The 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena belongs to one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of the Ferrari 250 series. Produced in very limited numbers between the Boano-bodied 250 GT and the later Pinin Farina Coupé, the Ellena combined elegant coachbuilt styling with Ferrari’s legendary 3.0-litre Colombo V12 and mechanical architecture closely related to the competition-bred 250 GT Tour de France.
This specific 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena has been sold and is now preserved in the Giro Classico archive of important collector cars. The original listing confirms the car’s SOLD status and records approximately 50 Ellena-bodied 250 GTs produced, making the model considerably rarer than most road-going Ferrari 250 variants.
From Boano to Ellena: an important chapter in Ferrari history
The first series of Ferrari 250 GT road cars used the elegant Pinin Farina design that established the long-bonnet proportions associated with Ferrari’s great Gran Turismo models.
Because Pinin Farina did not initially have sufficient production capacity, construction was entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano, which produced approximately 82 cars.
At the end of 1957, Mario Boano left the company to establish Fiat’s styling department. His son-in-law Ezio Ellena, together with Luciano Pollo, took over the operation and continued production under the name Carrozzeria Ellena. Approximately fifty further 250 GTs were then completed.
The Ellena was therefore not an entirely new Ferrari but an important refinement of the developing 250 GT concept.
What makes a Ferrari 250 GT Ellena different?
The most visible change was a slightly raised roofline.
It may sound minor, but the modification improved:
- passenger headroom
- cabin comfort
- luggage accommodation
- long-distance usability
At the same time, Ferrari and Ellena introduced several mechanical and ergonomic improvements, including a conventional four-speed gear-change pattern, larger brakes, ZF steering and a single-distributor ignition system. Period reports also praised the quality of the panel fit and interior finishing.
The result was a more mature Grand Tourer without losing the compact proportions and sporting character of the earlier Boano cars.
The Colombo V12: the heart of the 250 GT
At the centre of the Ellena is Ferrari’s famous 3.0-litre Colombo V12, producing approximately 240 hp in this specification.
Its appeal is not simply the power figure. The Colombo V12 defines the character of many of Ferrari’s most significant cars of the 1950s and 1960s through its combination of:
- compact dimensions
- smooth power delivery
- willingness to rev
- distinctive exhaust note
- strong competition pedigree
In the Ellena, the V12 is combined with a four-speed manual gearbox and front-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture: the classic formula around which Ferrari built its reputation as a manufacturer of sophisticated high-performance GT cars.
Closely related to the 250 GT Tour de France
One of the most compelling aspects of the Ellena is its technical relationship with Ferrari’s competition cars.
Giro Classico’s historical description notes that its engine, gearbox, rear axle, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres corresponded closely to the mechanical specification of the contemporary 250 GT Tour de France.
That does not make an Ellena a competition Tour de France, but it explains why these elegant road cars feel much more closely connected to Ferrari’s racing programme than their luxurious appearance might suggest.
This combination of road-car refinement and competition-derived engineering is fundamental to the desirability of early Ferrari 250 GTs.
How rare is the Ferrari 250 GT Ellena?
Approximately 50 Ellena Coupés were produced.
Survival is considerably lower.
Ferrari historian Marcel Massini has estimated that around fifteen may survive in substantially original form, according to the historical information published by Giro Classico.
That figure is best treated as a specialist estimate rather than an absolute worldwide census, but it illustrates the model’s exceptional rarity.
Many Boano and Ellena cars were historically used as sources of mechanical components for more valuable competition Ferraris such as Tour de France models and California Spiders. As a result, intact and historically coherent examples are particularly important today.
Why the Ellena deserves more attention
For many years, collectors naturally focused on the better-known competition Ferraris and later Pinin Farina-bodied 250 GTs.
The Ellena now attracts increasing interest because it combines several qualities that are extremely difficult to find together:
- genuine Ferrari 250-series provenance
- Colombo V12
- coachbuilt Italian body
- production of approximately fifty examples
- strong mechanical relationship with competition Ferraris
- elegant yet usable GT character
- an important place in Ferrari’s transition toward series-production road cars
It is not merely a “less famous 250.”
It represents an important stage in Ferrari’s evolution from a small racing manufacturer building highly individual road cars into a producer of sophisticated Grand Touring automobiles for an international clientele.
Ferrari 250 GT Boano versus Ellena
The Boano and Ellena cars are closely related, but collectors should understand the distinction.
The Boano generally offers:
- earlier production
- lower roofline
- particularly pure early-series proportions
- strong significance as one of Ferrari’s first more regularly produced GTs
The Ellena introduced:
- raised roof
- better cabin space
- larger brakes
- ZF steering
- conventional gear-change layout
- increased refinement
Giro Classico has also previously handled a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano, creating a particularly valuable internal historical connection between the two models.
Discover the sold 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano previously handled by Giro Classico
Together, the Boano and Ellena pages can create a strong Ferrari 250 GT topic cluster rather than competing with each other for the same search intent.
What matters when buying a Ferrari 250 GT Ellena
At this level of the collector market, condition alone is not enough.
A serious acquisition should include detailed verification of:
- chassis identity
- engine number and type
- gearbox
- body number and coachbuilder details
- Ferrari factory records
- original colour combination
- ownership history
- previous restoration work
- accident repairs
- body construction
- original trim and instruments
- period photographs
- books, tools and historical documents
Because so few Ellenas survive, provenance and continuity of identity can materially affect value.
Matching-number status can be highly desirable, but it should never be assumed from appearance or an old sales description. Engine, gearbox and chassis information should be checked against available Ferrari records and specialist documentation.
Restoration versus preservation
An important Ferrari does not necessarily need to look newly restored to be valuable.
A highly original Ellena retaining significant factory materials and a continuous history may be extremely desirable. Equally, a comprehensively restored example can be outstanding when the work is historically correct and thoroughly documented.
The key questions are:
What is original? What has been restored? Who carried out the work? And can the history be demonstrated?
For Ferrari 250-series cars, those answers can make a substantial difference to both purchase price and long-term collectability.
This 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena has been sold
This specific 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena is no longer available. The page remains online because it provides useful historical information and demonstrates Giro Classico’s experience with rare coachbuilt Ferrari GT cars.
For visitors searching for:
- Ferrari 250 GT Ellena for sale
- Ferrari 250 GT value
- Ferrari Ellena price
- early Ferrari V12
- Ferrari 250 GT buying guide
- Ferrari 250 GT sourcing
the correct commercial path is now either another important period Italian GT currently available or a targeted private search for another Ferrari 250.
Looking for a comparable 1950s–1960s Italian GT currently available?
The strongest current Giro Classico alternative is the 1961 Maserati 3500 GT.
Discover the 1961 Maserati 3500 GT currently available at Giro Classico
The relationship is unusually relevant.
Both cars belong to the formative years of the Italian Gran Turismo and combine:
- front-engine architecture
- six or twelve-cylinder performance
- manual transmission
- prestigious Italian coachbuilding
- high-speed touring ability
- sophisticated interiors
- strong international collector appeal
The available Maserati is one of the final carburettor examples and is bodied by Touring Superleggera. It retains matching numbers and matching colours and was factory-equipped with a ZF five-speed gearbox, limited-slip differential, four-wheel disc brakes and Borrani wire wheels. Its restoration is documented by more than 500 photographs, and it is currently offered on a Price on Request basis.
For someone attracted to the Ellena because of its coachbuilt Italian GT character, this is currently the most coherent alternative in the Giro Classico inventory.
Looking specifically for another classic Ferrari V12?
For buyers whose priority is the Ferrari badge and a twelve-cylinder engine rather than the exact period, Giro Classico currently offers a 1979 Ferrari 512 BB Carburettor.
Discover the 1979 Ferrari 512 BB Carburettor currently available at Giro Classico
The 512 BB belongs to a completely different generation, but it represents another important analogue Ferrari built around:
- naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder power
- manual transmission
- mechanical fuel delivery
- limited production
- major historical significance
- strong collector demand
It therefore gives this sold Ellena page a second commercial route without confusing the primary historical search intent.
Looking specifically for another Ferrari 250 GT Ellena?
Cars of this rarity are frequently traded privately rather than appearing through conventional public listings.
Giro Classico can assist with the search for:
- Ferrari 250 GT Ellena
- Ferrari 250 GT Boano
- Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupé
- Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
- Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet
- other important Colombo V12 Ferraris
A high-level search can include discreet off-market sourcing, provenance research, Ferrari historical-record analysis, chassis and drivetrain verification, restoration assessment, valuation, negotiation and specialist pre-purchase inspection.
Discover Giro Classico’s Private Brokerage service for important collector cars
For further information regarding sourcing a Ferrari 250 GT Ellena, evaluating a privately offered 250-series Ferrari, verifying provenance and originality, or regarding the 1961 Maserati 3500 GT and Ferrari 512 BB currently available, please contact us directly.
Because in the end, we never truly own these cars, we simply preserve them for the next generation.
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