Despite being rebodied in 1962 from a 1959 250 Coupe, this stunning example is matching numbers with all build records to boot
Widely acknowledged as both the most sought after and most beautiful car ever produced, the Ferrari California Spyder is a testament to what the twentieth century facilitated in terms of engineering and design. The grand-tourer to beat all grand-tourers, this is the car you dream of when driving into that idyllic sunset listening to Hotel California as you waft down Route 66.
The 250 series Ferraris produced between 1953 and 1964 are undoubtedly their most famous. With this whole lineage of vehicles being worth far, far north of a million dollars, the 250 GTO still stands as the world’s most valuable car, having continued to break records that are reaching $50million. California’s are following patiently, with values breaching the $20million mark. With only 55 250 GT’s produced, these values are hardly surprising.
Sergio Scaglietti took care of building the California Spyder’s, as he was Ferrari’s favourite metal worker. Unlike many builders of the time, Scaglietti chose to undertake a lot of his work simply by hand and eye. This typical Italian flamboyance and dedication to craft ensures no two 250GT’s are exactly the same.
The Ferrari Colombo V12 sits beneath the hand built hood, using its 3.0 liters assisted by triple Weber’s to develop 280 hp. Today this may seem paltry, but in 1961 this was absolutely biblical. A crescendo of notes creating a tsunami of symphony.
The car featured here is indeed a 250 GT California Spyder, however it started life as a 250 Coupe in 1959. The car was then subject to a full strip down and consequently rebodied by Bob Norwood in 1962 to the alloy bodied Long Wheelbase California you see here. The craftsmanship is such that only a true specialist would be able to see the difference as a result of an investigation into the cars numbers.
This example benefits from all the period features that are true to the original design, such as utterly gorgeous Borrani wire wheels, correct heater type and roll up windows. The detail is taken further with confirmation of the correct boot trim and Connelly leather around the cabin.
For more information on this stunning 250 GT LWB California Spyder, visit the listing in the Motorious classifieds where you can register to bid.
