ATS – 2500 GTS Berlinetta Allemano (1963)

A fascinating model such as this ATS 2500 GTS has not necessarily come into existence on the back of a struggle for supreme technical performance or iconic design solutions. This particular gem was the result of a bare-knuckle quarrel. The great Enzo Ferrari – who as Il Commendatore or the Commander was no fan of contradictory opinions – parted company with his designers- in-chief Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini in a fit of pique in 1961. Enzo’s wife Laura Ferrari also played a role in this row. Bizzarrini, Chiti and other colleagues fired by Ferrari went on to establish the company ATS – short for Automobili Turismo e Sport – as an ambitious tit-for-tat endeavour and frontal assault on Ferrari. The talented but hot-headed startup staged a flash-in-the-pan in the world of Formula 1, but ultimately the venture failed to gain traction owing to a string of defects and lack of liquidity. This was also true for the ATS 2500 GT / GTS model produced as a race-bred road car. Just twelve of these mid-engined Berlinettas, penned by Franco Scaglione and bodied by Carrozzeria Alemanno, are reputed to have been produced. This example is one of just three clothed in a lightweight aluminium body. After a meticulous restoration, its third owner presents the Berlinetta today, restored to as-delivered condition.