In its early days, Ferrari->ke252 had an interesting take on grand touring cars. Although there were quite a few that had GT in their name, these tended to be essentially just slightly more comfortable versions of Ferrari's race cars.->ke148 The exception were the America cars, bigger cars with more comfortable interiors and more luggage space for use, as the name implies, in a country where distances were much greater and road trips lasted much longer. These were built in very small numbers, but by the end of the '50s, Ferrari had realized that this same idea could work in a mass market car, and the 250 GT/E that followed was such a massive hit as to become the primary reason that Ferrari was able to remain solvent through the '60s.

So popular was the 250 GT/E that Ferrari followed it up with the 330 GT 2+2. And while more early 330s were nothing more than 250s with bigger engines, the 2+2 was an actual new car, designed to be a comfortable grand tourer. This car was an even bigger hit than the GT/E, and when Ferrari debuted the 365,->ke3522 the 365 GT 2+2 became the most popular of all the 365 body styles.

Continue reading to learn more about the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2.

1967 - 1971 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 1967 - 1971 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2
  • Engine/Motor: V12
  • Horsepower: 320 @ 6600
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

As with other Ferrari models in the '50s and '60s, there were a variety of different versions of the 365, and each has a slightly different sort of a look to it. This included the 365 GTB/4, also known as the Daytona, and the mid-engine 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, neither of which looked anything like the 2+2.

But it still didn't hurt sales too much that the same year the 2+2 debuted, the fastest production car in the world at the time (the Daytona) was also designated as a 365. But one good thing about the 2+2, at least from the perspective of keeping the different cars straight, was that there was only one 2+2 body, designed and built by Pininfarina.

The 2+2 was first shown at the Paris Auto Show in 1967 and went on sale in 1968. It was the largest and most luxurious Ferrari ever made at that point, and it caused quite a stir. The car's styling is most similar to that of the 365 GTC/GTS, but made slightly longer to accommodate the back seat.

Exterior Dimensions

Length

4,974 MM (195.82 Inches)

Width

1,786 MM (70.31 Inches)

Height

1,345 MM (52.95 Inches)

Wheelbase

2,650 MM (104.33 Inches)

Front track

1,438 MM (56.61 Inches)

Rear track

1,468 MM (57.79 Inches)


Interior

The interior of the 2+2 is vastly different from not only Ferrari's sports cars of the time, but it is even a departure from the prancing horse's other GT cars. Gone are the bare metal dash and cramped spaces of earlier 250s. The 365 GT 2+2 came with power windows, a stereo and was the first production Ferrari to have standard air conditioning for North America. There is leather upholstery on everything, and there are even armrests.

Those expecting nothing more than a token back seat will be surprised to see one that is as spacious and comfortable as you could expect to see in any 2+2 of the day. The back seat has a center armrest and an ash tray (it was the '60s), suggesting that Ferrari intended for adults to sit back there. Unfortunately, this is the last production Ferrari to get a wooden steering wheel.

Drivetrain

From the early '60s to the late '60s, Ferrari dramatically increased the size of the V-12 engines going into its cars. The 250 models from the beginning of the decade had 3.0-liter power plants, while the 365 bumped displacement way up to 4.4 liters. But for all of that extra displacement, they didn't produce a whole lot more power than some of the later and more powerful 250s, with the GTO making 300 horsepower to the 265 GT 2+2's 320 horsepower.

But the new engines made a lot more torque, 217 pounds-feet in the smaller 250 engine compared to 308 pounds-feet in the 365 engine. The bigger engine also reached peak horsepower lower in the rev band, at 6600rpm instead of 7500rpm. In all, the power was much more usable in everyday situations, a more important quality than peak horsepower numbers when you're talking about a grand tourer.

There was power steering and power brakes as well, adding to the ease of driving. The 2+2 was also the first Ferrari with independent rear suspension, a self-leveling setup developed jointly between Ferrari and Koni.

Drivetrain Specifications

Type

front, longitudinal 60° V12

Bore/stroke

81 x 71 mm

Unitary displacement

365.86 cc

Total displacement

4390.35 cc

Compression ratio

8.8 : 1

Maximum power

320 HP @ 6,600 RPM

Power per liter

73 hp/l

Top speed

245 KM/H (152 MPH)


Prices

For a Ferrari from this time period, the 2+2 is not very rare. The car was sold between 1968 and 1971, and in that time Ferrari built 800 units. To put that another way, half of all the cars Ferrari built during those years were 2+2s. So prices won't be nearly as high as those of quite a few other Ferraris of this period. But we are still talking about a V-12 Ferrari grand tourer, so don't go looking for them in the bargain bin just yet. Average prices are around $300,000 for one in good condition. Those in exceptionally good condition might get up around $400,000, and those in need of restoration might even drop below $200,000. In short, they're very close in price to the current 4-seat Ferrari, the FF.

Competition

Lamborghini 400GT 2+2

Debuting a few years before the 365 GT 2+2, the 400GT was one a few Lamborghini models made to challenge Ferrari's grand touring cars. It was never as popular as the Ferrari models it competed against, but it was a lot more popular than its predecessor, the 350GT, without about double the number of units sold. The Lambo offers the same horsepower as the Ferrari, and an interior that is incredibly similar.

Read our full review here.

Maserati Mexico

Sure, the Ghibli might have been the more popular Maserati at the time, but if what you're looking for is a fast Italian 2+2 with a comfortable interior, the Mexico is one of the best. The interior is unusually large and luxurious for an Italian GT at the time, and there is more rear legroom than in any of its competitors. It has slightly less power than the Ferrari, but makes good use of it and actually hits a higher top speed.

Conclusion

Even today, it is still a frequent complaint that the makers of supposed grand touring cars forget the comfort aspect of touring and try to turn their GT cars into sports cars, or even supercars in a lot of cases. It took Ferrari a little while to figure out the difference, but once the lesson was learned, it was GT cars like the 2+2 that elevated the company's status from boutique carmaker to arguably the most important company in on-road performance in the world. It does sometimes seem to be a lesson that Ferrari hasn't entirely learned, but the FF shows that it hasn't forgotten either.