Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale: 3 seats and central steering wheel

The 1966 Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale, also known as the Tre-Posti, was a concept car designed by Pininfarina with a distinctive three-seat layout with a central driving position. This unique feature was not adopted by other manufacturers until a few years later.

The Tre Posti was Sergio Pininfarina's pet project and went on a year-long world tour of major auto shows while Lamborghini unveiled its own mid-engined V-12 supercar, the Miura. Enzo Ferrari felt the 380-hp mid-engined V-12 would be "too dangerous" for the road, and in one of his rare mistakes, Il Commendatore never gave the 365P the green light, even as a two-seater. By the time Ferrari introduced its first mid-engined V-12, the 1973 365GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, Lamborghini had built hundreds of Miuras—arguably prettier than the Tre Posti—and established its own reputation for world-class supercars. Chinetti's son, Luigi, Jr., told Gooding & Company auction house that "if Ferrari had built it, no one would have ever thought of the Miura."

Derived from the 365 P2 sports prototype race car, power came from a mid-engined 4.4L SOHC V12 mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Only two examples were built, with the metallic gray car pictured commissioned by none other than Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli, and featuring a rear spoiler and a more dynamic interior compared to the cleaner Gardenia white first example.

This car was recently restored to its former glory after a four-year effort by classic car specialist Kidston, after being brought to the USA from Newark. Design elements of the Tre-Posti will be incorporated into the Dino 206 GT road cars.

The first owner of this 1966 Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale paid $26,000 for it in August 1967. Months later, the New York investment banker returned it to Ferrari because he deemed it too difficult to park on Manhattan streets and couldn't stand the lack of air conditioning. He later purchased an air-conditioned 365GT 2+2.

Its current value exceeds US$30 million.