THE SOFT V12 RUMBLE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES IS LIKE HONEY IN YOUR EARS
Most of us fondly remember The Ateam, an American TV programme from the ‘80s. I recall several sayings from this classic show to this day but none as well as Hannibal’s: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
I’ve known of this 250 GTE for close to seven years. The owner, an automotive en‐ thusiast and collector, told me about the car when I met him and he explained it would eventually be restored. I subsequently visited the car at Carrozzeria (the official Ferrari Panel Shop) in Johannesburg where Ivo Sega and his colleagues ply their specialist trade restoring classic Ferraris. The idea to drive this classic down from Johannesburg to Cape Town had been at the back of my mind since that initial discussion and we had been mak‐ ing plans ever since to make it happen.
Fortunately, the curveball of COVID-19 in 2020 didn’t stop the trip. With the final fin‐ ishes being done by the restoration team, we arrived in Johannesburg ready for the jour‐ ney. Our back-up car was filled with what we thought necessary for this trip: a jerry can of fuel, toolbox, tow rope, water, as well as a few spare parts and oil as supplied. I was shown around the car to acquaint my‐ self with its nuances of which, thankfully, there were only a few; on the whole, it was a pretty straightforward machine.
Day 1
Johannesburg to Bloemfontein
We left Johannesburg for the manageable drive south to Bloemfontein. In the heat of December and with no air conditioning, I thought the cabin would be unbearable, but
with the windows down and the wind swirl‐ ing it was quite comfortable. There was little to do on this 400 km stretch but relax and take in the scenery. More importantly, I was able to enjoy all this V12, Weber-carburettor tourer had to offer.
The 250 GTE is significant in many ways. If you want to own a ’60s Ferrari, it is without a doubt one of the most affordable models, to‐ gether with the Dino and possibly the later 365 GT 2+2. Anything else and you’ll be pay‐ ing significantly more. We could argue the 2+2 layout is not the most attractive config‐ uration and that, if you want a Ferrari, you should opt for a traditional two-seater sportscar. However, if you want performance, comfort and space, the 250 GTE was the first Ferrari to offer this unique combination. It was also successful in terms of sales, as around 1 000 units were produced between 1961 and 1963.
Sitting behind the wheel, there were a few notable highlights. Aurally – especially with the windows down – the soft V12 rumble from the quad exhaust pipes is more than pleasing on the ears. The vast bonnet stretched out in front of me with the corners leading towards the headlights. It might be a slight challenge to drive in the city but it was eager to travel through the heartland of South Africa.
Unlike modern Ferraris, this classic garners attention from a select audience; classic-car enthusiasts or petrol attendants who have never seen such a thing before. We stopped for fuel and I grabbed a coffee to ex‐ change a few thoughts with our photo‐ grapher Peet Mocke as well as my co-driver. We had been dreaming about this trip for a long time and all agreed this journey was living up to our expectations.
The highlight came later at sunset as we headed into Bloemfontein; during those final minutes just before the sun set, the sky turned into a plethora of warm colours with a brush of deep purple. It was hard not to feel something special was happening from the driver’s seat of the Ferrari.