Nembo

Ferrari 250 GT Nembo Spyder

Nembo, short for Neri & Bonacini

The tradition of custom coachbuilding died in the 1960s as new technology made “frames” obsolete. Ferrari was among the last constructors still building automobiles with separate frames, and this accounted for the pre-eminence of Italian coachbuilders. The carrozzerie prospered, supported by sporting chassis and powerful drivetrains and nurtured by the Italian passion for design. Such supremacy drew the best talent from Italy and around the world. Californian Tom Meade went to Italy to realize in metal the shapes in his mind. Meade penned a series of cars, both mainstream and extreme, and temporarily became a leader in the Italian community of automobile stylists. In 1964 Meade made a series of three similar designs, echoing the elements of the 1964 GTO. Executing Meade’s concepts was the establishment of Srs. Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini, mechanical specialists serving the Ferrari market. The three Ferrari 250 GTs were called Nembo, a neat contraction of Neri & Bonacini and the name of an Italian cartoon character with Superman-like powers. S/N 1777 GT was built for Italian Sergio Braidi. The Nembo spyder is a wonderfully flamboyant motor car. The spyder design is perhaps best summed up by authorities Warren Fitzgerald and Richard Merritt in their definitive book Ferrari: The Sports and Grand Turismo Cars. They write: “The Neri & Bonacini spyder combines the best of GTO and GTB lines...Neri & Bonacini is one of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time and looks good from any angle.” Source