The 1966 Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale is a very special car and not just because it says so in its name. It was a car that Enzo Ferrari was reluctant to build but it ended up writing the rule book — both in engine layout and styling — for future Ferraris to come. It was the first road-going Ferrari to use the mid-engine formula that now defines the brand, borrowed from Ferrari’s race cars. In fact, the chassis and V12 Colombo engine come from a race car, the Ferrari 365 P2 to be specific. The novel three-seat layout, however, was a first. Only two were ever made. If one were to come up for sale, it’s estimated it could fetch up to $55 million putting it high up on the list of expensive Ferraris.
The only Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale was returned by its first owner
Originally ordered by a New York investment banker for $26,000 when new, the one-and-only example of the ‘Tre Posti’, or three-seater, was returned to Ferrari’s first US importer, Luigi Chinetti, shortly thereafter because it lacked air conditioning. While it was doing the rounds of auto shows, around the same time Lamborghini showed off the “first” mid-engined supercar the Miura, the 365 P Berlinetta Speciale earned its most important fan yet.
Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli specially ordered his own 365 P Berlinetta Speciale
Gianni Agnelli, head of the Fiat empire, often also referred to as the ‘Henry Ford of Europe’, had a long history of custom-made Ferraris. The affair with one-off Ferraris spans back to the 1948 Turin Motor Show, and a love-at-first-sight meeting with a Ferrari 166MM.
Other Agnelli specials include a Ferrari 212 Inter with extra driving lights incorporated, a Ferrari 375 America with a special timepiece set in the dash, a custom Ferrari 400 Superamerica, a Testarossa Spider, and an F40. Most importantly, he loved the idea of a three-seat Ferrari enough to use his contacts to get Maranello to build one more.
Enzo Ferrari didn’t want to build mid-engine V12 road cars
The Commendatore believed in the mid-engine layout’s weight balance and handling advantages for his winning race cars. Enzo, however, also believed the mid-engine layout with a V12 in a road car would be too fast and too dangerous. The 365 P Berlinetta Speciale was only meant to be a one-off but Enzo couldn’t turn down Agnelli, already one of Italy’s most powerful men. With bodywork originally penned by Pininfarina, Agnelli ordered his in silver, with a rear wing, and his signature blue-green stripe down the sides. The two Ferrari Tre Posti built remain the only two ever made.
Chinetti sold and bought back his 365 P Berlinetta Speciale twice
The original white 365 P Berlinetta Speciale would be sold by Chinetti and bought back twice before staying in the family to date. Agnelli’s example was restored by Simon Kidston and team a few years back and a lovely film tells the story of the larger-than-life magic surrounding the man and the car.
It isn’t hard to imagine a three-seat Ferrari, even if not the prettiest in the world, having magnetic charm with Italy’s most powerful man behind the wheel. Seen as a precursor to the mighty McLaren F1, the 365 P Berlinetta Speciale truly is one of Ferrari’s greatest cars ever built. While either of these two isn’t likely to ever come up for sale again, estimates of price climb ever higher. Just as the aura around Agnelli seems to grow even two decades after his passing.
