The fuel-gauge needle is buried in empty, and we’re running cautiously north on the Ruta 40 through western Patagonia on one of the world’s greatest roads.
Smooth, clear and spectacularly scenic, there’s one major disadvantage to this remarkable north-south route – the lack of petrol stations.
The Ferrari 365GTC is a thirsty beast.
However you drive, it seems to guzzle gasoline at an eager 12mpg.
But if the triple twin-choke Weber carbs had run dry, and the magnificent 4.4-litre, 320bhp single-overhead-cam per bank V12 had fallen silent, I wouldn’t have panicked.
The past 100 miles with that epic Gioacchino Colombo-designed, quad-exhaust soundtrack had already provided some of the finest motoring in my life.
And if you’re going to sit on the bank surveying a dead car, there are few sexier shapes to admire than this sharp yet subtle coupé.
Near Lago Gutiérrez, just as we’re preparing to pull over, a solitary old-style gas station appears in a wooded glade – complete with homely café – and luckily we avoid the embarrassing situation of what might have happened
Being handed the keys to any classic Ferrari is special, but I’ve long wanted to try this stylish 250 Lusso replacement that respected cognoscenti including Grand Prix aces Paul Frère and Phil Hill rated as one of the most accomplished all-round 1960s GTs.
This deserted Argentinian highway is one of the best places to explore the stunning performance and exquisite balance of this Pininfarina-styled two-seater evolution of the Ferrari 330GTC.
Wide and fast – with a table-top flat surface – the road undulates over the Andes foothills, and around beautiful lakes with little worry of encountering the policia, or traffic.
From the moment you slide behind the well-raked Nardi three-spoke steering wheel into the hip-hugging seats and survey the wooden fascia, plus handsome black Veglia gauges, the interior, like the bodywork, feels understated.
The detailing is classic Italian cool, in total contrast to the flash ambience of modern Ferraris where the branding is overwhelming.
Here there’s just the Scuderia Ferrari Prancing Horse on the wheel boss, and the crossed Pininfarina flags on the centre ashtray cover.
This 365GTC has a cherished, well-worn aura with creased black leather and scuffed trim, but it feels snug and exclusive – like a favourite pair of Santoni loafers.
With such slim pillars, the all-round visibility is exceptional, which provides the perfect frame for the breathtaking landscape of our route ahead.
Being a left-hand-drive example, the gearlever is a shorter, more relaxed stretch across the wide centre console to engage the reluctant dogleg first.
The controls are weighty at low speeds, just to remind you that this seductive coupé is still a proper Ferrari.
The unassisted ZF worm-and-roller steering is initially heavy, with poor lock, but such early effort is forgotten once you’re up to speed and into the main ‘H’ gearlever gate.
The clutch action is beautifully positive and, as soon as the transaxle oil is warm, the Porsche synchromesh is superbly effective, but it’s hard to resist double-declutching on downshifts just to hear the engine’s glorious roar.
The Girling disc brakes are assisted by two huge servos – one for the front circuit and one for the rear – and feel over-sensitive at slow pace, but their bite is reassuring at higher speeds.
They confidently haul you down from three figures with no hint of fade. The ride is firm, but well damped thanks to the Konis.
What harshness the all-round double-wishbone independent suspension (inherited from the Ferrari 275GTB) cannot cope with, the deeply sprung seats absorb.
As expected with such dramatic performance, there’s little roll even through the tighter turns on the higher mountain passes.
Unlike the earlier GTs that were set up to understeer, the shorter-wheelbase 365GTC feels temptingly neutral – in part thanks to its ideal 50:50 weight distribution, with a full tank of petrol.
Frère reported that it was perfectly balanced on the limit, when it ‘drifted out smoothly in a controllable fashion’.
The car’s sky-high value deters me from discovering such heroic cornering angles, but the spectacular response proves addictive in the upper gears with the V12 howling through fast open bends.
The engine has immense torque and flexibility, but only revving hard really brings it to life.
Capable of 0-60mph in 6.3 secs, it’s quick by any standards but consider the 1451kg weight and that figure is even more impressive.
With its clear tarmac and smooth surface, the RN40 could have been built for the 365GTC.
The refined extra power just soars up the rev range in every gear, and acceleration feels unlimited.
We push to a rock-steady 120mph on one long straight stretch, but this mighty machine feels as if would happily keep climbing to the 151mph at 6600rpm clocked by Autocar in 1969.
The miles flash by too quickly, proving the 365GTC to be an effortless grand tourer – as long as the 19.8-gallon fuel tank is topped up.
Watching the fuel gauge rather than relishing the V12’s rampant power delivery over the last part of the journey is desperately frustrating.
My special trip was thanks to the generosity of Patricio Magrane, a passionate Alfista based in Buenos Aires who strayed to Maranello in 2007 when he acquired this Blu Chiaro metallizzato (the colours always sound more exotic in Italian) 365GTC from Cars International in London.
“It was delivered new to France and sold through Charles Pozzi,” he recalls. “The rear window still has his original Paris dealer decal.”