www.QV500.com - Ferrari 250 GT PF Part 3: 250 GT PF Coupe
 

1960 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe brochure		 The 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe was Ferrari’s replacement for their most prolifically produced vehicle yet. With bodywork fabricated initially by Pinin Farina although more often by Boano or Ellena, the outgoing 250 GT's had set new levels of standardisation for the firm and this latest Notchback Coupe was to continue in much the same mould. A welded tubular steel ladder type chassis with independent front suspension and a live rear axle was used, the frame itself having been a further development of the evergreen Tipo 508 and featuring a wheelbase of 2600mm.
   
Hydraulic drum brakes were fitted all round along with elegant Borrani wire wheels, as you would expect, the familiar Tipo 128 C and later 128 D specification engines being used for these PF Notchback's, all of which were little more than slightly de-tuned Competizione powerplants as used in the likes of the Tour de France Berlinetta's. Displacement was 2953cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 73mm x 58.8mm, a very healthy 240bhp being developed at 7000rpm with compression generally set at around 8.8:1 and either three twin choke Weber 36 DCL or DCF downdraught carburettors. Performance was impressive and the 250 GT PF Coupe quickly established itself as one of the fastest GT cars around, a top speed of nearly 150mph and a zero to sixty time of 6.7 seconds being more than enough to shrug off competition from the likes of Aston Martin, Jaguar and Maserati.
 

250 GT PF Coupe chassis 1221 GT		 Designed and produced at Pinin Farina’s new plant in Grugliasco, the Turin carrozzeria provided one of the most refined and appealing designs yet seen on a series production Ferrari GT. Combining an exceptionally elegant silhouette with superb detailing throughout, the 250 GT PF Coupe was both beautifully restrained and perfectly proportioned. It thus came as no surprise when it became Ferrari’s most commercially successful vehicle. Prominent features were chrome-rimmed headlights set back into gently rounded wings, these continuing down the length of a seemingly endless bonnet.
   
The hood was adorned only with a chrome lipped engine vent while particularly elegant was the sporty cabin that gave the impression of a Cabriolet fitted with a hardtop thanks to its lack of three-quarter windows. Very lightly creased rear wings housed simple light clusters typical of other Ferrari and Pinin Farina designs of the period, these reclining into the contours of a stylish and conventional tail. The bodywork received very little decoration other than Pinin Farina and Ferrari scripting, your attention being drawn to bumpers that were occasionally fitted with overriders. As much attention was paid to sound insulation on this car than any other Ferrari of the period, fine leather and carpeting being used extensively. Comfortably padded seats were leather trimmed, hide having also been used to upholster the transmission tunnel whilst vinyl was used for the dash top. The dash facia, meanwhile, was normally body colour coded whilst a typical wood rimmed Nardi steering wheel and flip-up Pinin Farina ashtray were also present – this was indeed one of the most appealing cabins of the period.
 

250 GT PF Coupe chassis 1221 GT

Launched during October 1958 at the Paris Salon, it wasn't long before Ferrari began introducing some important developments. The first of these major changes came during autumn of 1959 when disc brakes replaced the previous drum units and brought about a suitable increase in performance. The next was in early 1960 when a more reliable outside plug, twin distributor Tipo 128 F engine became fitted as standard on all PF Coupe's. Afterwards, production continued until the autumn of 1960 by which time some 353 examples had been completed, all of which were finished in left-hand drive.