Image: Ferrari.
It seems that more often than not, car manufacturers are sacrificing their heritage in favour of catering for a new trend in the form of SUVs. To throw some examples, Ford and General Motors have already committed to this and the majority of Citroen's DS range is posh SUVs now, which are a far cry from the revolutionary DS which saved Charles De Gaulle's life.
Of course, car manufacturers are businesses. And the role of businesses is to make as much money as possible or be flushed down the drain. However, if the SUV trend comes to an end and manufacturers only have such things in their line-up, that'll be quite the embarrassment. Which is why personally, if I was running a car manufacturer, I'd keep the traditional models in the range too should a new shift happen for other categories like convertibles or shooting brakes.
Mercedes already dropped one of their most well-respected and desirable models this year - the S-Class 2-door - and Ferrari has done the same with one of their longest running models in their range: the 4-seater V12 cruiser. The GTC-4 Lusso was dropped with the theory that the Purosangue SUV will be replacing it. While the lifted Fezza will probably generate more sales, I believe this will look ridiculous in the long run.
With that said, here's all you need to know about Ferrari's V12 cruiser. The champagne bottle. The Ferrari for the relaxed gentleman or the suave playboy.
250 GTE/330 America
Image: Ferrari.
Introduced in 1959, this was the first 4-seater Ferrari to be made on a larger production scale, as earlier cars were made in small volumes. As the 250 name suggests in traditional Ferrari naming form, it was powered by a 3.0 litre V12 and made a healthy 240hp.
It was designed by Pininfarina and served an important part in Ferrari's history. It helped keep the company afloat as 957 cars were built (a huge number for Ferrari at the time!) with the last 50 being equipped with the larger 4.0 litre engine - those were known as the 330 America.
In fact, it was clutch issues with the 250 that agitated a certain tractor maker: it was found that this high performance Ferrari used exactly the same clutch as his own tractor and couldn't handle the power of the V12 engine. The man in question decided to start making his own cars in an aggressive response. He was called Ferruccio Lamborghini - and who knows how things might've turned out for him?
330 GT
Image: Wikipedia.
The 330 GT replaced the 330 America in 1964 and the first of the set was the Series 1: using the 4.0 litre V12, it made 300hp now and was mated to a 4-speed gearbox with overdrive. But perhaps more distinctive of the Series 1 was the quad headlights - which at the time - were referred to as 'Chinese lights' much like the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III/Bentley S3 by Park Ward.
The Series 2 sported subtle upgrades such as single headlights and a 5-speed gearbox. A white 330 GT was owned by Enzo Ferrari himself which he used to either commute to the factory or take his dog out for a walk. Although allegedly, Enzo was actually persuaded by accountants to drive it for the purpose to drawing in attention from investors. Usually, the man himself commuted in more humble Peugeots or even a Mini!
365 GT 2+2
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
Taking inspiration from the E-Type Jag at the nose, the full-size 365 GT 2+2 fell slightly under the radar in the classic Ferrari fanbase. That could be down to the fact that like the 330 GT, it was rather soft and comfortable, but also because it was produced at roughly the same time as the more famous 206/246 Dino and the 365 GTB/4 - otherwise known as the Daytona.
Unlike the 330 however, it housed a 4.4 litre version of the Columbo V12 and also sported independent rear suspension as opposed to leaf springs. It was naturally the most luxurious Ferrari you could buy with air conditioning on hand, electric windows and even power steering.
Is this one of the most underrated classic Ferraris? Perhaps, but it was their top-seller at the time of production. Makes you think where the marketplace shifted, doesn't it?
365 GTC/4
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
The GTC was Ferrari's shortest-lasting 4-seater V12 throughout the entire history of them. It was only produced for two years. It was also the first V12 Ferrari to be made under the eyes of Fiat after they announced to take control of their road car production in 1969.
It was styled to look like a more mature, up-to-date version of the Daytona. And some, namely Chris Harris, report that the GTC is actually a nicer car to drive than the Daytona. Of course, I'd need to test out both to make a judgement.
It housed the same 4.4 litre V12 as its predecessor and made 340hp out of it. But unlike the other 365s, the GTC's carburettors were positioned on the side of the engine rather than on top - making for a lower bonnet.
365 GT / 400 / 400i / 412
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
Replacing the 365 was the next-generation 365 GT4 2+2. But to loosen the number confusion, the new car arrived in 1972 with a more conventional 3-box design. The same 4.4 litre V12 was used, but made 335hp in the GT4 and lasted up until 1976 - where only 524 examples were ever made.
Then came along one of the most hated of Ferraris: the 400.
The 400 had an enlarged version of the Columbo V12 at 4.8 litres and churned out 340hp. But the bit that upset fans was the fact the 400 was available with a 3-speed automatic gearbox from General Motors. This undoubtedly hindered the thrill of a traditional Ferrari and out of the 502 that were ever made between 1976-79, 355 of them were automatics.
It was the same story with the 400's replacement: the 400i. This time, the engine used a Bosch fuel injection system as seen already in the mid-engined 308i, but power was decreased to just 306hp to comply with new American emissions regulations. In the 400i's six years of production, two thirds of the cars made were automatics.
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
The 400i was replaced by the 412 which was styled to look more modern than the previous cars and was made from 1985-89.
The V12 engine was enlarged again to 4.9 litres and made 340hp. The manual and automatic gearboxes were still available and this would be the last of the boxy Ferrari 2+2s. With production ending in 1989, this shape was around for a total of 17 years!
The 2+2 front-engined Ferrari took some time off after the end of the 412, but in 1992, came along it's much more advanced and modern successor: the 456.
456
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
The 456 was a vast improvement over the 412 with sleek, modern styling, a brand new 5.5 litre V12 engine to replace the ageing Columbo unit and a more sporting driving experience.
It looked far ahead of its time in 1992 as Aston Martin didn't bring along the DB7 until two years later and Jaguar were still producing the ageing XJS.
The 456 came with an improved 4-speed automatic gearbox in the 456 GTA, yet could also be had in a 6-speed manual in the standard GT. The facelifted 456 from 1998 was known as the 456M (standing for 'Modificata') implying that modifications were made.
The 456 lasted until 2003 before it was replaced by something that sported a controversial new type of gearbox: the flappy paddles.
612 Scaglietti
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
Truthfully speaking, you could get the 612 with a proper manual with a stick, but the majority were sold with the F1 automated manual gearbox controlled by a pair of paddles on the wheel.
So, obviously gearboxes weren't as advanced as they are now. But that doesn't detract from the fact that the 612 was a roaring successor to the 456 and defined the Italian GT genre for the 2000s.
In terms of styling, it remains a controversial one to a lot of car enthusiasts, but because it brings back a lot of shivering nostalgia and a desire to blast one up into the Swiss hills towards Verbier, I love every part of it.
FF
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
The FF was a bit of a revolution not only for Ferrari, but for GT cars in general. Because not only was this a shooting brake that wasn't built by a coachbuilder for stupid sums of cash, but it was also the first Ferrari to come with 4WD.
But unlike the Bentley Continental GT, the FF's system used two separate gearboxes instead of the power being sent to a conventional transfer box. The car was therefore 'mostly' RWD, as the gearbox sending power to the front was pretty minuscule.
Nevertheless, this would be the last Ferrari in the Grand Touring lineage to be designed by Pininfarina. It's successor meanwhile has a rather meaningless name..
GTC-4 Lusso
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
From the early 250s to the 456, Ferrari's naming convention was purely based on the size of each piston in cubic centimetres. So, taking the 456 as an example: if you take the precise displacement (5,474) and divide it by the number of cylinders (12), you end up with 456.
But even when Ferrari stopped using that strategy, their names still made sense: the 612 simply meant 6 litres and 12 cylinders (I know it was a 5.8, but they rounded it up) and the FF simply indicated four seats and four wheel drive.
GTC-4 Lusso on the other hand is a bit odd: obviously the GTC is referring to some of the old Ferraris such as the 365 GTC/4 mentioned earlier, but it's a bit out-of-line with typical Ferraris. And Lusso means luxury in Italian and refers back to the glorious old 250 Lusso. But despite the historic references, they couldn't seem to come up with a relevant name for the latest cruiser.
Image: Ferrari Corporate.
Nevertheless, the GTC-4 was quite a car. And not only was it a substantial improvement over the FF, but it was the first Ferrari in history that was available with two completely separate engines.
Alongside the 6.3 litre V12 with 4WD, you could also get a rear-driven 3.9 litre twin turbo V8.
Although I have a belief that Ferraris became less attractive on the styling front when they cut ties with Pininfarina, the Lusso is an exception for me as it's as elegant as it is a great engineering package.
It's just a shame that Ferrari don't really want to replace it, thus ending 61 years of traditional Ferrari goodness. But perhaps it's a sign that times are changing... now.
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