Inside the $3.9 Million Ferrari With a Rock Star Past: Why This 1966 V-12 Icon Is Turning Heads AgainFew classic Ferraris can command attention quite like a 275 GTB/4. Fewer still can claim a history involving a rock legend, African motorsport adventures, decades of ownership by a renowned automotive artist, and a restoration bill that would buy a new supercar. Now one of those rare cars is back on the market, and its nearly $4 million asking price is putting it firmly back in the spotlight.The car in question is a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 once owned by Eric Clapton. Listed for sale by classic-car specialist Fiskens at 2.95 million British pounds, or roughly $3.9 million, the Ferrari represents far more than another high-dollar collector car. Its appeal comes from a combination of rarity, celebrity ownership, documented history, and one of Ferrari's most celebrated designs.Among Ferrari enthusiasts, the 275 GTB/4 sits near the top of the company's road car hierarchy. Introduced in 1966 as an evolution of the original 275 GTB, the updated model brought significant changes. It featured a longer nose, a power-domed hood, and a four-cam version of Ferrari's legendary Colombo V-12 engine.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat engine produced 300 horsepower, enough to push the car from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 163 mph. For the era, those were serious numbers. The GTB/4 was also notable for becoming the first Ferrari road car equipped with a five-speed manual transaxle and fully independent suspension at all four corners.Only 300 examples were produced between 1966 and 1968. Even within that limited production run, the Ferrari currently for sale stands out. Chassis No. 09261 is one of just 31 right-hand-drive examples ever built.The story begins in July 1966 when businessman Robin Houry ordered the car through Ferrari's U.K. distributor. The plan was straightforward. After taking delivery in Britain, Houry intended to keep the Ferrari there for several months before shipping it to Kenya, where he had business interests.Instead, a communication breakdown created an unexpected twist. The factory sent the Ferrari directly to Mombasa in Kenya before the customer ever received it in the United Kingdom. What could have become a major dispute ended differently. Houry decided to keep the car in Africa and put it to work.AdvertisementAdvertisementRather than spending its early years parked in a collection, the Ferrari participated in amateur motorsport events organized by the East African Motor Sports Club. That detail matters. Many high-end Ferraris spend their lives being preserved. This one actually accumulated stories.The most famous of those stories emerged after Houry sold the car in 1968 to his business partner, Brian Lees.According to the vehicle's documented history, Lees made a wager with the pilot of a twin-engine Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The challenge was simple: determine whether the Ferrari or the airplane could travel between Nairobi and Mombasa faster.The route covered roughly 300 miles over roads that were barely paved in many places. Against expectations, the Ferrari won. The car reportedly completed the journey at an average speed exceeding 80 mph.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat's the kind of story collectors spend years hoping to uncover in a vehicle's history file.The Ferrari's next chapter unfolded after it returned to the United Kingdom in 1970. A year later it was purchased by automotive illustrator James Allington, who would keep it for more than 30 years.Allington became known for highly detailed cutaway illustrations that revealed the inner workings of complex machines. To create an exceptionally detailed technical rendering of the 275 GTB/4, he completely disassembled the Ferrari. Once the illustration work was complete, the car was reassembled and repainted bright red to match the artwork.This is where the story turns.AdvertisementAdvertisementFollowing Allington's death, the Ferrari was offered at a Christie's auction in late 2002. Despite being one of the headline attractions, it failed to meet its reserve price.A few months later, Eric Clapton stepped in.Clapton was already well known as a passionate Ferrari collector, and he immediately commissioned British Ferrari specialist DK Engineering to carry out a comprehensive restoration. The year-long project returned the car to its original Grigio Argento finish, reversing years of changes and bringing it back closer to factory specification.Clapton kept the Ferrari until 2005 before selling it. Over the following years, the car passed through several owners, including music-equipment executive Niall Holden. During Holden's ownership, the Ferrari received another color change, this time becoming metallic dark blue.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe current owner, yacht designer Terence Disdale, acquired the Ferrari in January 2022. Disdale is known for designing some of the world's largest yachts, including the 533-foot Eclipse commissioned by Roman Abramovich.After purchasing the Ferrari, Disdale set out to restore it once again to its original appearance. Over a two-year period, he invested approximately $250,000 in a nut-and-bolt restoration. Another $33,000 was spent retrimming the interior, changing it from black to tan.The result is a Ferrari returned to its original Grigio Argento presentation and carrying Classiche certification along with matching numbers.The asking price may initially seem steep, but the collector market offers some useful context. A yellow 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 sold at Mecum's Indianapolis auction in May for $2.86 million. An ice-blue 1967 example changed hands at The Amelia in March for $3.4 million.AdvertisementAdvertisementAt the upper end of the market, an alloy-bodied 1967 GTB/4 achieved $6.05 million at Mecum's Kissimmee sale earlier this year.That places this ex-Clapton Ferrari somewhere in the middle of the market's recent results. What separates it from many competing examples is its unusual ownership trail and unusually detailed documentation. The car's history stretches from London to Kenya, from amateur racing events to a celebrity collection, and from technical illustration projects to multiple high-end restorations.For collectors, provenance often matters almost as much as the machine itself. Plenty of Ferraris have beautiful bodywork and powerful V-12 engines. Very few can combine those qualities with a story involving East African motorsport, a race against an airplane, decades in the hands of a celebrated automotive artist, and ownership by one of rock music's most famous Ferrari enthusiasts.As collector car values continue to be driven by rarity and history, this Ferrari serves as a reminder that the most desirable classics are often more than machines. They become rolling archives of automotive culture, and few examples tell a story quite as colorful as this one.SourceImages Via: James Brown, courtesy of Fiskens