conceptcarz.com

Image credit: © conceptcarz.com (Reproduction Or reuse prohibited).

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder

This is an Ex-Scuderia Ferrari Factory car delivered to Wolfgang Seidel, Scuderia Ferrari's team driver. Fitted with a competition engine with a high 9.3:1 compression ratio, 'Abarth competition' exhaust system and 'Nardi Competition' steering, Siegel competed in numerous hill climbs in and around Germany. Won 'First Class' honors at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1991. Received the Platinum award at the 1999 Cavalino Classics.

The car was completed at the Ferrari factory on September 19th of 1959. It was sent to its first owner, Prince Vittorio Emanuele de Savoia, son of the last Italian king, Umberto II, and pretender to the throne of Italy, then living in Geneva, Switzerland.

The car remained in the princes ownership for the next three years. It was purchased by the German sports car and Formula one driver Wolfgang Seidel, winner of the 1959 Targa Florio with Edgar Barth. During the mid-1960s, it was owned by Dr. Hans Hardt in Germany. In the late 1960s, it made its way to North America. Mark Smith learned about the vehicle through an advertisement in Hemmings Motor News, when the Ferrari was owned by Ms. Ellis Willoughby Little of New Hampshire. The car had been purchased by Ms. Willoughby Little through Chinetti. While at Chinetti, the car was fitted with an outside plug 250 motor, as the original inside plug motor had been removed and replaced with a small-block Chevy engine.

Smith was able to locate the original 1489 engine block as well as a few of the original bearing caps. Additional spares were sourced from engine 1487. Smith treated the car to a meticulous restoration at the Ferrari shop of Bob Smith in Gainesville, Texas. At the time, the car was converted to its present, desirable covered-headlight configuration and given the livery of black with a red stripe and red leather interior. The restoration was completed in 1991, and it earned a First in Class at the Ferrari Club of America (FCA) Annual Meet in Washington, DC.

The car was sold to Anthony Wang, joining his extensive and impressive collection of Ferraris. While in Wang's care, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August of 1991 where it won First in Class. That same year, it was driven on the Colorado Grand.

In 1998, the car was sold to Richard Sirota. It was shown at the 1999 Cavallino Classic where it earned a Platinum award. Also that year, it was driven on the Colorado Grand. The car then went through two more impressive collections, both from Japan, before entering into the care of its present owner. It was shown at 'The Quail' in Carmel Valley later that year, then driven in the Colorado Grand in 2006 and 2007.

In 2008, this 250 GT LWB California Spider was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the car had been sold for $3,630,000, including buyer's premium.

2010 RM Auctions - Sports & Classics of Monterey

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $2,500,000-USD $3,250,000 
Sale Price :
USD $2,612,500

2008 Gooding & Company

Sale Price :
USD $3,630,000

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Auction Sales

Recent Sales of the Ferrari 250 GT California

(Data based on Model Year 1959 sales)
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
Chassis#: 1235 GT
Sold for USD$10,840,000
  2021 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach Concours Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione by Scaglietti
Chassis#: 1451 GT
Sold for USD$17,990,000
  2017 RM Sotheby's : Icons
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti
Chassis#: 1503 GT
Sold for USD$9,453,996
  2017 RM Sothebys : Ferrari - Leggenda e Passione
 
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
Chassis#: 1603 GT
Sold for USD$18,150,000
  2016 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti
Chassis#: 1307GT
Sold for USD$8,500,000
  2015 RM Sotheby's : Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider
Chassis#: 1425 GT
Sold for USD$7,700,000
  2015 Gooding & Company - Arizona
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder avec hard-top dusine
Sold for USD$5,890,875
  2012 Artcurial Motorcars at Rétromobile
 
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider
Chassis#: 1505 GT
Sold for USD$3,905,000
  2012 Gooding and Company - The Scottsdale Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider
Chassis#: 1215 GT
Sold for USD$3,355,000
  2011 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach Auctions
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
Chassis#: 1307 GT
Sold for USD$3,594,578
  2011 RM Auctions - Villa d'Este
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
Chassis#: 1489GT
Sold for USD$2,612,500
  2010 RM Auctions - Sports & Classics of Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT
Chassis#: 1603 GT
Sold for USD$7,260,000
  2010 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach Auctions
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
Chassis#: 1253
Sold for USD$2,755,346
  2010 RM Auctions - Sporting Classics of Monaco
 
1959 Ferrari 250GT California (LWB)
Chassis#: 1487 GT
Sold for USD$2,858,689
  2009 Ferrari – Leggenda e Passione
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California
Chassis#: 1489GT
Sold for USD$3,630,000
  2008 Gooding & Company
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
Chassis#: 1217 GT
Sold for USD$1,320,000
  2005 The Monterey Sports and Classic Car Auction
 
1959 Ferrari California Spyder Replica
Sold for USD$54,060
  2003 The Florida Collector Car Auction
 

Ferrari 250 GT Californias That Failed To Sell At Auction

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti1203 GT2023 RM Sothebys : Amelia Island $9,000,000$11,000,000
1959 Ferrari 250GT California Spider1411GT2012 Bonhams Exceptional Ferrari Motor Cars $800,000$100,000
1959 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder Recreation 2009 Bonhams Goodwood Revival, Chichester, Sussex $260,000$300,000
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California 2009 Automobiles of Amelia Island$1,975,000$2,400,000$2,900,000
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Cal Spyder 2003 Vintage Motor Cars at Amelia Island$850,000  

Vehicles With Comparable Market Values

Similar sales to the $6,462,944 range.
1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupe Series III by Pinin Farina
Chassis#:1305 SA
Sold for $6,605,000
2023 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider by Scaglietti
Chassis#:0546 LM
Sold for $6,172,602
2023 RM Sothebys : Le Mans
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta Touring Superleggera
Chassis#:0120 A
Sold for $6,179,415
2023 Artcurial : Retromobile
1960 FERRARI 250 GT SWB BERLINETTA COMPETIZIONE
Chassis#:2021 GT
Sold for $6,697,357
2022 Gooding & Company : London Auction
1998 Ferrari F300
Chassis#:187
Sold for $6,220,000
2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey
2002 Ferrari F2002
Chassis#:219
Sold for $6,643,750
2019 RM Sothebys : Abu Dhabi
1965 Aston Martin DB5 'Bond Car'
Chassis#:DB5/2008/R
Sold for $6,385,000
2019 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta
Chassis#:0905 GT
Sold for $6,600,000
2018 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype
Chassis#:DP199/1
Sold for $6,765,000
2017 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1952 FERRARI 340 AMERICA SPIDER COMPETIZIONE
Chassis#:0196A
Sold for $6,380,000
2017 Bonhams : Scottsdale, AZ
1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen
Chassis#:408383
Sold for $6,600,000
2017 RM Sotheby's : Arizona Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1950 Ferrari 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans
Chassis#:0060 M
Sold for $6,490,000
2016 Gooding & Company : The Scottsdale Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Chassis#:09413
Sold for $6,400,000
2015 Rick Cole Monterey
1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet by Pinin Farina
Chassis#:1945 SA
Sold for $6,380,000
2015 RM Sotheby's : Amelia Island
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1959 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I by Pinin Farina
Chassis#:1181 GT
Sold for $6,472,939
2014 RM Auctions : Monaco
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1937 Delahaye 135 Competition Court Torpedo Roadster by Figoni et Falaschi
Chassis#:48667
Sold for $6,600,000
2014 RM Auctions - Amelia Island
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet
Chassis#:0791 GT
Sold for $6,160,000
2014 Gooding & Company - The Scottsdale Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France'
Chassis#:0585GT
Sold for $6,710,000
2012 RM Auctions - Monterey
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1955 Ferrari 857 Sport
Chassis#:0588 M
Sold for $6,270,000
2012 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  
1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototype
Chassis#:0769 GT
Sold for $6,600,000
2012 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach Auction
1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  1959 Ferrari 250 GT California vehicle thumbnail image  

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California

Additional valuation insight and sales data
History
Specifications
Image gallery
Other Ferrari 250 GT California model years

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Vehicle Profiles