1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet

This 1958 Ferrari Cabriolet (serial number 1075 GT) with coachwork by Pinin Farina made its debut at the October 1958 London Auto Show painted gold just as it is seen today, and it came with a factory-installed luggage rack on the truck. The Series I Cabriolets were built in a special workshop at Pinin Farina facilities. Each body was made of steel and was exquisitely detailed both inside and out. By 1959, Pininfarina had changed the car's name and had standardized the Cabriolet in Series II specification. The 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was the car's first appearance since its restoration.

Although selling in smaller numbers than coupes, Ferrari has almost continuously offered cabriolets to discerning customers who want an open-air experience. Before 1959, these were almost always custom-made. By 1957, the successful 250GT 'Tour de France' had been released and it was an ideal platform to support Ferrari's next cabriolet. It had a robust chassis, large finned drum brakes, double-wishbone front suspension, and the Colombo-designed 60-degree V12 engine. Pinin Farina was commissioned to make the first design and started with chassis 0655GT. It was a prototype that was shown at the 1957 Geneva Auto Show, and also sketched the basic outline for forty more versions. Because these cars were essentially custom-built, there are frequently as many differences between them as there are similarities. For the most part, these were differences in the side vents, bumpers, interior, mirrors, and other more subtle variations. This example is number 34 of the series and was the show car for the 1958 London Auto Show at Earl's Court.

From 1953 to 1964, Ferrari produced the 250 Series. It would become the company's most successful early line. The series included several variants, however, nearly all 250s shared the same engine: the Colombo Tipo 125 V12. It was a lightweight engine with an impressive amount of output. It weighed nearly half the weight of the Jaguar XK straight-6 and had twice as many cylinders. It carried many Ferrari cars to numerous victories. It was eventually replaced by the 275 and the 330.

When the original Pininfarina Cabriolet was introduced at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, it rode on a 102.4-inch wheelbase and had distinct bodywork from the Berlinetta. About 36 examples were produced before a second series was shown in Paris in 1959. These later cars had much more in common with the production Berlinetta.

In 1958, a 250 GT cost $14,950 new - and by comparison, a 1958 California Spyder, of which more was produced, cost only $11,600.

This 250GT was severely damaged in a fire in California in 1998, and received a 20-month restoration, finishing in 2008.