1959 Ferrari 250 GT Interim Berlinetta

The Ferrari 250 GT Interim Berlinetta occupies a precise point between related Ferrari body programmes.

History and purpose

The Ferrari 250 GT Interim Berlinetta occupies a precise point between related Ferrari body programmes. Its small original series combined the long-wheelbase 250 GT foundation with a compact-looking closed competition body. The cited chassis-register research records seven Interim cars. The Simeone museum’s own demonstration-day material documents an original Interim on loan, and the supplied photograph identifies that car as chassis 1377 GT. This is more useful than a generic competition-model label: it gives the profile both a complete series boundary and an individual photographic reference. No racing results belonging to another Interim chassis are transferred to the pictured car.

Design and engineering

The photographed white berlinetta shows a low roof, round headlights and a broad oval intake. The cabin appears concentrated toward the centre of the body, with a rounded rear volume behind it. Its visual compactness is one reason the Interim can be confused with the later short-wheelbase form in casual descriptions. Body resemblance alone does not establish chassis dimensions. This record keeps the long-wheelbase identity explicit. The modern museum display and painted number document the car’s exhibited appearance. They do not independently prove that every livery detail matches a specific 1959 race entry or that all of the visible body material remains original.

Identifying the original configuration

Interim is the name of an original body and chassis relationship. A later 250 GT rebuilt with similar coachwork may be an interesting object, but it needs its actual identity and construction date recorded. The authentic series count is not enlarged by replicas, nor should a replica inherit a period result from an original chassis. Conversely, restoration of an original competition car should be described accurately rather than automatically treated as loss of identity. For a particular Interim, the chain connecting chassis records, period photographs and present body configuration matters more than whether a modern paint scheme looks convincing at first glance.

Collector context and preservation

The attraction for a collection is the transitional design itself. Comparing an Interim with earlier long-wheelbase berlinettas and the later short-wheelbase cars can reveal how a similar engine family was packaged into changing body proportions. That is a design comparison, not an assertion that every version shares identical suspension, gearing or body construction. The museum photograph makes the named model tangible, while the registry defines its small original population. A strong individual file would add period body photographs and a documented repair chronology. Together, those records allow the car to be understood as an authentic historic object with a life, rather than as a timeless silhouette detached from the particular chassis that carried it.

Reading the evidence for this profile

The original source links below identify the programme and the historical statements used in this article. The photograph has its own creator and licence record, separate from the manufacturer’s vehicle history. Keep both when transferring this profile into a collection catalogue. A manufacturing tally describes how many cars belong to a defined original programme; it does not measure how many survive, how many are publicly visible, or how many retain all their original components. Those individual questions require dated chassis and restoration evidence. The reference year likewise describes the programme’s introduction or named historic configuration, while the supplied caption states the photographed setting and any established individual identity. This lets future research expand the car’s history without blurring the scope of the record already assembled here.

Specifications and verified rarity

Frequently asked questions

How many original Interim berlinettas are recorded?

The cited chassis-register research lists seven in the original series.

Which car supplies the photograph?

The source identifies the museum-displayed car as chassis 1377 GT.

Is an Interim the same as a short-wheelbase 250 GT?

No. This entry keeps the original long-wheelbase Interim identity separate.

Do later recreations belong to the seven-car tally?

No. They require their own chassis and body-history description.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Original seven-car 250 GT Interim berlinetta series. The supplied car is source-identified as chassis 1377 GT; later recreations and unrelated 250 GT bodies are excluded.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Al R via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 2.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Ferrari profiles

• 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupé Series I
• 1959 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series I

Sources and photo credits

• Original manufacturer or custodial record
• Original-series chassis-register research

Photograph: Al R via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Original 250 GT Interim Berlinetta, source-identified as chassis 1377 GT, displayed at the Simeone museum.