The heyday of the coachbuilt luxury cars 
was back before WWII. As car became more complex machines the practice of having each body custom made became even more difficult and expensive. But for those willing to pay, it can still be done, and some of the oldest names in coachbuilding are still in operation. So when architect and home builder Bob Gittleman decided that he wanted something different for his car, it was possible to make that happen. Gittleman went to Chinetti Motors in New York, owned by legendary Italian racing 
driver Luigi Chinetti, and talked to Luigi’s son, Luigi Jr. (who went by “Coco”).
was back before WWII. As car became more complex machines the practice of having each body custom made became even more difficult and expensive. But for those willing to pay, it can still be done, and some of the oldest names in coachbuilding are still in operation. So when architect and home builder Bob Gittleman decided that he wanted something different for his car, it was possible to make that happen. Gittleman went to Chinetti Motors in New York, owned by legendary Italian racing driver Luigi Chinetti, and talked to Luigi’s son, Luigi Jr. (who went by “Coco”).
Gittleman simply asked for “something different” out of his car and Coco took it from there. He had always been fascinated by British coachbuilding and shooting brakes in particular, but also with Italian sports cars . So then used as the base was a then-new1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 , which was then sent to Panther Westwinds in Surrey, England for the coachwork. It is a very well executed job, and it has earned the car a certain degree of fame over the years. Not everyone is crazy about it, but it seems someone atFerrari thought a Ferrari shooting brake was a good idea, because we now have the2012 Ferrari FF .
. So then used as the base was a then-new1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 , which was then sent to Panther Westwinds in Surrey, England for the coachwork. It is a very well executed job, and it has earned the car a certain degree of fame over the years. Not everyone is crazy about it, but it seems someone atFerrari thought a Ferrari shooting brake was a good idea, because we now have the2012 Ferrari FF .
SOURCE:TOPSPEED
Exterior
The car started off as an ordinary Ferrari 365 GT/B Berlinetta, if such a word can ever rightly be applied to a car like this. From the A-pillars forward, the car was left stock, but when the shooting brake rear end was added, it obviously greatly changed the look of the car. The interior space is much better, and there is obviously much more cargo space in the back.
But what’s really interesting about this is that Panther Westwinds wasn’t even satisfied with making a regular shooting brake. So there is no rear hatch on the car, and instead the curved side windows open in a gullwing fashion, inspired by the engine compartment of the 1967-1971 De Tomaso Mangusta . The sheer size of the rear cargo area makes for a massive rear overhang, but shock of seeing a 365 shooting brake at all might make it so that you don’t notice the overhang.
. The sheer size of the rear cargo area makes for a massive rear overhang, but shock of seeing a 365 shooting brake at all might make it so that you don’t notice the overhang.Interior
The coachwork for this car didn’t end at giving it a bunch of extra cargo space. Some of the interior was obviously going to be required for the back, but Panther Westwinds didn’t stop there, and ended up completely redoing the entire cabin, even going so far as to rearrange the dash and change the placement of the gauges. These are now stacked vertically in the center of the dash, and the whole interior has been given a more traditionally English wood and leather kind of a look.
It’s true that the 365 had fantastic interior to begin with, but it’s difficult to find fault with the results of this custom version of it. Moreover, trying to get new sections of the interior to match up with existing ones could have gone wrong, looking tacked on rather than intentional. This way everything matches and gives the appearance of having been made all at the same time.
had fantastic interior to begin with, but it’s difficult to find fault with the results of this custom version of it. Moreover, trying to get new sections of the interior to match up with existing ones could have gone wrong, looking tacked on rather than intentional. This way everything matches and gives the appearance of having been made all at the same time.Drivetrain
Mechanically, the shooting brake is the same as the standard 365, obviously a very good thing, since the 365 was the fastest production car in the world from its debut in 1968 until it was dethroned by the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO in 1984. This is because Ferrari made the engine specifically to still be fast even in the face of increasingly stringent U.S. emissions regulations, while many other carmakers were simply giving up on the idea of going fast. The engine is a 4.4-liter V12 making 353 horsepower, thanks to a 9.3:1 compression ratio, very high in those days.
in 1984. This is because Ferrari made the engine specifically to still be fast even in the face of increasingly stringent U.S. emissions regulations, while many other carmakers were simply giving up on the idea of going fast. The engine is a 4.4-liter V12 making 353 horsepower, thanks to a 9.3:1 compression ratio, very high in those days.Prices
One-off cars are always difficult when it comes to pinpointing what they’re worth, even for experts. This car last sold at auction in 2005, with Bonhams getting $261,780 for it. Bonhams attempted to sell it again in 2008, putting an estimated value of $400,000 - $500,000 on it, but the car never sold. The current broker, Hexagon Classics of the U.K., hasn’t put an asking price on the car. Since this isn’t going up for auction, it seems to be a “make us an offer” kind of situation. That also means that we may never know what it ultimately does go for, as it is generally only auction prices that are made public. It will most certainly be more than the 2005 price, but probably not quite up into the $10+ million rage that coach-built Ferrari 250 s get into. So if you’re thinking of calling to make an offer, expend to spend at least as much as the 2008 estimate, but don’t start out much higher than that.
s get into. So if you’re thinking of calling to make an offer, expend to spend at least as much as the 2008 estimate, but don’t start out much higher than that.Conclusion
A grand touring car is meant to be something that you can take a road trip in. A lot of carmakers have difficulty with this idea and end up making GTs that are little different from sports cars. The 365 was a push by Ferrari to break away from the temptation to build another sports car GT and build a properly, roomy gran turismo. The shooting brake takes that idea and adds to it, giving extra cargo space to go with the larger interior. It might seem overly practical for the world of high end exotic Italian cars, but for those people who actually want to buy them and use them for their intended purpose, it must seem like a supremely good idea.
Press Release
From a one-off Ferrari to the finest examples of icons from Maserati, Mercedes, Jaguar and Aston Martin, Hexagon Classics has something for all tastes at this year’s Salon Privé.
The leading London car dealer is showing off several cars from its classics department at the Blenheim Palace event, ranging from a 1966 Maserati Mistral 4000 to a 1970 Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, a Jaguar E-type 4.2-litre Series 1 Fixed Head Coupe and a 1972 Aston Martin AM Vantage.
Undoubted highlight of Hexagon’s collection at Salon Privé is its 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Shooting Brake, entered in the Post-War Coachwork concours class.
Commissioned by Luigi Chinetti (Coco), Jr it features coachwork by Panther Westwinds. Built at a cost of approximately four new Daytonas, this particular 365 GTB/4 was the 805th off the line. A standard Berlinetta, it was finished in Rosso Dino with a Nero leather interior. When completed, it was shipped to the United States and received by Chinetti Motors in the US.
The idea to turn it into a shooting brake came about in the early ‘70s, when real estate developer Bob Gittleman strolled into Chinetti Motors asking for something a bit different — and Coco was only too happy to oblige. With the drawings completed, Coco decided on Panther Westwinds in Surrey, England, and two years later the car was shipped to the UK.
Panther Westwinds modified the Daytona into a striking shooting brake. Unlike traditional shooting brakes, this Daytona estate avoided a traditional rear tailgate by using gullwing-style rear side windows for access to cargo.
The interior was also substantially new, with the instruments mounted centrally in the opulent wooden trimmed dashboard. Even the cargo load floor featured wooden decking.
Delivered to Gittleman in Florida in 1975, it remained in his possession until 1980. The car passed through various hands, including those of Texan car collector and race team owner John Mecum, and was then acquired by New Jersey Ferrari collector Bill Kontes in 1988. A decade later it was with a different owner in France.
In 2000 it was displayed at the Concours d’Elegance at Paleis Het Loo in Holland and a year later it appeared at the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Showing fewer than 4,000 miles on its odometer and in concours throughout, this one-of-a-kind custom Ferrari is spectacular and unique in virtually every way.
Hexagon Classics acquired the car in 2014 and set about a comprehensive restoration, employing the very same artisan who built the car while working at Panther in period. It has also benefited from a bare metal repaint and mechanical restoration by an official Ferrari service agent – and is in concours condition. It is for sale through Hexagon Classics.
Another Italian car capable of turning heads is Hexagon’s 1966 Maserati Mistral 4000 Coupe. Offering the highest horsepower of the Mistral series, this model has a 265bhp 4.0-litre straight six-cylinder engine.
Painted in its original colour of Argento Auteuil and supplied new to a Mr Luigi Serra of Genova, Italy on the 22nd April 1966, this particular Mistral is one of only 298 produced and is presented in superb order today.
It has benefitted from sympathetic restoration and remains thoroughly original, coming with the original owner’s manual and maintenance manual among other documents, plus also Maserati Classiche Certification. Without doubt a rare opportunity to acquire one of Maserati’s most highly sought-after models.
One of the best four-seater convertibles ever made is this 1970 Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet. Presented in near concours condition, it is also extremely rare being one of only 68 right-hand-drive cars produced.
Offering a thoroughly modern and easy to use driving experience, with a snug-fitting six-layer convertible top, excellent sound-deadening and a whisper quiet V8 engine along with power steering, it also benefits from the highly desirable option of a floor-mounted four-speed automatic gearbox, power windows and front head rests.
Accompanying the car is its original handbook with the detailed pictures of a recent restoration by Australia’s leading Mercedes Benz restoration company Sleeping Beauties of Brisbane.
Many people’s idea of the perfect classic car is the Jaguar E-type – and one of the most desirable examples is on Hexagon’s Salon Privé stand, a 4.2-litre Series 1 Fixed Head Coupe.
Combining the classic lines of the original with a noticeably better driving experience, this particular car was completely restored in 2013. Like all 4.2-litre E-types it received a number of improvements over its predecessor, with an all-synchromesh gearbox, better brakes and more supportive seats. Of course, though, the highlight is the 4.2-litre engine, with its greater torque and refinement.
Another British icon is Hexagon’s Aston Martin AM Vantage Coupe. One of just 70 cars produced, it comes in Cairngorm Brown with Connolly Natural Hide and was supplied new on 18th September 1972. Its last owner, a British Airways Captain, has had the car for 19 years and has maintained it through Oselli Engineering, who recently rebuilt the engine to 4.2-litre unleaded fuel specification.
Hexagon has carried out a bare metal re-paint and a complete re-trim using the correct Connolly Hides throughout. With the car also getting a final mechanical sales preparation by an official factory Aston Martin Heritage Service Centre, it is now ready to be enjoyed to the full by its new owner.
Paul Michaels, chairman of Hexagon Classics, said: “Salon Privé always represents a fantastic opportunity to share our cars with like-minded enthusiasts. This year we’re showing some of the more varied machines that Hexagon offers – from a one-off Ferrari to the finest examples of classics from Maserati, Mercedes, Jaguar and Aston Martin. All are for sale through Hexagon and we look forward to welcoming all car lovers to our stand in the majestic surroundings of Blenheim Palace.”
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