1959 Ferrari 250 GT California at the Gooding and Company

Gooding and Company - The Scottsdale Auction

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1951-1960 Vehicles

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1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK III

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1959 Ferrari 250 GT California

1959 Mercedes-Benz 220S

1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

1959 MG MGA

1959 Porsche 356A

1960 Aston Martin DB4

1960 Austin-Healey 3000 MKI

1960 Cadillac Series 6200

1960 Porsche 356B

Information on the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California

More photographs of the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California

The 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider with chassis number 1505 GT is the 36th of 50 built. It is a refined automobile that has a sophisticated chassis and engine. It has the improved 508 d chassis, a more developed version of the original 250 GT chassis introduced in 1954. The engine, a 128 D unit, internal number 0508 D, was the latest 250 variant, which features twin rear-mounted distributors, stronger connecting rods and a new crankshaft. The engine also has revised cylinder heads with new valves and later intake manifolds.

This 250 GT has a factory-supplied cold-air box and velocity stacks in lieu of the more restrictive air cleaners. This setup was designed to force cold air form the hood scoop directly into the carburetors and was featured on a very limited number of LWB California models (including 1203 GT, 1215 GT, 1307 GT, 1527 GT, and 1505 GT).

Another hallmark of 1505 GT as being one of the earliest California models factory equipped with Dunlop disc brakes.

In October 1959, 1505 GT was delivered to the official Swiss Ferrari concessionaire Georges Filipinetti's Garage Montchoisy SA in Geneva. It was exported to the United States sometime during the 1960s, and by 1970 it had come into the care of Sidney J. Simpson of Bellaire, Texas. In 1984, Everett Anton Singer of Laurel Hollow, New York, acquired the car. In September of 1985, it was sold to Bob Marceca of North Salem, New York. At this point in the car's history, it had traveled just 56,950 original kilometers.

In the late 1980s, Bill Pound Automotive of San Diego, California, carried out a comprehensive restoration. It was stripped to bare metal and repainted in white. The interior was upholstered in Magnolia hides, a white top was fashioned and the various mechanical systems were restored as needed.

While undergoing restoration, the California was sold to a German collector named Wolfgang von Schmieder.

On December 4, 1989, the freshly restored California Spider returned to Switzerland.

During Mr. von Schmieder's ownership, the California was maintained at Garage Symbol. For some time it was displayed at Geneva's Musee de l'Automobile. In May 1997, Ferrari invited 1505 GT to participate in the company's 50th Anniversary meeting in Italy. Co-driven by Mr. von Schmieder and Kuno Schar, then President of the Ferrari Owners Club Switzerland, the California successfully completed the trip to Rome and Modena before returning home to Geneva.

In 2002, the car was sold to British collector Andrew Pisker. A short time later, the interior was completely reupholstered in dark blue leather and a new top was made to match. In the summer of 2004, Mr. Pisker participated in the California Dreaming event held in St. Tropez and later displayed 1505 GT at the Louis Vuitton Classic Concours d'Elegance at Waddesdon Manor.

The most recent caretaker displayed the car at the 2011 Quail Motorsports gathering in Carmel Valley, CA.

The car retains its original chassis, engine, brakes and bodywork. The only non-matching components is the gearbox; however this is an original 250 unit and correct for the car.

This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider with coachwork by Scaglietti is offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale, Az. It has an estimated value of $3,400,000 - $3,800,000.

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