The one that got away (long read)
We all remember the one car we should have held on to. Because it was the perfect fit, our brother in arms, a stylish sanctuary. Yet we let it go.
I can still picture myself standing on the road near my parents' house. I had just turned 19. Maybe it was the unfamiliar sound rolling in from the distance, or maybe I just sensed that the arrival of our new house guest was imminent, but I remember walking outside even before it was actually there. All I know is, it couldn't have been my father giving me a call from inside the car, because it was 1996 and mobile phones had yet to become commonplace.
Two minutes later the glorious Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Pininfarina roared into my life. In front of me was this deep blue V12 from the '50s, yellow head and fog lights, wearing the most sacred of all logos in its grill (well apart from the red and white Bugatti shield, obviously). "Remember I promised you a ride in a Ferrari after passing your exams?" my father said when I sat down beside him, my hands running down the black leather dashboard. I remembered. "Well I guess this will do too, right?" He had a grin on his face known only to men who have just bought their first Ferrari.
Our ex-250 PF Coupe Pininfarina, here for sale with Hexagon Classics of London in 2012
The best thing about owning a 250 GT Coupe is that most people don't even notice it's a Ferrari. Really. I've had people come up to me complimenting me on my beautiful Peugeot. And I couldn't blame them. The Coupe was drawn in the typical Pininfarina style of that era - with a long stretched hood, pronounced fenders and big round headlights. The Peugeot 404 Coupe had them, as did the Austin A40 Farina and practically every late '50s PF design. I would simply thank them for their kind words, only to enjoy their confused faces when I fired up the 3 liter Colombo V12.
It's a proper wolf in sheep's clothing the 250, capable of sprinting from zero to a hundred km/h in some 6-ish seconds. But it took us a couple of years before we were brave enough to use the full potential of the twelve cilinder, producing 240 HP, an insane amount for a road car in 1958. And it was light too: its engine weighing nearly half that of the Jaguar XK straight-6. But let's not get carried away by the numbers, the Coupe PF wasn't meant to be driven on the limit, instead it was the ultimate Gran Turismo (and in my opinion still is), the perfect way to get you from Amsterdam to Monaco in pre flower power Europe without taking to the air.
The 250 GT was in our care for a good fifteen years. We let it go into the hands of a different owner knowing it made for some wonderful memories and we didn't destroy it in the process. On the contrary, we even had that marvellous V12 revised and made it a better car. There were no tears when it was winched onto a trailer, ready for new adventures. To be fair, realising that our next house guest was already knocking on the garage doors, made saying goodbye a lot easier.
But god I sometimes miss that car. The smell, the power of the engine under my right foot, the elegant aluminium and wooden steering wheel in my hands making me feel like I'd just travelled back to the Italian '50s. Yeah, I'd better stop now, or those tears might come after all...
So what's yours? Which car do you regret selling, every now and then? Share your undoubtedly heartbreaking stories in the comment section below.
Photography (except cover photo): Hexagon Classics
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Comments (14)
Not exactly! Nowadays she drives an SUV and I drive a 996!
My 993c2s had to give way for frivolities such as nappies!
I know where you're coming from :-) Welcome to the five door club.
'Soapbox' wasn't referring to your Toyota! :-)
250, VW or soapbox: when it's got wheels and you regret letting it go, there's no difference whatsoever.
The car I regret letting go a day I know it may not apply to the beautiful head turners you guys are talking about , but it was a tuff as nails car , and very reliable, and instead of customising it I decided to keep it clean and standard, my 1987 Toyota Corolla GLS.