In addition to Le Mans and Formula 1 champions, Ferrari’s bloodline includes some of the most visually stunning road cars ever built. The reason could be a foregone conclusion, insofar as they’re all pieces of Italian art. As an object of beauty, it’s hard to argue that any model in the history of the Prancing Horse equals the Lusso. The culmination of Ferrari’s 250 GT series, the Lusso (Italian for “luxury”) was a more spacious variant of the race-worthy 250 SWB, and its flowing shape, created by the Turinese coachbuilder Pinin Farina—the man himself—is supremely elegant and refined.

Ferrari unveiled the Lusso prototype at the 1962 Paris Motor Show, and produced only 350 examples in the short span of two years, from 1963 through 1964. Truly uncommon and not often presented in such stellar condition, this particularly superb Lusso comes to the Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island Auctions, being held March 5 and 6.

When looking at many concours-worthy sports cars from the 1960s era, one must remember that 60-plus-years ago, these were four-wheeled rocket ships compared to the period’s quotidian commuter vehicles that barely wobbled along at 80 mph. By contrast, the 150 mph Lusso is powered by Maranello’s Colombo-designed 3.0-liter Tipo 168U V-12 engine, which makes a respectable-for-the-time 236 hp at 7,500 rpm. The power plant is topped, for the delight of owners then and now, by three Weber 36 DCS carburetors. A four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes, and coil-over shocks at all four corners were state of the art for the era.

And while such mechanical underpinnings may seem ho-hum in our jaded age of hypercar performance, the 250 GT Lusso boasts a shape that remains unmatched in the history of Italian cars. The steel body, which was built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, features aluminum for the hood, trunk panel, and doors, in deference to weight. The Kamm tail, with its upturned spoiler and flat panel adorned with Ferrari’s signature twin round taillights, is a nod to aerodynamics that prefigures the shape of the Lusso’s spiritual successor, the 275 GTB.

Built in October of 1963 and the 128th Lusso constructed (according to expert Massimo Massini’s documentation), the car on offer was originally delivered to the official Ferrari dealer in Milan, and is believed to have remained in Italy for several years before being exported to the United States. The original exterior color is complemented by an ivory interior—as opposed to the original black—that lends an extra elegance to the livery.

The cabin of a Lusso is a special place, notable for its dash, which prominently positions the huge speedometer and tach centrally and canted toward the driver. Five small ancillary gauges occupy a nacelle directly in front of the wood-rimmed steering wheel. Snug bucket seats challenge corpulent occupants, but look fantastic, as does the expanse of quilted leather that covers the parcel shelf behind the driver and passenger.

Luxury grand touring was the Lusso’s raison d’être, and few cars of the age did it better. Bearing chassis and engine numbers 5127, this Grigio Fumo (Smoke Gray) example has just undergone a three-year restoration, and will appear on the auction block with an estimated value of between $1.6 million and $1.8 million.

Click here for more photos of this 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso.