
winter’s rest, in June 1965, 5367 and Charles Müller returned
to action at the French hillclimb of Course de Côte de Turckheim Trois-Epis, where it wore race number 81 and finished
13th. At the end of August, the pair returned to Switzerland and
competed at the St. Ursanne-Les Rangiers Hillclimb.
Only a week later, 5367 was in action again in Switzerland at the famed Championnat du Monde Ollon-Villars Hillclimb, wearing race number 131 and finishing 35th overall. A further two weeks later, 5367 made its last competition event in period, competing at the Swiss Mitholz-Kandersteg Hillclimb, again with Charles Müller behind the large wood-rimmed steering wheel.
Post-Competition Life
Once its
racing days were over, 5367 remained with Charles Müller and was
stored until 1989, when it was sold by Müller’s brother
to Mr Frankhauser, a resident of Liestal, Switzerland. With such great
competition history, this Ferrari was soon bought by official Ferrari dealer
Bruno Wyss in Switzerland, who paid 670,000 Swiss francs for it. Bruno kept the
car for 10 years, before it was purchased by Heinrich Kämpfer, a well-respected
and knowledgeable Ferrari collector. He almost immediately embarked upon a
thorough two-year restoration, during which the car was repainted its original
Blu Sera Metallizato with the iconic red and white stripe running the length of
the car over the driver’s side, and the engine was rebuilt by Ferrari
specialist Edi Wyss Engineering AG in Zurich.
In April
2000, the car was awarded its FIA papers and, a year later, participated in the
Tour Auto. Wearing race number 38, the car finished 13th overall, which,
amazingly, was the same result it achieved in 1964! Heinrich was, and still is,
a huge Ferrari enthusiast, with some very special Ferraris passing through his
stable, including a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta Scaglietti, a 1956
Ferrari 250 GT Boano and a 1953 Ferrari 375 America Coupe Vignale. During his
ownership, Heinrich had the Lusso registered in Switzerland with license ‘AG
3999’.
In December
2002, Heinrich decided to part with 5367 and the car was sold at Bonhams’
Gstaad auction to Mr Peter Heuberger, another Swiss resident, for 597,350 Swiss
francs. In April 2003, Heuberger tested 5367 at Monza, before embarking upon a
regular competition schedule in the Ferrari Maserati Challenge over the next
three years. During this time, the Lusso was also featured in the October 2003
issue of Swiss magazine Passione.
Most
importantly, in 2004 this 250 GT/L was awarded its Ferrari Classiche
Certificate of Authenticity, number 008F. Mr Heuberger continued to compete
with his beloved Lusso before selling it at the Ferrari auction in 2009, at
which point the car took its place within the Californian collection of a true
connoisseur. In August 2011, 5367 was entered into The Quail, A Motorsport
Gathering.
In more
recent years, the car has been painted by Brian Hoyt’s famed Perfect
Reflections in California, before visiting the late-Wayne Obry’s legendary
Motion Production Inc. in Wisconsin, where it was retrimmed with the correct
Beige interior and also benefited from a carburettor tune and dyno session.
Today, the
Lusso is considered the most refined and luxurious 250-series Ferrari, with the
example we are offering here benefitting from the most impressive of histories.
Accompanied by books, tools and a hugely detailed and comprehensive history
file, including many pictures of Charles Müller competing
in period, this Lusso is no ordinary example — it is a true connoisseur’s
Lusso.
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