The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake by Vignale.
The Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake is a unique, one-off Ferrari that originally left Ferrari’s Maranello factory in 1965 as a 330 GT Series II with Pininfarina coachwork. It was finished in Rosso (19.374) with a Beige interior (VM 3309) and built to U.S. specifications, featuring instrumentation in miles. The car was delivered new to Luigi Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, Connecticut, and was sold to its first owner, Mr. Desy. In 1967, the car returned to Chinetti Motors, where Luigi Chinetti Jr. decided to transform it into a unique shooting brake design. Chinetti Jr. collaborated with American illustrator Bob Peak to create the new coachwork. The experts at Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale in Turin, Italy, were tasked with reboding the car. The result was a stunning station wagon design that offered more comfortable seating for four passengers and a cavernous luggage space. It was refinished in a striking metallic green with a gold metallic roof. During the reboding process, the car was fitted with engine no. 09269, and the whereabouts of its original engine no. 07963 remain unknown. The finished car was proudly displayed by Vignale on their stand at the 50th Annual Torino Motor Show held at Parco Valentino. After its debut at the show, the car was returned to Luigi Chinetti Jr., who enjoyed it for several years. From 1974 through 1977, the car changed hands on the East Coast, being owned in the Philadelphia area and later in New York. The Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake stands out not only for its distinctive design but also for its blend of Ferrari’s performance heritage with the practicality and style of a shooting brake. This one-of-a-kind vehicle showcases the creativity and craftsmanship of Luigi Chinetti Jr., Bob Peak, and Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale, making it a remarkable piece of automotive history.
The story of Carrozzeria Vignale represents one of the many somewhat forgotten success stories born against the backdrop of an Italy that was torn apart by the Second World War and which, starting from the end of the 1950s, was able to recover enough to know a real miracle. economical just a few years later.
Like Vignale, Enzo Ferrari had founded his small factory based in Maranello in 1946 and had come into contact with the Turin coachbuilder through Franco Cornacchia, well-known owner of Scuderia Guastalla and trustee of the Cavallino brand in Milan. The two manufacturers were united by some peculiar personal characteristics, which saw them both excel in the exasperated dedication to their work.
