Ferrari 250 GTO The Autobiography of 4153 GT

This magnificent book tells the story of a Ferrari 250 GTO with a particularly interesting and varied history. The car is chassis number 4153 GT and it won the Tour de France – an arduous 10-day race-cum-rally – in the hands of Lucien Bianchi and Georges Berger in 1964. That success typifies this car’s competition life, for it did virtually every form of motorsport, including endurance racing (it finished fourth in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1963), hill-climbing and rallying. All this is covered in fascinating detail, supported by a fine collection of period photographs, including colour. Any Ferrari enthusiast will enjoy this addition to the ‘Great Cars’ series.

Key content

• This GTO’s racing career started with great promise at Le Mans in 1963, with fourth place for Pierre Dumay and Léon Dernier.

• Two busy seasons in 1964–65 brought 14 competition outings, with the win for Lucien Bianchi/Georges Berger in the 1964 Tour de France the highlight – and there was also a trip to Africa for the Angolan Grand Prix.

• The great Belgian teams, Ecurie Francorchamps and Ecurie National Belge, raced 4153 GT until the end of 1965.

• The car’s little-known competition career in Spain in the period 1966–69 is uncovered for the first time, with interview input from owner/driver Eugenio Baturone.

• Nearly 300 period photographs, many previously unpublished, supported by a portfolio of specially commissioned location photography.

The author

Keith Bluemel writes for many Ferrari-specific magazines around the world, including Cavallino (he has been competition editor since 2004), Ferrari Magazine (the official magazine produced for the factory by Condé Nast) and Prancing Horse. His books about Ferrari include the acclaimed Ferrari 250 GTO, co-authored with Jess G. Pourret and published in 1998 in three languages.