On Ferrari Friday’s, William Ross from the Exotic Car Marketplace will be discussing all things Ferrari and interviewing people that live and breath the Ferrari brand. Topics range from road cars to racing; drivers to owners, as well as auctions, private sales and trends in the collector market.
This episode William tells the story behind chassis number 3589GT, the Ferrari 250GTO that sat abandoned in a field for 20+ years.
Episode 12
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Ferrari Marketplace. I’m your host, William Ross. I appreciate you guys downloading the episodes. If you already, uh, have been downloading, I noticed we’re getting some activity. So, which is awesome. I apologize for the delay in getting more episodes out. I’ve got about 20 different things going on right now.
So I get a little absent minded and setting up a schedule so I could come and record these. So again, my apologies. So I’m getting a couple of things kind of wrapped up and taken care of. So I [00:01:00] should be able to squeeze these in a little more frequently, hopefully every week or so instead of, I think it’s been almost two months, if not, maybe more since I’ve done my last one, I think it was July to my last one.
So I apologize for that. That’s just me. I’ve just, you know, I’m terrible with my time management. I got to get a little more better than that. I got to start putting a schedule up and whatnot. So I know I kept on previous episodes. Oh, Hey, I’m going to take care of this. I’m gonna take care of that. So, but.
I know it, that’s me. I know I’ll get situated though. Again, just be patient with me. We’ll get a schedule out. Cause one thing I want to kind of, uh, hit on is, um, one of the things I’m working on is actually I teamed up with some individuals and we’re kind of consolidating all my projects, websites and whatnot that I have under one umbrella website.
And the exotic car marketplace. com. And so we’re going to have like the fire marketplace, Porsche marketplace, Lamborghini. So I, I have all these other entities out there that kind of work on and do it. So we’re going to put them all under that umbrella and make it a one stop shop. We’re going to have a lot more different types of podcasts on there.
Tune up the guys from [00:02:00] garage riot. Uh, I got a couple other, uh, entities coming in to not only provide content, but maybe, you know, potentially help sponsor the site and whatnot. So, and get this thing to grow. Cause we kind of want to be a one stop shop for everyone. You know, exotic hypercars, you know, your Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, whatnot, that kind of stuff.
And you can get on there and find news, everything like that, and find your, what you’re looking for. And just go on there, just hop around all the different places in the internet. You can just hit one website and you’ll be able to find a lot of different things out. And potentially have down the road also like listings and whatnot for used cars.
Either you’re from dealers or private owners. However, we want to get us up. So we’re getting that kind of little worked out. So Yeah, I appreciate it. And I hope the sound on this is okay. So I’m adjusting a few things again I’m not no expert with this so I’m doing my best but now onward and upward to the episode for today Today, we are talking about the infamous Abandoned 250 GTO.
That is chassis [00:03:00] number 3589. This is a very, very well known GTO because the fact is it sat abandoned on a trailer and a lot of people don’t know where it was abandoned, but it was in North Royalton, Ohio, which is basically about 15 minutes from where I live. So anyways. It’s got a very interesting story behind it and why it was sitting there for so long.
It’s kind of a heartbreaking story of why that was sitting there so long like that. So it had nothing to do with the negligent owner. It just has a, there’s a tragic story behind it and just something that really kind of stuck and struck a chord with this guy in regards to not be able to do something with it because he blamed himself and you’ll understand why once I get into the story.
So anyways, let’s talk about the story first before how it ended up in that field. Well, anyways. 3589 was built in 1962 in Maranello by Ferrari, obviously in 1962 and for about 9, 000, you know, you think, well, that’s cheap. Well, you know, actually [00:04:00] back then that was a lot of money. Now, again, this was a strictly race car.
I mean, yeah, you could drive it on the street, but at least things were built to race. So anyways, it was, you know, raced a lot by Ennis Ireland, uh, several other individuals. You know, we didn’t like having any Le Mans glory, any like huge, like. Big wins, you know, meal meal or anything along those lines, you know, nothing long as I, but, you know, the car was well taken care of.
It wasn’t like completely demolished. It wasn’t, you know, any tragic like the cup that one G two or someone died in it, anything along those lines. So, but, you know, it had a good racing life and, you know, had some great drivers behind it, racing it. And then it was, you know, owned and, uh, it was being raised by Rosebud racing out of Texas.
Who’s the entity and the people that were racing this car. Now, I don’t know if they were the ones that they campaigned for in this Ireland or what have you. But all I know is that’s who had the car at that time when it was donated to the Texas high school. Now everyone knows that, you know, the. Just sitting there.
Could you imagine that in the late sixties, you have your high school shop class, you’re working on Ferrari, two [00:05:00] 50 GTO now granted back then the stigma and everything behind a two 50 GTO really wasn’t it is what is today, you know, that car was worth maybe, you know, 1500 bucks, three grand at that point in time.
Again, it was washed up throwing away race car, you know, it was something that wasn’t going to be utilized anymore. So it’s life was done. And so there really didn’t have any value to it, and people just didn’t look at old race cars with the way they do now. You know, especially at that time, everything was transitioning to rear engine stuff, so, hey, it is what it is.
So, anyways, the high school had that car for some period of time, let them tinker on it and whatnot. Now, step in the gentleman from North Royalton, Joe Cortian. He had a rental car business called Motor Cars Masculine. Now this, this rental car agency, They rented out Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Timotasso, Mangustas.
You know, they had 275 GTBs. You know, they had everything. I mean, it was obscene what this guy [00:06:00] would rent out. And it wasn’t all that expensive to rent these cars. That’s what the crazy part about this is. It was relatively inexpensive to rent these things. Could you imagine that? Walking into your Hertz thing.
Hey, can I rent a 275 GTB? Yeah, it ain’t gonna happen. But this is what this guy did. And this is in Ohio. Taboo. So anyways, so Joe operating his business and what have you, he acquires a GTO and he has it. Well, one winter, because anyone knows in Ohio, obviously come winter time, you’re not driving these cars on the street, because obviously all the snow, what have you, and the roads aren’t very prime for operating Ferraris, and it just doesn’t happen.
So the car was in his garage. It was on the trailer. It was sitting there and Um, somehow, and this is kind of gilded, the window was down and snow had accumulated inside the car and what have you. Well, unfortunately, one day his young son was out in the [00:07:00] garage playing and playing around the car, playing on the car, hey, you know, he didn’t know what it was.
He unfortunately fell in through the window that was open and broke his neck, suffocated and died. Obviously, Joe was completely heartbroken about what happened and his son passing away and in this car and he blamed himself for it because he felt it was his fault that his son died. You know, blamed himself for many, a long, long time in regards to, you know, causing his son’s death.
So basically, he put the car up on a trailer, parked it out in the field. And basically, done, you know, had it. Well obviously as the subsequent years go by, as these cars gain in value, and people know about this car, people that know, hey, in the Ferrari world, that are in the industry, in the market, you know, kind of know where a lot of these cars are at, and who owns what, and what have you.
Joe would get [00:08:00] constantly bombarded, people stopping, obviously this was pre internet, so it wasn’t emails like that, you guys would physically go stop, knock on the door, and the hat’s torn. So anyways. You know, people just stopping by constantly. So any day, anyway, one day, this one gentleman from Ohio’s named David Nelson, you know, he knew of the car and he dealt with these types of cars and what have you.
And obviously, you know, Person he was wanting to buy this car So they’re on a road rally and they were in the vicinity of North Royal to one day And he says I’m gonna stop and a couple of people with her all like freaking out because they think they’re thinking themselves that oh Crap, you know Dave’s gonna get himself shot.
You know, this guy’s gonna come out with the shotgun by the lines crap. So They’re like what the hell again hurt to ask so they get there to the house He goes up knocks on the door and Joe answers And just a couple of niceties and small talk and Joe fine just come down says let me guess You’re here about the 250 GTO And there’s like no, I want to talk to you about your business [00:09:00] yet You know, you’re the guy that owned motor cars masculine, right and Joe’s demeanor and attitude changed completely And because he wasn’t asking about the GTO.
He’s asking about Joe himself in regards to the business. So You know, he was like enthusiastic about talking about, so they talked for a long time, not sure how long, but they chatted for a long time on his porch. And at the end of the conversation, Joe was like, Hey, you know, here’s my number. Anytime you want to talk, Hey, you know, give me a call.
We’ll chat, blah, blah, blah, in the whole nine yards. And you know, they struck up a friendship because David approached it the right way. He showed his interest in the person, not in the car. And that was a great way to approach it. So a little tip for anyone out there that’s kind of barn find hunting to look for cars, 17, don’t just come out and ask about the car right away.
Find something more interesting about the owner of the house, something like that that’s separate from the car and work your way up to it. You’re going to get a lot farther in trying to acquire that car by taking that. Approach then just by blatantly [00:10:00] jumping right out and asking about the car because trust me You’re not the first person that stopped and asked about that car.
So anyways So they create this friendship, you know, and they obviously talk quite a bit and so back and forth for like a couple years You know this time not really even discussing about hey, I want to buy the car David. It wasn’t an approach Just hey, they had a friendship. They talked bullshit a lot and stuff like that Well, one night they were out to dinner, and let’s see, this is for some of the old timers that watch this, they were at a Chi Chi’s.
And that was a Mexican restaurant back in the day that was all across the country, very popular. Food was alright. I remember going there because they always had that fried ice cream that they had, it was really good. And it always bathed me how they made that fried ice cream. How do you take ice cream and have something on top of it fried and not melt the ice cream?
But anyways, pretty neat trick. So, anyone out there that’s listening, I don’t know if anyone’s been to Chi Chi’s, but I used to go there all the time. I don’t know, it was pretty good. I mean, it wasn’t true authentic Mexican food, but hey, it is what it is back in the day. So anyways. They’re sitting at the [00:11:00] Chi Chi’s and Chi Chi’s were kind of dark back then, you know, kind of that, that effect that a lot of these restaurants had, you know, keep it kind of dark, whatnot and blah, blah, blah.
So they’re sitting there, they’re having dinner and what have you. And Dave’s got his couple of young kids there. I think one was five or six years old. He was saying another one was like just a newborn and what have you. But anyways, so they’re having dinner and all of a sudden, you know, Joe just comes out and, you know, I asked Dave, he says, Hey, do you think I’m nuts?
Do you think I’m crazy? You know, Dave’s like, what do you mean? Why? You know, because about the car, the GTO. Dave’s like, no, I completely understand in regards to why it has such a meaning and sentimental value to it. I mean, I get it. You know, I’d be the same way. I mean, your son tragically passed away in that car.
And, you know, the history behind it. And, hey, you know, you kind of blame yourself for it because you think you were the reason for that. So anyways, they talked a little bit more and, you know, David brings up the idea says, well, tell you what, Joe, it’s what, you know, what was important to your son, you know, what was your, some [00:12:00] things I got talking and basically says son loved Notre Dame one go to Notre Dame.
So that was a big thing for his son. So David come proposes like, say, well, why don’t we do this? We’ll find the buyer. I’ll get a buyer. That’s not a problem. We’ll sell the car. Then let’s set up a scholarship. We’ll get an annuity put together and set up a scholarship in your son’s name at Notre Dame. And Joe loved this idea.
Thought it was fantastic. So what did they do is they agreed to that. So David sets it all up. They get the transaction done. And to this day, that scholarship in his son’s name is still there at Notre Dame and still going strong. I don’t know how you look up scholarships and whatnot and what’s available at Notre Dame, but If you want to look it up, uh, Cortian and I’m not, I’m not sure how it’s set up in there.
I tried to look, but that’s not my forte. So anyways, that car, um, the scholarship is still going strong and it’s case. I want to say basically kind of saved Joe’s life because [00:13:00] according to David, you know, some years down the road, he ran into Joe’s other son. And he really thanked profusely to David because it basically gave Joe back his life.
You know, he’s, you know, traveled more and he felt that weight really off his shoulders because he finally basically forgave himself in regards to what was going on. So his son was just over the moon in regards to what David was actually able to do for him, which is phenomenal. So anyways, so the car got sold to a collector gentleman that was in New York and they weren’t going to do much with it.
They had the car. And I think they only bought it for like half a mil, maybe 500, 600 grand, something like that. And I, again, I don’t know what they did something to it or they had anything to, you know, what they did mechanically, restoration wise, I don’t know. Um, I tried to find that out and I couldn’t really find much on it, but only a couple of years later, it was bought by the current owners, the Steiger family.
So, and I believe they paid a little over 2 So [00:14:00] that’s a healthy return for that individual that bought it from court. The end, I’ll tell you that that’s not a bad return on your investment there. And it’s that short of time. So anyways, this tiger families own it since then. Now they took it upon themselves to do a complete nut and bolt restoration on the car.
I’m pretty sure. They went through the extreme on the car and at the time they acquired, I believe it was, you know, still painted red when they acquired it at some point in time, it had gotten painted and being a race car back then, they didn’t matter paint because they’re, but they had it repainted back to its original blue color.
It’s a real dark blue. It almost looks black when you see it, but it’s actually super, super dark blue. It’s gorgeous, gorgeous. And being a right hand drive GTO, it’s on the rare side of GTOs. I mean, it’s rare as it is being a GTO, but. This thing is even more rare because it’s a right hand drive one. So anyways, they’ve had the car ever since.
And God bless them. They campaign it. They take it around. They showcase this car a lot in places. You know, they utilize it. They exercise it. You know, I applaud [00:15:00] the individuals that own these cars. Like Nick Mason. Big fan of Nick. You know, he’s got an awesome collection. But he exercises and uses this car.
There’s a great video. I don’t know if on YouTube you follow Jody Kidd. But she did a great video with Nick’s wife. Where they took the car out that GTO out in another car and they went to lunch somewhere and Nick’s wife is she’s a heck of a race car driver. I’ll tell you that kudos to her. She can handle and drive a car.
So She’s no slack behind the wheel. That’s for sure. But they get that thing going and that’s such a glorious sound that v12 Oh my god, it’s just it’s just sounds gorgeous. It’s just music. It’s a symphony So anyways star your family currently own it and so they’ve says what I mean 30 plus years that they’ve owned that car and that car is probably never going to leave their family They have no reason to sell and they’re not hurting for money or anything like that.
So it’s a it’s a great story It’s kind of a sad story, but it’s got a great ending to it regards Hey, the car was you know, actually saved and brought back to life, you know, it’s sad what happened to [00:16:00] Joe’s son because of that but that gives you the story and the history behind Chassis number 3589 sitting abandoned in a field for 20 plus years in North Royalton, Ohio.
So anyways, I appreciate everybody listening. This is kind of a short one. Um, just kind of wanted to give a little background on that because I know that’s kind of a, that photos of that car sitting on a trailer get passed around quite a bit on the internet. People really don’t understand or know the story behind it and why it was sitting out on that trailer for that long period of time.
Guys like, how could somebody do that? Well There you go. That’s why. So again, I appreciate everybody listening and I will put a link to the new umbrella website that got going on out there and I got another thing I’ll put down another link to it to the Rockin Revs They’ve got a new event coming together putting together here in Cleveland for next year down the North Coast Harbor It’s gonna be really a lot of fun benefiting Make A Wish and Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary So, hey, again, I appreciate everybody listening, share it, and I [00:17:00] should have another episode coming out, hopefully next week, and debating what to do it on.
So, kind of, uh, jumping around in regards to how I want to approach this. I’m thinking of doing it on the Triposte, the three seater, with the center seating position that they made two of. Love that car. So, anyways, again, I appreciate everybody listening. You guys take care, have a good one, and we will talk soon.
Peace.
Copyright William Ross, Exotic Car Marketplace a division of Sixty5 Motorsports. This episode is part of Gran Touring Motorsports, Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.