Chassis No. 10913
Engine No. 10913

The 330 GTC was designed with a very specific clientele in mind. On the one hand, the new model was not as ostentatious or performance oriented as the thoroughbred 275 GTB of 1964, nor was it as plush as the 330 GT 2+2 introduced that same year. Instead of replacing either model, the 330 GTC brilliantly combined the best aspects of both upon its introduction in 1966, blending the glorious 4.0-liter twin-cam V12 engine of the 330 GT 2+2 with the shorter wheelbase of the 275 GTB to create a supremely luxurious grand tourer – viewed by some as the true successor to the 250 GT Lusso.

Just six months after its introduction, the GTC was followed by an open GTS variant, which saw the beautiful Pininfarina-designed body revised to accommodate a folding soft top fastened by two clips on the windscreen rail. Reviews of the new model were overwhelmingly positive, with Road & Track writing in their test to “Go ahead, give yourself a treat, buy one.” However, whether as a result of its astronomical $15,000 price tag, the arrival of the all-new 365 GTB/4, or increasingly strict U.S. legislation that effectively stopped its production after 1969, Americans did not heed this advice. A mere 100 examples of the model were produced, making it one of the rarest and most desirable production models of the period.

This outstanding example of the model, chassis number 10913, is made even more notable as having originally belonged to renowned casino magnate, official Ferrari distributor, and car collector William F. Harrah. Finished in a classic Argento (25090 A) over Rosso (VM 3171) Connoly Vaumol leather, this U.S.-market 330 GTS was ordered complete with optional Borrani wire wheels, air conditioning, and instrumentation in miles. In 1968, the new Ferrari was dispatched to Harrah's famed showroom, Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada, and subsequently joined his vast personal car collection. In late 1969, Harrah gifted the car to his new bride, country singer Bobbie Gentry.

Ever the innovating businessman, Harrah commissioned his well-known restoration shop to produce a hand-crafted Targa-style top for the Ferrari, echoing the design pioneered by Porsche for the 911. The conversion featured a removable vinyl-covered roof panel, a chromed roll bar, and a large, tinted wrap-around Plexiglas rear window. This one-off Targa conversion was the subject of an article in the December 1969 issue of Road & Track, showcasing the design process of the “Harrah Targa” which involved rigorous high-speed test runs of approximately 140 miles per hour to ensure the durability of the design. It is said that Harrah was so impressed with the roof conversion that he proposed Ferrari consider a limited production similar cars; however, the project was ultimately deemed unfeasible due to the imminent end of the model's production run.

Harrah's marriage to Gentry ended in 1970, and in July 1973, the 2,335-mile custom Ferrari 330 GTS was subsequently sold to Robert Donner Jr. of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Donner, a passionate collector who had successfully raced Porsches in the 1950s, added chassis 10913 to his stable of Ferraris, most of which were also finished in silver in homage to his Porsche racing days. As president of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Ferrari Club of America (FCA), Donner cherished the one-of-a-kind 330 GTS and drove it extensively at FCA events and rallies, traveling approximately 20,000 miles in his stewardship including participation in the 1992 Colorado Grand. Donner retained the car until his passing in 2010.

The 330 GTS was then sold to Los Angeles-based collector Mark Haddawy in January 2013, who commissioned Norbert Hofer's Gran Touring Classics in Los Angeles and Beckman Metal Works in Costa Mesa to restore the car to its factory convertible configuration and Argento finish. The car is also said to have received an engine-out reseal, a new black soft top, and fresh red carpeting during the transformation. In 2016, the Ferrari joined the distinguished Southern California-based collection of its current owner – only its fifth private owner in the 56 years since leaving the factory.

Now showing just over 27,000 miles, chassis number 10913 retains many of its original features including its matching-numbers engine (as per its Marcel Massini report), and is further complemented by factory literature and its jack kit. Additionally, in August 2024, a correct tachometer was installed by Ferrari Beverly Hills in preparation for the sale. Originally delivered to one of the most significant figures in vintage Ferrari collecting and maintained for four decades by a prominent FCA member, this pedigreed 330 GTS represents one of the most exclusive open Ferraris of the era and is sure to be a perfect entrant to premier concours d'elegance and touring events worldwide.

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