The left-hand drive LWB California Spyder on offer, chassis 1253 GT, is the 21st car built and was delivered new with a high compression engine and velocity stacks – a very sporting specification. Completed by the factory in March 1959 and sold to its first owner Guido Monzino of Milan, it was also delivered new with the desirable covered headlights, and it was the only LWB California Spyder to be equipped from new with the attractive side vents of the SWB California Spyder.
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In 1964, the car was exported north to Switzerland and registered there before ultimately making its way stateside and being owned by Midway International of San Diego in 1973, having since been refinished in red. Ara Minoogian of California purchased the car in 1974. Two years later, the car resided in Texas with Bob Lloyd but went back to California in 1977 in the ownership of Bob Taylor of Burlingame.
1253 GT remained in sunny, dry California for many years thereafter, first with Jeff Lewis of Diamond Bar, who owned the car from 1979 to 1990, and then with Ed Domanskis of Newport Beach. The car left California when it was again offered for sale and was purchased by Gordon Tatum of Gaithersburg, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
In 1991, the car returned to Europe and has remained there ever since, first with Volker Graul of Germany, then with Jürgen Jaudzims and, in 1994, with Dr. Wolf Zweifler of Munich, via dealer Werner Zanders.
In 1995, a complete restoration of the car was undertaken, finishing the car in verde pino with a cream leather interior. In 1998, Lord Harris of England purchased the car at auction and owned it well into the 2000s. British radio presenter and producer Chris Evans acquired the car in 2007 and has maintained it ever since in his impressive Ferrari collection, which also includes the ex-James Coburn SWB California Spyder, which set a world record at RM’s 2008 Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione auction event.
In his ownership, Mr. Evans has reunited this car with its original engine, which had been fitted to chassis 0787 GT, a 250 GT Tour de France, much earlier in its history. He has enjoyed the car at various events in England, including the 4th Annual Salon Privé at the Hurlingham Club, London as well as the NEC Classic Car Show at Birmingham. The car has been Ferrari Classiche certified and has also been featured in the English magazines Thoroughbred & Classic Cars as well as Auto Italia. An RM specialist had the pleasure of driving this car recently and confirmed its tremendous power as it pulled like a rocket ship through the gears!
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