1958 Ferrari 250 GT California

The stunning presence of the California Spider is backed by its equally impressive performance credentials. The dual-purpose vehicle was just at home on the road with the top down on Sunday drives as it was on the race track.

Ferrari began making the 250 series in the early 1950s and it became the company's most successful early line of automobiles. Nearly all were powered by a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo and would wear styling by Giotto Bizzarrini, Scaglietti, Vignale, Ghia, and Pinin Farina. Most of the 250 series rested on either a 2,400mm (short) or 2,600 mm (long) wheelbase, with the majority of convertibles using the shorter platform. The 250 line of Ferrari's were successful both on the road and the track with a number of GT models built in various road or racing trim guises.

In the mid-1950s, two United States Ferrari distributors, Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann, recognized the American market's desire for a convertible version of Ferrari's 250 GT Berlinetta, which gained the nickname 'Tour de France' (or TdF) for its wins at the French sports car race. Ferrari's American clients wanted the performance of the TdF but with a convertible roof, which was perfect for the California climate, and they lobbied the Maranello factory for the production of such an automobile.

Ferrari complied with their request and the 250 GT California Spider was born, a high-performance 250 GT clothed with coachwork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. The model was designed to appeal to Ferrari's young, stylish, and wealthy American clientele who were seeking a thoroughbred sports car that was equally at home on the road and track. The stylish California Spider had a racy, swept-back windscreen, bucket seats, minimal interior appointments, and a lightweight folding top.

In keeping with its racing heritage, the California Spider enjoyed a remarkable degree of racing success, including class victories at Le Mans and Sebring along with numerous victories in SCCA B-Production events. Chinetti's North American Racing Team placed 5th overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. The NART-entered Ferrari California Spider of Bob Grossman and Fernand Tavano covered 3,964.491 kilometers at an average speed of 165.187 km/h, including pit stops.

Ferrari built 106 examples of the California Spiders including 50 examples of the original long-wheelbase (LWB) version and 56 of the final short-wheelbase (SWB) variant. 14 LWB California Spiders were built in 1958, with the remaining 36 examples constructed between 1959 and 1960. Production began in 1958 with several examples built by the time it was announced as a separate model at Ferrari's annual press conference in Modena on December 9th of 1958.

Chassis number 0769 GT was the prototype and it was nearly identical to the TdF except for its convertible top. By mid-1958, the California Spider had adopted a new chassis (type 508D) with the same 2,600-millimeter size, and an engine with reinforced connecting rods and crankshaft (type 128D). Slight cosmetic changes were implemented including slightly revised wheel arches and could be specified with either closed or open headlights.

The California Spider used a conventional elliptical section steel tubular frame with a double-wishbone suspension in the front and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Houdaille shock absorbers. Braking was handled by hydraulic finned-aluminum drums located at all four corners. The single overhead cam V12 engine had two valves per cylinder, a light alloy block and head, and a displacement size of 2,953cc. Offered in various states of tune depending on the client's needs, requests, and intended use, the engine developed between 240 and 280 horsepower. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. Both steel and lightweight aluminum coachwork were offered by Scaglietti.

When the production of the California Spider ended, it had no replacement. Ferrari would use the 'California' moniker on several occasions throughout the years, using similar ingredients to the original, with bare-bone and minimalistic amenities and roadster styling.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2020