Ferrari 250 GTO

📸: Photo courtesy CarThrottle.com

GTO is short for Gran Turismo Omologato, Italian for "Grand Touring Homologated." Back in the day, it meant the street version of a race car, when the rules for racing in certain classes required manufacturers to produce a specified number of production vehicles in order to qualify the design. In the case of Ferrari's 250 GTO, the car was entered into competition in the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car series from 1962 to 1964. During that time, Ferrari only produced 39 examples.

For the next few days, we are going to look at all of the most famous cars to take the GTO name, for there were more than a few. But we will start at the very top, the most famous (and now the most valuable) GTO of all.

📸: Photo courtesy HiConsumption.com

A car this beautiful almost doesn't need to be fast, but speed was never a problem for the Ferrari GTOs. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini with bodies constructed by Sergio Scaglietti, the 250 GTOs were equipped with 3 liter V12 engines that produced 300 horsepower.

📸: Photo courtesy Autoblog.com

Gorgeous from every angle, the lines of the 250 GTO are mesmerizing. However, not all cars were constructed the same. Some feature minor detail changes; not the small grill opening in the car 112 here, compared to the larger oval (with chrome trim) on car 20 above....

📸: Photo courtesy Autoblog.com

... while some featured major deviations from plan. This is the famous "Breadvan" Ferrari, developed by Bizzarrini for Scuderia Serenissima after he left Ferrari, using ideas he was unable to pursue while still working at the firm.