Charles Leclerc ditches modern power for a £2.5million Ferrari classic

Charles Leclerc has been filmed arriving in central Monaco in a classic Ferrari 275 GTB, a famed Maranello sports car worth upwards of £2.5million. 

As a Ferrari driver since the 2019 Formula 1 season, Leclerc has built a large collection of rare Italian supercars, with the driver being no stranger to a road trip with his fiancée, Alexandra Saint Mleux. Usually, however, the Monegasque would choose something more modern and high-output.

But the 275 GTB is an analogue car through and through, and a beautiful one at that with what looks like its Verde Pino paint scheme. 

Built from 1964 to 1966, it pairs a 3.3-litre Colombo V12 with a five-speed transaxle and independent rear suspension. Figures vary depending on the source, but power sits at approximately 280 horsepower. 0-60mph comes and goes in around seven seconds, and a top speed is quoted at 155-160mph depending on who you ask. 

Only 200 of them were built, making it an astonishingly rare car designed by the famous Italian firm, Pininfarina, and built by Scaglietti. Leclerc's car comes with Borrani wire wheels - a factory option.

It sits beside the likes of a Ferrari SF90 Stradale and an SF90 XX in Leclerc's collection, as well as a 488 Pista, Daytona SP3 and a Ferrari 812 Competizione. 

In 2021, Leclerc drove a restored version of the 275 around the famous Fiorano test track. 

"What an incredible car to drive, it's just - yeah, pure, pure joy," he said after his drive in the classic. "You can hear the sound - the sound is just incredible - and the feeling is just amazing. You can feel the story behind it, and that's what's so nice. It's also great to see how much cars [have] evolved from that day.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

"It's a different kind of feeling. The vibe in this car is just incredible. But yeah, then the brakes, the engine - how much there's been an evolution since that day - was incredible.

"It will definitely be fun. I mean, I cannot imagine what it's like to be racing with this car on a track. Today I came close to it. I was not pushing at the maximum, but obviously the feeling is great. And to be racing in this back in the '60s, I think it was, with these cars had to be something very, very special.

"So it's true that in our days now, you don’t have any more races like this - well, 24 Hours of Le Mans, of course, you have - but with racing cars and not with road cars that you bring to the track. So it would be actually quite nice to have that back."