Ferrari 330 GT 2+2
The 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2, in contrast to the
1964 model, featured single headlights. See more Ferrari pictures.
The Ferrari 330 GT
2+2 was introduced in January 1964, and the focus immediately became
its arrangement of quad headlamps, which gave the otherwise sleek and
modern coupe a front end with a cat’s-eye countenance.
The success of the Ferrari 250 GT 2+2 all but guaranteed that four-seat Ferraris would become prominent in Maranello’s lineup. Its immediate successor, however, proved among the more controversial Cavallinos to date.
Inspiration for the styling touch has been attributed to Pininfarina’s Superfast IV, a modified version of the Ferrari 400 SA Superfast II. But the man who designed the 330 says that’s incorrect.
American stylist Tom Tjaarda started his prolific career in 1959 at Ghia. He moved to Pininfarina in 1961, and the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 was his first full design for the carrozzeria.
“The design brief was for us to make an up-to-date four-seat car, and I wanted to do something different,” Tjaarda recalled. “At Ghia, there was a stillborn Renault Dauphine with a two-in-one headlight treatment similar to Superfast IV. I showed that idea to Martinengo and Pininfarina, and they approved.”
Overall, the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 had many improvements over the Ferrari 250 2+2. Its new chassis had a longer wheelbase and wider track, and the roofline was slightly taller for more interior room. The dashboard and supplemental controls were more modern in appearance, comfort levels higher, and the trunk was larger.
The V-12 displaced 3967cc (330cc per cylinder, hence the 330 name), and it had considerably more horsepower than the Ferrari 250 2+2’s -- 300 versus 240. The larger displacement was Ferrari’s response to a number of forces, among them impending smog regulations and the presence of 4.0-liter engines in rivals from Aston Martin, Maserati, and Lamborghini. The new car’s suspension featured adjustable Koni shock absorbers. The rear leaf springs were assisted by coil springs. And a dual braking system gave front and rear brakes their own servo-assist units.
The Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 was updated during 1965, the biggest noticeable change being a move to a single headlight per side. The front fender vents were changed, too, and a five-speed gearbox replaced the four-speed. Alloy disc wheels became standard, the Borrani wires optional.
Both versions were popular -- the quad-lamp version actually outselling its dual-lamp successor -- and the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 became the first Ferrari to exceed 1,000 units produced.
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