French title

Chassis no. 08151 Engine no. 08151

From the collection of André Cadiou, a gentleman driver from the Sarthe

- One of 93 cars with all-aluminium bodywork

- Matching numbers, known history

- Restored in the 1990s by Cognolato

- Desirable ‘long nose’ version

- No reserve

 

“The 275 GTB is ... responsive, very agile and fast. (...) Its comfort, the quality of its finish and its original styling justify an exceptional price for an exceptional car. It is a thoroughbred, luxurious without being flabby, and with a fiery temperament, which pulls on your arms and demands an experienced gentleman-rider to get the most out of it.” It was in these glowing terms that José Rosinski concluded his test of the new 275 GTB for Sport Auto in July 1965. A few months later, a new version was presented, characterised by their longer, lower nose to improve the car’s roadholding, and a slightly enlarged rear window.

Chassis 08151 is part of this desirable series and, as the historian Marcel Massini has confirmed, it is one of the 93 cars built with the all-aluminium bodywork. This highly exclusive 275 GTB left the factory in Maranello on 17 January 1966, finished in ‘Argento Metallizzato 106-E-1’ with an interior in ‘Nero VM 8500’ Connolly leather, while the engine was equipped with three carburettors. It was sold new on the 29th of that month to Noris Lastucci from Prato, near Florence, through the Ferrari agent Reato Nocentini of the Garage de la Rotonde. Registered two days later as FI 309003, the car was kept by its first owner until 23 September 1969, when it was sold to Franco Boni from Florence, for 3,300,000 lire. In 1971, the berlinetta was bought by Dr Paul F. Schouwenburg from Amsterdam; at the time, it belonged to a Dutch criminal who had been given a prison sentence and had left the car for nearly a year in an outdoor car park. Photographs from the time show the attention the car needed after this spell in purgatory. The same year, Dr Fokke Bosch from the Netherlands became the car’s owner and had the car restored and repainted in sky blue metallic. During the 1980s, it remained in the Netherlands, passing through the knowledgeable hands of Sanders Van der Velden and then the collector Pieter Boel. In October 1994, the GTB was advertised in the Ferrari Market Letter, offered for sale by the French company GTC: it was described as having six carburettors and coming fresh from a full restoration in Italy. It was the renowned specialist Cognolato who was responsible for this restoration, when it was also painted in its current shade of ‘Rosso Corsa’. In 1997, Xavier Beaumartin, a collector from Bordeaux, acquired the car and drove it in the Tour de France Automobile in 1997 and 1998. It was at the beginning of 1999, during a trip with his wife to the south of France to look at a Ferrari Daytona, that André Cadiou finally set his sights on chassis 08151, which his wife, a discerning lady, strongly preferred to the Daytona. Cadiou then took part in six editions of the Tour Auto, as well as the Targa Florio Revival in 2000. A keen motorsport enthusiast, Cadiou did not hesitate to travel long distances with his 275 or to take part in competitive events, covering nearly 40,000km behind the wheel. In 2005, he had a four-point custom-made roll cage built and installed by Provost Automobiles and a fire extinguisher system fitted. With its desirable all-aluminium body, six-carburettor engine, external bonnet latches, long-range driving lights (the glass of one of which will need to be replaced), as well as its bonnet-mounted bug deflector, the car has all the attributes of the models entered in competition in period. Today, we can admire the patina of its restoration, and an examination of the car confirms that it still has its original engine/gearbox/rear axle. In this regard, a bill mentions that the final drive was replaced in 2004. As the car had not been driven for six years, it has just been recommissioned and the usual checks carried out by the specialist Alfredo Sampaio, who has taken care of the cars in the collection for several years. Chassis 08151 can lay claim today to the best possible overall specification for a 275 GTB, while its history is known and well-documented, making it one of the most exceptional examples on the market, which will be eligible for the most select events. It was not so much the fact of owning this 275 that made André Cadiou happy, but the act of driving it ... and we are delighted to invite you to continue the same approach.

 

Andre Cadiou collection, gentleman driver from Sarthe

 

As a great car enthusiast, a demanding collector and above all, a passionate driver, Andrew Cadiou was a well-liked figure in the industry. In order to combine his passion for driving, motorsport and classic cars, he patiently built his ideal collection made up of carefully selected and complementary models, all ready to hit the road or the track in any circumstances.

From the Transemirates to the Rally of Morocco, passing through the Tour de France Auto or the Targa Florio Revival, Andre Cadiou was not the type to leave his cars at the back of the garage: 20,000 km in the 2.7 RS and 40,000 km in the 275 GTB… with servicing accordingly. Every choice was justified by his sharp knowledge: the 2.7 RS, exchanged for the 964 RSR that won its category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993, was one of the first 500 examples assembled for homologation; purchased when he actually came to inspect a Daytona, the 275 GTB was one of 93 examples with an aluminium bodywork; the 365 GT/4 BB (French since new) was directly inspired by the sports prototypes of that era; and even the Alpine was the penultimate example of a limited series of 100 units!

When asked in 2000 about the choice of his 365 GT/4 BB for the Tour of Spain, he replied: “Indeed, I initially entered the Ferrari 275 with which I took part in the Targa Florio Revival. But it’s a fairly fragile car. I then entered my Jaguar E-Type but I changed my mind again, thinking the 365 GT/4 BB was better suited to the heat of Andalusia. It’s an exceptional car to drive, easier than the E-Type and even the 275. I like mid-engine GTs, they are lively machines and very enjoyable to drive”. Handling discretion and humour as well as the steering wheel, he had a great deal of happiness when using his cars, far more than owning or admiring them. Andre Cadiou passed away in 2012 and today, his cars are just waiting to find new knowledgeable hands to be used carefully for their primary purpose: to go fast.

  

Photos © Kevin Van Campenhout