Beskrivning
For sale in our forthcoming auction 'Retromobile the Official Sale', on 2 February 2024 :
Swiss title
Chassis no. 1011GT
Engine no. 1011
Tipo 128D no. 014D
- Ferrari Classiche certification
- Complete restoration in England (comprehensive file)
- Matching numbers, faired-in headlamps
- One of the most beautiful cabriolets in the history of the car
- Extremely rare, the 10th of 47 cars built
- From an important Swiss Collection
With the 250, Ferrari's destiny would change. From being a minor car maker, it would take on an industrial dimension and acquire the worldwide reputation we associate with it today. Two families of cars grew up based on the famous 3-litre V12, whose power and flexibility are now well proven: one line of Ferraris destined to be driven on track, the other reserved for use on the road, with a level of comfort and equipment which the company's cars had not previously enjoyed. The racing arm gave birth to legends on wheels such as the Testa Rossa, Tour de France berlinetta, 250 GTO or 250 LM, while the range of road cars gave rise to some wonderful coupés and cabriolets which film stars, top-level sportsmen and leading industrialists competed to own. But what also distinguished Ferrari were the constant bridges linking the two branches, ensuring that the road cars were never far removed from the racetrack ... The 250 GT California Spyder was the result of this perfect marriage. Whereas the 250 GT Pinin Farina cabriolet was directly derived from the GT coupé, the California Spyder was based on the berlinettas intended for competition. To the point in fact where - starting from a masterful design by Pinin Farina - its body was built by Scaglietti, who produced Ferrari's cars for competition. The Spyder used the same chassis with a 2. 60m wheelbase as the Tour de France berlinetta, its engine had similar specifications and its styling adopted the same recess in front of the rear wheels as the closed model. As it was less systematically aimed at use in motorsport, it weighed a few dozen kilos more than its counterpart, but nonetheless remained lighter than the cabriolet. And indeed, some models which were specially prepared to face the delights of the stopwatch distinguished themselves on track: Ginther and Hively, for example, finished first in the GT class and ninth overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1959, while Grossman and Tavano took fifth place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year, driving a Spyder entered by Luigi Chinetti's NART team. Chinetti assuredly contributed to the 'California' name given to the 250 GT Spyder: originally from Milan and a close friend of Enzo Ferrari, he played an important and effective part in Ferrari's distribution in North America, which became a market where the model developed in parallel with the competition versions and was a huge commercial success with the most demanding and wealthy enthusiasts. Altogether, 47 cars were sold in less than two years, but curiously, only six in California. In actual fact, two extra Californias left Scaglietti's workshop at the same time: a 'Boano' coupé and a Pinin Farina cabriolet, which were re-bodied after accidents. And, of course, we should not forget the 52 short-wheelbase cars which followed from 1960-1962. A fast and exclusive model, the California Spyder retains a special place in Ferrari's production, since it achieved an unrivalled combination of the qualities of its models for the road and for the track, the two paths on which the company built its global success. In addition, cabriolet-bodied versions are particularly rare in Ferrari's production, so explaining the model's growing success over many years and making the California the most expensive roadgoing Ferrari today.
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder which we are delighted to present was supplied new to the Ferrari dealer in Hollywood, California, John Von Neumann, on 8 October 1958. At the time, it was red, with a black leather interior. It was acquired by its first owner, Hal Haub from Los Angeles, at the end of the 1950s, and would remain in the Californian sunshine until 1990, where it was owned by Herb Gordon from 1970 until the end of the 1980s. Several photographs show the car at various major motorsport venues (Laguna Seca and Shelton Raceway in 1959 and 1964); its owners may not necessarily have competed in club races there, but simply used the car to travel around. In 1989, it was bought by David Livingston in Seattle before crossing the Atlantic in 1992 to take its place in the garage of Volker Graul, an enthusiast in Germany. In 2010, it was acquired by a Swiss collector, Michael Willms, and then, in 2014, it was sold to an English collector. In 2018, it entered Joe Macari's famous restoration workshop in London, where it underwent a complete mechanical restoration including the V12 engine and a complete bodywork refurbishment. The car comes with an impressive restoration folder showing the professionalism with which the work was carried out. As part of the restoration, it was repainted in blue to the highest standards and its interior retrimmed in beige leather. At this point, it received its Ferrari Classiche certification and 'Red Book', in which it was noted that only the gearbox was not original, but was of the correct type: it was therefore stamped with the Ferrari Classiche logo. Once the entire restoration was complete, the car joined its current owner's collection. It has since been regularly maintained by Arnaud Gauduel (Ferrari Lyon), who added an extra fan at the owner's request, to optimise the cooling on hot summer days. It was given its last service just before this auction; this sublime California is therefore in impressive condition. We invite all parties interested in this magnificent motorcar to consult the Ferrari Classiche 'Red Book' and the restoration folder, which are available from our team.
The California undoubtedly remains one of the most beautiful cabriolets in the history of the car, and one of the quickest GTs of its time; all the great stars of the 1960s were won over by its elegance and sportiness. We can no longer speak of a car, but of a work of art, a legend.
Lots from outside the EU: In addition to the commissions and taxes indicated above, an additional import VAT will be charged (5, 5% of the hammer price for vintage/ classic cars, 20% newer/ modern motorcars plus potentially a 10% customs duty).
Participating in the auction on this lot is subject to a special registration process. If you would like to bid on this lot, please get in touch with the bidding office or the motor car department at least 48 hours before the sale.
