During the mid-1950s, automotive designer Mario Felice Boano departed from his role at Ghia, a company he had acquired following the founder’s passing in 1944. Collaborating with talents like Giovanni Savonuzzi and occasional partner Virgil Exner, Boano contributed to iconic designs of the era, such as the Fiat Supersonic, Lancia Aurelia GT, and several notable Alfa Romeos.
Establishing his own carrozzeria in 1956, alongside his son, Boano swiftly embarked on fulfilling independent contracts at their Grugliasco-based workshop. With prior acquaintance with Enzo Ferrari from his time at Ghia, Boano received an order to craft cabriolets based on Ferrari’s new 250 GT chassis. Displayed at the March 1956 Geneva Motor Show alongside a Pinin Farina-built coupe and a similar 410 Super America, Boano’s prototype was showcased.
Interestingly, the roles of the two coachbuilders were reversed, with Pinin Farina assuming coachbuilding duties for the new 250 GT cabriolets, while Boano secured the order for the coupes replacing the outgoing 250 Europa GT. Boano produced around 88 examples of the 250 GT coupe until late 1957, closely mirroring Pinin Farina’s original design but omitting a small shoulder haunch for a straight, unadorned beltline.
The Boano coupe’s sleek silhouette and rounded rear glass became defining features that influenced future Super Americas, signaling the design’s enduring popularity. Recognized as Ferrari’s first series-built model, the 250 GT Boano coupe boasted handsome fog lamps within the egg-crate grille, a detail absent from the 1958 Ellena-bodied successors until Pinin Farina took over coupe production.
Distinguished by its exquisite form, rarity, and artisanal craftsmanship, the 250 GT Boano coupes have garnered increasing collector interest, aging gracefully akin to today’s custom hot rods. Holding a special position in Ferrari’s lineage as the inaugural series-built 250 GT road car, it embodies timeless elegance and boutique coachbuilding quality.
Photo Source: RM Sotheby’s
