1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet

As racing costs continued to increase for Ferrari during the mid- to late-1950s, Ferrari needed to sell more road-going models to help pay for its extensive racing program. Ferrari had offered road-going models in the past, but they were essentially built to order. Costs were high, volumes were low, and profits were minimal.

At the 1957 Geneva International Auto Salon, Ferrari introduced the 250 GT Cabriolet. It was conceived as Ferrari's semi-luxury touring car and was given better interior appointments and more soundproofing than the California Spyder. The chassis and drivetrain remained similar to Ferrari's racing cars, but the high standard of fit and finish, luxurious leather interior, many passenger amenities, and complete instrumentation, set it apart.

The new 250 GT Series II Cabriolet appeared one year after the 250 GT Coupe and replaced the low-production Series I Cabriolet. The Series II Cabriolet was the company's first commercially-successful, production-based convertible model ever offered by Ferrari.

Mechanically, both the 250 GT Cabriolet and the Coupe were considerably improved over the California Spyder. They had an updated 3.0-liter, Colombo-derived V-12 engine designated Tipo 128 F. The engine offered 240 bhp and was fitted with outside-plug cylinder heads and twin distributors, while an overdrive transmission was made available. The cars had a set of four-wheel disc brakes, while telescopic shock absorbers and 16-inch Borrani wire wheels were also included as standard equipment. The Ferrari could race to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph.

This 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series II is chassis number 1805 GT and is the 19th example built out of 200. it was completed by Pinin Farina on April 23 of 1960 and delivered new shortly thereafter to Baron Emmanuel 'Toulo' De Graffenried's official Ferrari dealership, Italauto SA, located in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was then sold by Italauto SA to its first owner, a Mr. Rubois in Switzerland, and was later exported to the United States. From the U.S., it was sold in 1990 to Wolfgang von Schmieder, a German collector residing in Cologny, Switzerland. In the late-1990s, it was on display at the International Auto Museum in Geneva, Switzerland.

A restoration soon followed and was finished in 1999. At the time, it was repainted white, and fitted with a white leather interior. Ownership changed once more in 2002.

The car was shown at the Cincinnati Concours in Ohio in June of 2009. The car is currently finished in Grigio Scuro with a Magnolia leather interior. It has 62,243 miles from new. Recently, the car has been equipped with a rebuilt Borrani wire wheels with Pirelli tires, a new Ansa exhaust system, and a new brake servo and calipers.

The car has a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive only on third and top gear. It is believed that at some point the motor may have been replaced, as the engine shows the internal number 446 F, which is from the 250 GT Coupe Pinin Farina Chassis 1935 GT.

In 2012, this car was offered for sale at RM Auction's Monterey, CA sale. It was estimated to sell for $600,000 - $700,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $715,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2012