1961 Ferrari 250 GT California

Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann were Ferrari dealers in the United States and the inspiration behind the Ferrari 250 California Spider. Neumann was the West Coast Ferrari and Porsche distributor who had chopped down a Gmünd-built Porsche Coupe in the late 1940s to create a lightweight competition car. In the early 1950s, Porsche dealer Max Hoffman of New York convinced the German company to build a lightweight, low-cost, minimalistic, and competitive version of the 356. It was called the Speedster and it was both a sales and competition success. Neumann once said 'Guys want to go, on a Saturday night in June, down Sunset Boulevard with their elbow over the door and the girls can see them in the car.'

In a similar fashion, Chinetti and Neumann convinced Enzo Ferrari to give the popular 250 GT a similar treatment. At the time, Ferrari's model lineup included the 250 GT Cabriolet by Pinin Farina derived from the GT Coupe. Just like the Porsche Speedster, the concept envisioned by Chinetti and Neumann was a dual purpose car that could be driven on street and track. While the 250 GT Cabriolet was birthed from the road-going coupe, the new 'California Spyer' was spawned from the competition berlinettas. Scaglietti, who built the competition cars for Ferrari, was tasked with its creation using a design penned by Pinin Farina.

Depending on the intended use, the Type 128D V-12 SOHC engine offered between 240 and 280 horsepower. In standard trim, it had a 2,953cc displacement, 3 Weber DCZ/3 carburetors, and a block and head formed from lightweight alloy. There were drum brakes, four-speed manual gearbox, and a suspension comprised of double wishbones, and coil springs or anti-roll bars.

The California Spider was built specifically for the affluent American clientele who were seeking a stylish, thoroughbred sports car. Just like the Porsche and other European sports cars built for the American market, the California Spider had a swept-back windscreen, a lightweight folding top, competition-inspired bucket seats, and minimal interior amenities or appointments. The first fifty examples were built on the long-wheelbase (LWB) chassis of the 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta. Many were often put to use as a GT racing car, and several examples were equipped from the factory with competition features, such as lightweight aluminum coachwork, long-range fuel tanks with outside fillers, and high-lift camshafts. In this guise, the California Spiders earned 5th at LeMans, a class win at Sebring, and many SCCA B-production victories. By 1959, the performance was further improved with modern Dunlop disc brakes and tubular shock absorbers.

The California Spider was thoroughly redesigned to complement the short-wheelbase (SWB) Berlinetta of 1960. It was given a more sophisticated chassis, and its Scaglietti coachwork was more aggressive and sporting in appearance. The engine was a Type 168 V12 unit displacing 2,953cc and developing nearly 280 horsepower. Just like the LWB version, several SWB California Spiders competed at major European events including the 24 Hours of LeMans and the Targa Florio.

A total of 106 250 GT SWB California Spiders were built including 50 of the early LWB version and 56 of the final SWB variant.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020

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