Ferrari forged its reputation in the white heat of competition, but as Maranello’s racing portfolio expanded from sportscars to the fledgling Formula 1 series in the 1950s, the cost of the various programmes began to weigh on its founder.

To support Enzo’s on-track exploits, the firm turned to the burgeoning luxury road car market, channelling its competition know-how into a series of spectacular grand tourers beginning with the 250 Europa GT.

The new car proved such a hit at the 1954 Paris Motor Show that order books quickly reached a point where both Ferrari and its preferred coachbuilder, Pinin Farina, began to struggle.

Carrozzeria Boano stepped into the breach, and its larger manufacturing facilities began turning out 250 GTs from 1956, beginning with a one-off Cabriolet and eventually leading to the creation of some five dozen 250 GTs, each featuring a distinctive lower wing line that marked them apart from the Pinin Farina-penned prototypes.

Only a handful of examples were b...