1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible at Pebble Beach

Press Release

When Enzo Ferrari sells you a car, you keep it!

• One of a kind Ferrari 250 GT show car to compete at 2006 Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance
• Bob Lee’s 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible was purchased off the floor of the 1956 New York Auto Show

Ferrari collector Bob Lee will show his one-of-a-kind 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible at the Aug. 20 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to celebrate his 50^th anniversary of purchasing the vehicle. Lee, who lives in Reno, Nev., and is founder of Hunting World – which designs and sells functional safari gear, fine luggage and leather goods, and outdoor sporting accessories – has been the only owner of the Boano Convertible.

In 1955, Lee, a New Yorker at the time, was going on his first African safari. However, he decided to first stop in Rome for a week, where visited Enzo Ferrari’s office in Modena and managed to meet the “Commendatore”. Ferrari said that if Lee actually ever wanted to buy a Ferrari, he should purchase it directly from the factory in Italy, not in New York.

“I’d be afraid to buy one,” Lee told Ferrari. “I don’t think it would run in the New York City jungle.” Ferrari replied, “If you buy a car from Ferrari, I guarantee it will run in New York City.”

One year later at the 1956 New York Auto Show, Lee saw the 250 GT Boano Convertible at the Ferrari display, a car that had made its debut a few months earlier at the Geneva Auto Show. The legendary Luigi Chinetti, a Grand Prix driver and Ferrari’s dealer and representative in the United States, said the car was not for sale and was being returned to the factory after the New York show. Lee sent a telegram to Enzo Ferrari reminding him of their visit the previous year.

“I offered $9,500,” says Lee. “That’s all I could afford.” A couple of days later, under orders from Enzo Ferrari, Chinetti called Lee and said, “Bring me a cashier’s check for $9,500 and the Boano Convertible is yours…even though it cost the factory more than $20,000 to build”. It was the beginning of a life-long love affair for Lee with the Ferrari.

Lee has annually been showing his collector cars along the 18^th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links since 1986, winning numerous Concours awards over the years. “Pebble Beach is the best car show in the world,” said Lee. “I love Pebble Beach. There’s nothing like it. When we show at Pebble Beach, we’re showing under the best possible conditions.”

The Boano Convertible’s second restoration is under way, timed for completion so that Lee will be able to drive his favorite car onto the ramp at Pebble Beach. “This car’s my pride and joy,” said Lee. “Going back 50 years, it was the beginning of my relationship with Ferrari. It’s such an amazing machine that, even today, when people see me driving the car, they ask if it’s the new Ferrari.”

The car was designed and built by Carrozzeria Boano. According to factory records, only 74 Boano bodies were put onto the 2.6-meter Ferrari chassis, with the 3-liter V12 estimated to produce between 220 and 240 bhp at 7,000 rpm. Lee’s Boano Convertible is the only one of its kind. All the other Boano bodies are coupes.

First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (pebblebeachconcours) is an international gathering of automotive enthusiasts for “a celebration of the automobile” at The Lodge at Pebble Beach™ on the Monterey Peninsula. The Concours, which in 2005 attracted entrants from 26 states and 15 countries and raised over $800,000 for charity, combines a scenic location – the famed 18^th fairway at Pebble Beach Golf Links along the Pacific Ocean – with the opportunity to view rarely seen examples of automotive style, performance and history. The annual affair also includes a series of auxiliary activities, including the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance along the coast and through Carmel, RetroAuto and The Pebble Beach Auction conducted by Gooding & Company.

The 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be held Sunday, August 20.