1958 Ferrari 250 California

Ferrari 250 GT California (1958 to 1963)

The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder is a convertible sports car with bodywork by Scaglietti, built by Ferrari predominantly for the US market. The car was built in two series, the LWB (with a 2600mm wheelbase) until 1960, then SWB (with a 2400mm wheelbase) from 1960 to 1963. Both used the 2953cc 60 degree V12 Colombo engine with a single OHC per cylinder block and a four-speed manual gearbox.

The first car (0769GT) was built in December 1957 and delivered via US importers Chinetti in January 1958 to a US customer who used the car for racing. As with most of the cars, this had a steel body but with aluminium bonnet, doors and boot lid (although some were produced with alloy bodies). Fifty long wheelbase versions of the Ferrari 250 GRT California were made.

At the 1960 Geneva Salon, the Ferrari 250 GT California SWB chassis 1795GT was unveiled. In steel grey, left-and drive and with an optional hard top, the car not only had a reduced wheelbase by also an uprated 276hp version of the Colombo engine, disc brakes, and styling changes to the bodywork. Most, as per the LWB, came with covered headlamps but some were ordered with open lights.

In 1986, a replica Ferrari 250 GT Spyder SWB by Modena Design was featured in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Today, the Ferrari 250 GT California is one of the world's most collectable motor cars. SWB versions, closed headlamps and alloy bodies are most prized, but history and provenance is everything: in February 2015, a barn-find 1961 250 GT California SWB once owned by French actor Alain Delon was auctioned by Artcurial and sold for €16.288m in an unrestored condition. Today, Ferrari Classiche certification is essential.

The Ferrari 250 GT California has few peers, although the Maserati 2500 GT bodied by Carrozzeria Vignale and the Touring-bodied Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider offer a period Italian open-air motoring experience for a fraction of the cost of the Ferrari.