Up close with Nick Mason’s Ferrari 250 GTO | Goodwood Revival

The Gran Turismo Omologato was a development of Ferrari’s 250 series of sports cars, and in period buyers had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before being allowed to purchase one. Only 36 were built between 1962 and 1964. This example, the first to feature an integrated rear spoiler, was supplied to Belgian racing team Écurie Francorchamps. The same year, it finished second in class at the Le Mans 24 Hour in the hands of Jean Blaton and Léon Dernier, and went on to win several high-profile events, including the following year’s Spa 500km.

It first came into UK ownership in 1964 when it was bought by Peter Clarke, and it had four more British owners prior to Nick Mason. It has been in his continuous ownership since, making Mason the longest-standing 250 GTO owner. What’s more, it competed every year up until 2014, when it was finally retired from motorsport. “It was deemed a better idea to perhaps not race it so much,” says Ben de Chair, who looks after Mason’s Ten Tenths car collection. “But it goes to a lot of places.”

At the 2024 Goodwood Revival, it took part in the track parade that celebrated the life of John Surtees. In between stints on track, it sat in the paddock shelters unprotected by barriers so event-goers could get up close. “Nick likes doing that,” says Ben. “It never really has a barrier around it. There’s no point looking at it from a distance, people have got to enjoy these things.”

Opening the bonnet to reveal the Colombo V12 engine certainly increases the level of intrigue. Within moments, the car is swamped and the it becomes noticeably darker as it is crowded by those keen for a closer look at the beating heart of this car. It’s when it gets busy that Ben likes to stand back and listen to the reactions it generates, much of which centres on speculation around the car’s value. “There are lots of tall stories,” he says. “Nobody knows who I am, and I had someone telling me that the 250 GTO numberplate was worth £30million. I don’t think it is...”

Aside from the car’s storied racing history, it has been used extensively on the road over the years. Mundane duties aren’t so prominent in its diary any more, but it has been used for the school run and trips to the shops. And it still stretches its legs properly from time to time. For its appearance at this year’s Revival it remained kitted out with a roll cage and intercom from the GTO rally in Pennsylvania. The radio is worth keeping in place, Ben tells us, as it makes conversation easier in the noisy cockpit.

Despite its value, the 250 GTO is one of the easiest cars to look after in Mason’s collection. “It never lets you down, unless it’s something silly like a flat battery,” says Ben. “It was built in 1962 for endurance racing, so it’s built to last. It’s quite agricultural, with big bolts, big wishbones. Everything is chunky.”

After an event like this, it will be taken back to the workshop and put on the ramp for the wheels to be taken off and for everything to be cleaned and inspected. It’s put back in storage in a state that means it’s immediately ready to go again, just like the rest of the Mason machinery. And it doesn’t receive any special treatment. “We look after them all the same,” says Ben. “If you start thinking about what it is and what it’s worth, that’s when you start making mistakes by being a little bit over cautious, perhaps.”

The last time the car raced at Goodwood was in a very wet RAC TT Celebration in 2012, where it came second overall and Ben would love to see it competing wheel to wheel again. “I know it has huge value, but it’s built as a race car,” he says. “To put it in the TT here would be really cool, but it’s up to Nick.”

Having looked after the 250 GTO for more than a decade, Ben says it still gives him goosebumps. And as a firm part of the Mason family, it looks as though it won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

Photography by Joe Harding.