Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2
1960–1963 · Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 — Grand Tourer, V12, designed by Pininfarina.
The Story
The 250 GTE 2+2, introduced at the 1960 Paris Salon after a debut lap at that June’s Le Mans, was Ferrari’s first true four-seat production car — what Bonhams calls ‘Maranello’s first series-production four-seater.’ Pinin Farina kept the 250 GT’s 2,600mm wheelbase but shifted the Colombo 3.0L V12 some 200mm forward in the chassis, freeing enough cabin space for a genuine pair of rear occasional seats and a usable boot. The result was a refined, fast (~240 hp, ~150 mph) grand tourer aimed squarely at a market Aston Martin and Maserati already contested.
It worked. Roughly 950–955 GTEs were built across three series in just over three years, making it, in Bonhams’ words, ‘the most popular and commercially successful Ferrari to date.’ That volume — by a wide margin Ferrari’s biggest seller of its era — is exactly the point: the road-car profits underwrote Maranello’s racing program at the height of its dominance.
Today the 250 GTE occupies a special niche: the most affordable genuine way into a vintage, numbers-matching Colombo-V12 Ferrari. Long overshadowed by its two-seat siblings — and, in the 1970s–80s, frequently cannibalised as a donor for replicas of more glamorous 250s — surviving original cars are now properly appreciated as the commercially pivotal Ferrari they always were.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Pininfarina
Italy’s most storied carrozzeria and Ferrari’s principal design house 1952–~2012. Used as the credit where no individual stylist is documented (esp. 1950s GTs designed collectively in-house).
Studio Motors POV
The 250 GTE is the smart-money vintage Ferrari — a real Pininfarina-bodied, Colombo-V12 250 you can actually buy, and the car whose sales quietly paid for the racing legends everyone else covets. Buy the most original, best-documented one you can find; the bargain is closing.
The Engine
Ferrari Colombo V12
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 250 GTE 2+2
Worth Knowing About the 250 GTE 2+2
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • It was Ferrari's first large-production four-seater and the best-selling Ferrari of its time (~950–955 built) — and that road-car money is widely credited with bankrolling Ferrari's racing program.
- • Rome's police ran 250 GTEs: chassis 3999 served the force until 1968, driven by legendary officer Armando Spatafora, whose night pursuits became so famous that evading him became 'a discipline of its own among criminals.'
- • In the 1970s–80s, 'unloved and decrepit' GTEs were a favourite DONOR car — their drivetrains and chassis used to build replicas of far rarer 250 TRs, GTOs and California Spyders — which is why intact, original GTEs are scarcer than the production figure suggests.
5 Fast Facts
- • Roughly 950–955 built (1960–1963): ~299 Series I, ~356 Series II, ~300 Series III.
- • Colombo V12, 3.0L (2,953cc), ~240 PS / 237 hp.
- • Pinin Farina designed and built; engine moved 200mm forward for cabin room.
- • The last 50 cars became the 330 America — a Series III GTE with the 4.0L Colombo V12.
- • The most affordable entry into a vintage Colombo-V12 Ferrari; average sale ~$345k.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
The Polizia di Roma (Rome police) — documented institutional owner; two GTEs delivered in 1963, chassis 3999 in service until 1968, driven by officer Armando Spatafora (Secret Classics / Wikipedia). No verified individual celebrity owner found.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Identify the series: Series I (covered headlights early, three-louvre front fenders), Series II (1961–62, revised dash/ventilation), Series III (1963, thicker headlight bezels, single-piece tail lights). This is the most affordable original Colombo-V12 Ferrari, but beware: many GTEs were cut up as donor cars for 250 TR/GTO/California replicas, so confirm a complete, untouched car with numbers-matching chassis and engine. Prioritise documentation — Ferrari Classiche and a Marcel Massini history report — and watch for rust (doors, sills) and the cost of a proper V12 recommissioning. Values ~$250k–$700k; mid-$300ks for a good driver, top originals (and the Polizia car) above.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1960–1963
- Units built
- ~955 (Series I 299 / II 356 / III 300)
- Variants
- Series I, II, III
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V12
- Engine family
- Ferrari Colombo V12
- Displacement
- 2953 cc (3.0 L)
- Power
- 240 hp
- Torque
- 181 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 8 s
- Top speed
- 140 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 188 hp/tonne · 11.8 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual (later w/ overdrive)
- Drivetrain
- RWD (4-wheel disc) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2820 lb
Questions
250 GTE 2+2 FAQ
What are the key specifications of the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2?
The 250 GTE 2+2 uses the Colombo 3.0-litre V12 producing approximately 237 hp in a front-engine layout with a longer wheelbase to accommodate rear passengers in a 2+2 seating arrangement. Ferrari produced approximately 950 examples between 1960 and 1963 — the highest production run of any Ferrari to that point — making it the most commercially significant 250 GT variant.
Why was the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 historically important to the company?
The 250 GTE was Ferrari’s first volume production 2+2 road car and the commercial backbone of the company in the early 1960s, with revenue from approximately 950 examples helping to finance Ferrari’s racing programme. Enzo Ferrari used a 250 GTE as his personal daily transport, and the Italian Polizia Stradale operated a fleet of examples — the latter becoming part of Ferrari’s cultural history in Italy.
How does the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 relate to the other 250 GT road cars?
The 250 GTE shares the Colombo V12 and front-engine architecture with the 250 GT Coupe and Cabriolet, but uses a longer wheelbase to create usable rear seating — making it the most practical and family-oriented member of the 250 GT range. Where the Coupe and Cabriolet were strict two-seaters aimed at sporting buyers, the GTE targeted those who needed occasional rear-seat capacity without sacrificing V12 performance.
What is a Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 worth at auction?
250 GTE 2+2 market has appreciated — Hagerty shows about $329,000 for a good-condition 1962 250 GTE; Classic.com CMB is around $371,000 with recent 2026 activity trending in that range. The most accessible entry into the 250 GT family, with about 955 built across three series.
Can you source a Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 through Studio Motors?
Yes. The 250 GTE 2+2 offers a practical entry into the 250 GT family — front-engine Colombo V12 performance with genuine rear seat capacity, and a production run of approximately 950 examples that makes it the most attainable classic 250 Ferrari.
The Ferrari Lineup
Explore every Ferrari
250 Europa / Europa GT ’53250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF) ’56250 GT Coupe 'Boano' / 'Ellena' ’56250 Testa Rossa (TR) ’57250 GT California Spider LWB ’57250 GT Cabriolet ’57250 GT Coupe (Pininfarina) ’58250 GT Berlinetta SWB ’59250 GT Berlinetta 'Interim' ’59
250 GT California Spider SWB ’60250 GTE 2+2 ’60250 GTO ’62250 GT Lusso (GT/L) ’62330 America ’63275 GTB ’64365 GTB/4 Daytona ’68Dino 246 GT ’69
365 GT4 BB / 512 BB ’73308 GTB / GTS ’75
288 GTO ’84Testarossa ’84328 GTB / GTS ’85F40 ’87348 ’89
F355 ’94F50 ’95550 Maranello ’96360 Modena ’99
575M Maranello ’02Enzo ’02360 Challenge Stradale ’03612 Scaglietti ’04F430 ’04599 GTB Fiorano ’06430 Scuderia ’07California ’08458 Italia ’09
599 GTO ’10F12berlinetta ’12LaFerrari ’13458 Speciale ’13F12tdf ’15488 GTB ’15GTC4Lusso ’16812 Superfast ’17Portofino M ’17488 Pista ’18Monza SP1 / SP2 ’18F8 Tributo ’19SF90 Stradale ’19Roma ’19
812 Competizione ’21296 GTB ’21Purosangue ’22Daytona SP3 ’22SF90 XX Stradale ’2312Cilindri ’24F80 ’24296 Speciale ’25
Buy, sell, source or lease this 250 GTE 2+2.
Studio Motors operates outside the dealership model — nationwide and off-market sourcing, custom lease structures, trade-in coordination. Tell us what you’re chasing.
