AN AUDIENCE WITH ENZO.(Escape Roads)

Byline: LARRY EDSALL

Ferrari's 275 Berlinetta coupe and open Spider made their debut at the Paris show in fall 1964 and remained in production until 1968, when they were replaced by one of the least-ordinary Ferrari models ever conceived, the Dino.

Albert Silvera, a Haitian diplomat and well-known car collector, not only wanted one of these new Ferrari 275s, but he wanted to receive his car personally from il Commendatore, which, of course, was not about to happen. Or was it?

Silvera, owner of the acclaimed El Rancho Hotel in Port-au-Prince, had ordered his 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB through Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut. But this was no ordinary 275 GTB (as if there ever was such a thing).

Silvera not only wanted the "long-nose'' car with the optional six-Weber-carburetor intake-manifold setup, but he specified his be painted electric blue, an unusual-to say the least-color, and that it have a Russo-red leather interior.

Once the 275 GTB was in his hands, Silvera had Scaglietti add headrests and armrests, removable seat cushions and a removable red leather covering over the wooden dash. Other add-ons: Snap exhaust setup, Borrani wire wheels, brightwork on the fender and sail panel vents, velocity stacks and a special rear bumper indented to display the license plate.

Pininfarina designed the 275 with bodies built by Scaglietti but for one exception: Battista Pininfarina had his own shop build him a special 275 GTB to use as his daily driver. Pininfarina's car had no vent window on the driver's side, though it retained the standard vented window on the passenger's door.