The 1964 Ferrari 330 America was a used-car purchase in Orlando, Florida, in 1971, then Silver Gray in factory-original condition. Chassis No. 4995 was one of 50 of the 2+2 coupes that replaced the 250 GTE, and according to a 2016 article in the Ferrari club magazine, Prancing Horse, was the owner’s first Ferrari, for which he paid $3,600.
The 330 was sold in 1979, and sold again in 1985, after which it mysteriously went missing, an unusual occurrence for such a high-profile car. The Prancing Horse article, written by the former owner in Florida, Bill Orth, was entitled: “Car 4995: Where are you?”
That Ferrari, now repainted yellow, was recently discovered parked in a private garage in Ohio, where it was apparently untouched for the past 34 years.
That “barn find” 1964 Ferrari 330 America is the Pick of the Day, advertised on ClassicCars.com by an Astoria, New York, dealer with photos showing it pretty much as found in the garage late last year. Also shown in the ad is Orth’s article and a recent history report of the car by marque expert Marcel Massini.
“This matching numbers 1964 Ferrari 330 America is an incredibly rare find that has been… tucked away in a garage for the last 34 years awaiting restoration,” the ad says. “Chassis 4995 seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth after 1985 and now after years of mystery, the car has resurfaced.”
The Ferrari appears to be intact and in decent condition after more than three decades slumber, with a black interior that looks serviceable in the photos and with its original set of Borrani wire wheels.
Under the hood is the famous 4.0-liter Columbo V12 that generated 300 horsepower, upgraded from the previous 1961-63 Ferrari 250 GTE and its 3.0-liter V12.
“Off the public radar and hidden away for decades, this car has quite an intriguing story to tell,” the dealer says. “As one of just 50 examples ever built, this car represents what is likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore an original and extremely desirable 330 America.”
The dealer’s ad differs from the Massini report regarding the chain of ownership, with Massini noting the resale in 1985 and the ad stating the it has remained with the same owner since 1979. A minor issue, really, though the report offers an explanation as to how a new owner might have tucked the car away, perhaps intending a restoration that never happened.
The asking price of $349,500 seems in the ballpark for the 330 America, which the Hagerty value guide has pegged for an example in fair condition at $405,000, with an average value of $463,000 and top concours example at $578,000.
A buyer intending a full restoration would have to watch the nickels and dimes because the expensive work required by a Ferrari pro could put you upside down in short order. The car could be a candidate for preservation in running order, but even a mechanical refurbishment is a 6-figure venture for these cars.
While Ferrari 2+2 cars are valued at considerably less than two-seat models from the same era, this still would be a worthy candidate for restoration by someone who loves the car and wants to see it back on the road as it should be.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Re. "Long-lost 1964 Ferrari 330 America found after 34 years parked in a garage," owner Burnham "Butch" Foley did drive this car just a bit, parking it in his Dayton, OH garage. His then wife said she wanted to use it as her "drive-to-work" car. It, of course, is a stick-shift. She didn’t know how to drive a stick-shift. He heard her go through the gears just once and he then "garaged" the car immediately, never to be driven again. After his divorce and remarriage, he stored the car in the garage to his new house in Monroe, Ohio and then again in his house garage in Florence, Kentucky. Of course he had to rent a flatbed each time. Our poor Ford Centaur van had to be parked out in the elements all those years to make room for the Ferrari. By the way Butch WAS aware that the two-seat models from the same era would be worth more…and he had a chance to buy a two-seat model but couldn’t afford it. Re. the title, it says Butch purchased it from Lamberts Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa on December 21, 1979. The mileage on the odometer was 64,000 miles. I enjoyed the article. Joyce Foley
Hey i know where i powder blue 1964 Ferrari 330 America is buried! lol I don’t know if the woman buried in it would appreciate anyone digging it up though.
Fictional statements like that usually don’t receive responses.