The red Ferrari 246 Dino GTS owned by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant during the band's heyday is to be auctioned this week.
Grant ordered the Ferrari from the company's factory in Maranello, Italy, in 1973, specifying a non-standard, non-metallic ‘Rosso Bordeaux’ paint finish with brown leather ‘Marrone’ upholstery, one of just 114 ordered with this combination. He drove the vehicle for three years before selling it, but, nearly half a century on, it's available again, with just 1007 miles on the clock.
"This particular example of Italian craftsmanship has been pampered throughout its life by various Ferrari specialists," says the promotional blurb accompanying news of the sale. "The care bestowed upon it is evident in its meticulous maintenance including records reflecting rebuilt suspension and brakes, the installation of a high torque starter motor, and the addition of a new header tank complementing the overhauled radiator, to name a few."
The Ferrari is expected to fetch between £275,000 and £350,000 (US$347,000 - $441,000), which seems like a bargain to us (bear in mind that we nothing about cars) given that a 2024 Ferrari Competzione convertible can cost north of £500,000 and won't have a direct connection to the mighty Zeppelin.
Grant wasn't the only Ferrari owner in the Zeppelin camp. Jimmy Page owned a 1966 GTB 275 and a 1978 400 GT, while John Bonham drove a 1973 Daytona. Grant's collection of vehicles also included a 1929 Pierce-Arrow Model B Doctor’s Coupe, a 1929 Isotta Fraschini 8A – formerly owned by a Indian Maharaja – and a 1980 Range Rover with the number plate LZ1.
For more information on the sale, visit the Cars & Classic auction website.
