Ultra rare Ferrari 250GT Spyder California..
Ok so… parked outside our office this week was a very rare £15m Ferrari with the window down of course and the owner was nowhere to be seen! Clearly they’re the king of cool! Let’s find out a bit more about it..
The Ferrari GT250 Spyder California SWB is a rare and prestigious sports car developed by the Italian car manufacturer Ferrari. It is presented by the brand as Ferrari 250 Gran Turismo Spyder California or simply Ferrari 250 California. The car was designed by Pininfarina and bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder is not strictly speaking a spyder but a convertible version of the contemporary berlinetta. The car was produced from 1960 to 1964 with only 56 units produced. Here’s the spec:
Engine: 3.0 L (2953.21 cc) Colombo Tipo 128 and 168 V12 engine
Transmission: 4-speed manual transmission
Wheelbase: 2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Curb weight: 1,100 kg (2,425 lb) (dry)
Power: 240 ps (237 bhp / 177 kw) @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) @ 5000 rpm
0-60 mph: 7.2 s
0-100 mph: 16.4 s
Top speed: 233 kph (145 mph)
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB was a stylish open-top grand tourer designed for export to North America. Most bodies were made from steel, but were lightened with with aluminum hoods, doors and trunk lids. Power came from a 237 hp version of the Ferrari Colombo V12 engine. The car was produced in 56 copies from 1960 to 1964. The car was a phenomenal success, especially on the West Coast. Two important American dealers – Jon von Neumann in California and Luigi Chinetti in New York – convinced Ferrari to produce a radically sporty convertible that would be exclusively destined for America. They assured Enzo Ferrari that there was a market for a hardtop version of a race car, a niche that the luxurious 250 GT Cabriolet Pinin Farina could not fill according to Neumann¹.
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB was featured in the 1963 movie “The Pink Panther” starring Peter Sellers. On August 19, 2017, a red Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB sold at the “Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance” auction, organized by Gooding & Company, for a record price of USD 17.99 million, becoming one of the most expensive retro/classic cars in history. A Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB that belonged to French actor Alain Delon in the 1960s, was purchased on February 5, 2015 for around £15m, during an auction in Paris at Artcurial creating a world record for this model at auction.
In conclusion, the Ferrari GT250 Spyder California SWB is a rare and prestigious sports car that has been featured in movies and has set records at auctions. It is a car that is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.