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Due to ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’, the California Spyder has became one of the most popular Ferraris. During the movie, Ferris fell in love with one and America did as well. Unfortunately, the audience was fooled, and many people discovered, especially after Ferrari sued for damages, that the production company had used a replica sourced from Modena Design and Research. It's a shame really, since the real version had all the hallmarks of a competition car underneath its curvaceous skin.

The California Spyder was motivated by U.S. distributors Jon von Neumann and Luigi Chinetti who convinced Ferrari to create a performance convertible named after their best market. The California Spyder emerged with supercar performance and became highly desirable due to its limited availability. Each car was special too, and some examples came with competition-spec engines or the very rare factory hard top.
Sharing its drive train with the legendary 250 GT that won the Tour de France, the California Spyder was a car to get excited about. It had the same 140 mph performance and the same competition chassis as the Ferraris lapping the race tracks. Therefore, it only made sense to equip some examples with competition engines and aluminum bodywork to race at Le Mans and Sebring. These Spyder Competiziones did well in the GT class and tied all California Spyders to a sporting pedigree.

California Spyder bodies were hand crafted by Carozerria Scaglietti who built most of Ferrari's competition bodies at the time. Their design was largely based of Pinin Farina's 250 GT Cabriolet Series I but used a new upright rear headlight treatment. Some cars featured more functional uncovered, rather than fared-in, headlights. The overall design, especially with covered headlights, was often described as more rakish than the much more subdued and luxurious 250 GT Cabriolet.

Inside, each Spyder car had a no-frills interior and a small heater was the only luxury. Behind the seats, a fabric top was installed which was tidy, and well proportioned when upright, but was made with no inner liner.
Distinguished by chassis length, it is important to mention that the Spyder was made in two distinct series. The first series was built on the 250 GT Tour de France frame including a wet-sump version of its V12 engine. In 1959, Ferrari debuted the shorter California Spyder on their stiffer short wheel base (SWB) chassis. These cars were superior as they had disc brakes, a more powerful engine, and a less bulk.
A total of 125 cars were competed from 1958 to 1963, and they became the most prized Ferraris on the road. The series was followed up by a very limited run of 365 Spyders made in 1967.

Due to their desirable shape California Spyders have often been replicated. Modena Design and Research made the replicas for Ferris Bueller's Day Off using a Mustang 5.0 engine and an MGB frame. After the movie, Ferrari pursued the company responsible. Many 250GT frames have been fitted with replica bodies are the closest ersatz approximation to the real design.

Sales and Important exmaples.

0965GT - At their 2004 Ferrari auction in Gstaad, Switzerland, Bonhams offered California Spyder 0965GT. It was a LWB car with brilliant red paint with black interior, fog lights and covered headlights. Coming fresh from a restoration by Carroserie Binggeli, it fetched the top bid of the sale and changing hands for 1,300,000 CHF or 1,250,000 USD after buyers premium. #0965GT is pictured above as our first red feature car.

1431GT - Gooding & Company sold this car in 2007 for $4,455,000 USD and described it as “This previous multi-class winner at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was the very last California outfitted with the iconic three liter Colombo V-12 engine and retains all documented ownership history dating back to when it was first delivered to famed Ferrari distributor Luigi Chinetti in 1959.”

1451GT – Described as ‘only seven original alloy-bodied examples built’ this LWB is built to competition spec with its aluminum body, tuned engine and large-capacity fuel tank. Bob Grossman drove this car to 5th overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans taking first in class. It was later prepared in metallic silver and sent to the US. By the eighties it was restored minus many competition bits and painted red for the 1983 Pebble Beach Concours. It appeared at the same show ten years later. Since then it was seen in the Ferrari Historic Challenge and Monterey Historic Races. At their Monterey Sports and Classic Car Auction, RM Auctions sold 1451GT for $4,950,000 USD.

1581GT – Being completely unrestored, this LWB car is probably the most original version extant. At Christie's 2002 Pebble Beach Auction it sold for $1.1 million with just 25,456miles from new. Since then it has made a rare appearance at the inaugural New York City Concours d'Elegance.

2377GT - At Ferrari’s Leggenda e Passion Auction, the record books were rewritten when this Nero Black, SWB California traded hands for €7,040,000 or $10,900,000 USD. It was once owned by actor James Coburn and sold with “extensive documentation relating to its restoration and maintenance”. At the time of auction, Ferrari Classiche restamped the engine to 2377GT.

2561GT – Since its restoration debut at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours, 2561GT, painted in dark blue, has been shown at events around the world. Being a SWB with covered headlights and having a rare factory hardtop this is the most desirable configuration. The car has won numerous awards including the 2006 Louis Vuitton Classic Award and class victories at the 2006 Cavallino Classic, Ferrari’s 60th Anniversary Concours and the 2006 Villa d’Este Concours.

Specifications listed for SWB model with Steel Body.

Story by Richard Owen