Lonnie Williams

Lonnie Williams sometimes sits on the leather couch in his basement garage and stares at his 1968 Ferrari 365 2+2 in disbelief.

Williams, of Leawood, has been in love with Ferraris since he saw them race at Sebring, Fla., when he was a college student. “I just worshipped those cars,” he said. The memory of Pete Lovely and Jack Nethercutt piloting a gorgeous 250 Testa Rossa Fantuzzi Spyder to third place in the 1960 12-hour race is etched into his memory, and he remembers it every time he strides into his “Ferrari shrine” because a poster-sized photo of it hangs on the wall.

Williams’ basement garage is more than shelter for his car. It is almost like an art gallery with a car parked in the middle. The black-and-white checked floor draws attention to the car, but the walls are covered in paintings, photographs and

various other bits of Ferrari art. Bookshelves hold numerous volumes about sports cars of the 1960s. Of course, the requisite toolboxes and shelves are there as well, but they are as neat and orderly as an operating room.

Williams’ car is not a racer, but rather a four-passenger coupe. The 365 2+2 has a 4.4-liter, V-12 engine and five-speed manual transmission. Its single-overhead-cam engine pumps out 320 horsepower. That is an impressive number today, so you can imagine how it was 36 years ago.

The body was designed and built by Pininfarina. The large, aluminum-and-wood Nardi steering wheel dominates the cockpit. Deeply sculpted black bucket seats are covered in soft leather.

Williams bought his car in Denver in 1985 with 42,407 kilometers on the odometer. That’s slightly more than 26,000 miles. He said he was in awe the whole time it took to drive it back to Kansas City.

To look at the car today, with 51,417 kilometers, you would think it has been thoroughly restored, but it’s still original. The Michelin XWX tires are identical to those that came on the car, and the Borrani wire wheels are works of art in themselves. Williams spends a lot of time polishing and detailing the car to keep it pristine. A couple of years ago he did have the engine completely overhauled.

So, what does Williams think about when he looks at his car? “This is one of life’s dreams come true,” he said, “and it’s still nice that a few dreams can be fulfilled.”



Lonnie Williams' Ferrari: A lifelong passion
Lonnie Williams sometimes sits on the leather couch in his basement garage and stares at his 1968 Ferrari 365 2+2 in disbelief. Williams, of Leawood, has been in love with Ferraris since he saw them race at Sebring, Fla., when he was a college student. “I just worshipped those cars,” he said. The memory of Pete Lovely and Jack Nethercutt piloting a gorgeous 250 Testa Rossa Fantuzzi Spyder to third place in the 1960 12-hour race is etched into his memory, and he remembers it every time he strides into his “Ferrari shrine” because a poster-sized photo of it hangs on the wall. Williams’ basement garage is more than shelter for his car. It is almost like an art gallery with a car parked in the middle. The black-and-white checked floor draws attention to the car, but the walls are covered in paintings, photographs and various other bits of Ferrari art. Bookshelves hold numerous volumes about sports cars of the 1960s. Of course, the requisite toolboxes and shelves are there as well, but they are as neat and orderly as an operating room. Williams’ car is not a racer, but rather a four-passenger coupe. The 365 2+2 has a 4.4-liter, V-12 engine and five-speed manual transmission. Its single-overhead-cam engine pumps out 320 horsepower. That is an impressive number today, so you can imagine how it was 36 years ago. The body was designed and built by Pininfarina. The large, aluminum-and-wood Nardi steering wheel dominates the cockpit. Deeply sculpted black bucket seats are covered in soft leather. Williams bought his car in Denver in 1985 with 42,407 kilometers on the odometer. That’s slightly more than 26,000 miles. He said he was in awe the whole time it took to drive it back to Kansas City. To look at the car today, with 51,417 kilometers, you would think it has been thoroughly restored, but it’s still original. The Michelin XWX tires are identical to those that came on the car, and the Borrani wire wheels are works of art in themselves. Williams spends a lot of time polishing and detailing the car to keep it pristine. A couple of years ago he did have the engine completely overhauled. So, what does Williams think about when he looks at his car? “This is one of life’s dreams come true,” he said, “and it’s still nice that a few dreams can be fulfilled.”