Schneller, schöner

Es muss einfach sein. Denn die Ferrari 250 GT California Spider SWB gehören zu den wahren Ikonen der Automobil-Geschichte. Aus einem ganz einfachen Grund: Sie sind wunderschön. Sie sind viel schöner noch als die schon höchst begehrenswerten California Spider mit langem Radstand. Und die 250 GT Berlinetta SWB mag der Inbegriff des Sportwagens der frühen 60er Jahre sein, doch sein offenes Schwesterchen ist einfach: die Krönung. 106 von Pininfarina eingekleidete und bei Scaglietti produzierte California Spider wurden insgesamt gebaut, davon waren 50 LWB, bleiben also noch 56 «passo corto» mit 2,4 anstatt 2,6 Meter Radstand. Und auch sonst allen Verbesserungen, die Giotto Bizzarrini seinem Ferrari-Meisterstück hatte angedeihen lassen (also etwa Motor Tipo 168, Scheibenbremsen etc.). Wir haben die ganze Geschichte schon einmal sehr ausführlich erklärt bei der Berlinetta, es darf zum California Spider SWB noch erzählt sein, dass er ein Jahr später auf den Markt kam als die geschlossene Variante (also: 1960), dass es reichliche prominente Besitzer gab (Alain Delon, James Coburn, Briggs Cunningham, Johnny Halliday, Roger Vadim etc.), dass sie auch bei Rennen (24 Stunden Le Mans, 12 Stunden Sebring, Targa Florio etc.) richtig schnell waren – und dass sie heute achtstellig kosten. Doch weil Bilder bei diesem Fahrzeug wirklich mehr sagen als viele Worte, beginnen wir wieder einmal eine Sammlung.

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Chassis-Nummer: 1795GT

Motoren-Nummer: 1795GT (logisch)

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2024, Schätzpreis 16 bis 18 Millionen Dollar. Wurde nach dem Genfer Salon 1960 in die Schweiz ausgeliefert, kam 1963 in die USA. Wurde 2008 vom Fussballer Michale Ballack kauft, wahrscheinlich von Michael Schumacher.

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Chassis-Nummer: 1883 GT
Motoren-Nummer: 1883 GT (ist ja klar…)

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2023, Schätzpreis 9’500’000 bis 11’500’000 Dollar, angeboten mit folgendem Text: «Claiming period racing and exhibition use, a three-year restoration conducted by Italian craftsmen, certification by Ferrari Classiche, and a recent refinish in its period racing livery, this exquisite Ferrari is a benchmark example of Maranello’s short-wheelbase spider. A flurry of production metrics demonstrates just how special this 250 GT truly is. In addition to being only the second SWB California Spider built, 1883 GT is one of 18 such cars that were configured with uncovered headlamps. The spider is furthermore distinguished by being one of 25 cars delivered with a factory hardtop, one of just three examples bodied without side vents, and one of two to be fitted with the Tipo 128 F engine. According to a history report by marque expert Marcel Massini, this steel-bodied California Spider completed assembly in August 1960, finished in Blu Medio paint with an interior upholstered with Rosso vaumol leather by Connolly. The 250 GT was purchased new through the Turin-based dealer Garage Fontanella & Co. by Litex S.a.S. on behalf of the company’s president, Robert Fusina, and he allowed Ferrari to exhibit the car on their stand at the 1960 Turin Motor Show.
Shortly thereafter the 250 GT was sold by Litex to its second owner, Trieste resident Alessandro Terni, who had the car repainted in light blue metallic. Terni then loaned the SWB to Fusina and Guido De Bonis for use in the Targa Florio in May 1962, where the car impressively finished 3rd in class and a respectable 19th overall. According to Cavallino magazine (and to the best of our knowledge), 1883 GT is the only Ferrari 250 GT California Spider of any kind—either Long or Short Wheelbase—to compete in the Targa Florio in period. Two months later Terni sold the spider to Carlo Moraglia of Turin, although he only kept the car five months before selling it to De Bonis. In March 1963 the 250 changed ownership again when De Bonis sold the car to the Spanish-born Felix Manuel Cormin Villa, who also resided in Turin. By the end of 1963 the Ferrari was found in Switzerland by Bob Grossman, the famed American privateer whose SCCA racing successes in the LWB California Spiders chassis numbers 0939 GT and 1451 GT helped popularize the model. Grossman exported the 250 GT to the United States and from him it passed through a chain of four private owners through early 1982, by which time the car had been refinished in rosso over a tan interior.
In 1983 the Ferrari was sold to Robert Panella of Stockton, California, a marque enthusiast whose collection included the 275 GTB/4 first owned by Steve McQueen (also being offered at RM Sotheby’s 2023 Monterey sale). Mr. Panella had the 250 GT restored, including the conversion of the nose configuration to covered headlamps, and he presented the spider at the Ferrari Owners Club Concours d’Elegance at the Rancho Cañada Golf Club in Carmel Valley in August 1984. Ten years later Panella presented the car at the FCA’s International Concours d’Elegance in Monterey. In July 1996 the Ferrari passed to Brazilian resident Carlos Monteverde, and after just one year he sold the car to artist and collector Everett Anton “Tony” Singer of Laurel Hollow, New York. Singer is better known in the niche as the proprietor of a vintage automotive poster printing company and as the founder of Automobilia Monterey. Singer also acquired the spider’s original hardtop, which had become separated from the car during the intervening years. Chassis 1883 GT was then displayed at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in June 1999, winning the Best Italian Sports Car award, and Singer went on to enjoy the car on the Colorado Grand for the following two years. During his ownership the spider also won a Silver Award at the 2001 Cavallino Classic, and it was presented at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance two months later. In February 2002 the California Spider was acquired by a Swiss collector who exhibited the car at the Loris Kessel Ferrari Days at the Lugano-Agno airport and went on to retain possession for nine years. Sold to the current caretaker in January 2012, the 250 GT was submitted a year later to Ferrari Classiche to begin certification. The owner soon commissioned a complete restoration by the Carrozzeria Egidio Brandoli and Zanasi & Co. (including returning the headlamps to their original uncovered configuration, and an update of the livery to Nero over beige) and Joe Macari in London was retained to address all mechanical considerations. After completion of the three-year refurbishment in 2016, 1883 GT was certified with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book that demonstrates the spider retains its matching-numbers engine, gearbox, and rear axle».

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Chassis-Nummer: 2377 GT

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Maranello 2008, verkauft für 7’040’000 Euro

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Chassis-Nummer: 2505 GT

Motoren-Nummer: 2505
Produktionsdatum: 25.07.1961 (ausgeliefert an Gastone Crepaldi, Mailand)
Original-Farbe: Grigio Conchiglia (16249 M)
Interieur: Pelle Blue (VM 3087)
Erster Besitzer: ?
Weitere Besitzer: (Italien, bis 1974); Karl Mösch (Uitikon-Waldegg, Schweiz, 1974 bis 1997); Karl-Gustav Diederichs (Remscheid, Deutschland, bis ca. 2007)
Besonderes: offene Scheinwerfer (1 von 19); RM Sotheby’s, Villa Erba 2015, Schätzpreis 11’000’000 bis 13’000’000 Dollar, nicht verkauft*.

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Chassis-Nummer: 2591GT

Verkauft über Tom Hartley Jr.. Es gab nur einen einzigen rechtsgelenkten Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, also: #2591GT. Erstaunlicherweise wurde er nach Italien ausgeliefert, kam in den späten 60er Jahren nach Irland, hatte dort dann 46 Jahre lang den gleichen Besitzer.

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Chassis-Nummer: 3095 GT
Motoren-Nummer: 3095 GT (verstehtsichvonselbst)

Auktion: Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach 2024, Schätzpreis 15 bis 17 Millionen Dollar, mit folgenden Informationen: «The Ferrari 250 GT presented here, chassis 3095 GT, is surely among the most desirable California Spiders as it is a SWB version featuring the preferred covered-headlight treatment that Scaglietti applied to just 37 examples. According to the research of Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, this California Spider was finished in a dark blue metallic with red leather upholstery and fitted with an optional hardtop – one of approximately 25 examples so equipped. Copies of the factory build sheets confirm that 3095 GT was constructed with features typical of the late-production SWB models: a tipo 168/61 engine, three Weber 40 DCL6 carburetors, Abarth Lusso exhaust, white-faced Veglia instruments, and polished Borrani RW3591 wire wheels with Pirelli Cinturato tires. Completed in December 1961, chassis 3095 GT was the 33rd SWB California Spider built. It was delivered new to Baron Emmanuel de Graffenried’s official Ferrari dealership, Italauto SA in Lausanne, Switzerland. Little is known of the car’s first owner except that his name was M. Babour and that his California Spider was serviced and maintained at the Ferrari factory’s Assistenza Clienti in Modena through May 1964.
In 1965, Stephen L. Safran, an American medical student living in Grenoble, France, purchased 3095 GT from Italauto SA. Over the next three years, he used the elegant California Spider as his daily driver, installing a discreet key-operated alarm to keep the car safe and modifying the accelerator pedal to aid in heel-and-toe shifting while driving at speed. Garage de Montchoisy SA in Switzerland and Piero Drogo in Italy maintained the California Spider for Mr. Safran until he moved to England in 1968. Soon after arriving in England, the California’s engine “swallowed a valve” and was sent to Maranello Concessionaires for a rebuild. Later that year, Mr. Safran returned to the US and traded in his aging California Spider to New York sports car dealer Bob Grossman for a new Jaguar E-Type and cash. The entire deal was valued at just $7,500, and the blue Ferrari was then repainted red in hopes of attracting a new buyer.
From there, 3095 GT is thought to have remained in the US until it was sold to Pierre de Siebenthal of Lausanne, Switzerland, in the late 1970s. A fascinating character, de Siebenthal was an amateur racing driver, mechanic, and proprietor of a scrapyard famed for its sprawling collection of forlorn exotics where everything from Aston Martins to Lamborghinis could be found in varying states of disrepair. Though many remember him for these lesser cars, de Siebenthal owned several important Ferraris – from a 166 MM to a 250 LM – which he often entered in historic racing events. 3095 GT was surely one of de Siebenthal’s prized possessions and, in April 1981, he entered the California Spider in the historic races at Monza. A series of photos show the 20-year-old Ferrari in race-ready trim – wearing Swiss dealer plates, with its bumpers removed, and competition SNAP exhaust extractors fitted.
In the early 1980s, de Siebenthal sold the California Spider to an American enthusiast; however, it was not long before the car returned to Europe, eventually joining a private collection in France. In the 1990s, 3095 GT was sold to Emilio Gnutti of Brescia, Italy, a respected collector with a stable of outstanding road and racing Ferraris, ranging from a 375 MM Berlinetta to a Series 1 Cabriolet. In 2004, both a FIVA Identity Card and an ASI Certificato di Identità were issued for the Ferrari, each bearing the desirable A/3 classification. Two years later, Mr. Gnutti had the California Spider certified by the Ferrari Classiche Department, which, in fall 2006, issued the Certificazione di Autenticita for 3095 GT and confirmed that the car retains its original chassis, body, engine, and other important mechanical components. It should be noted that the engine’s pad stamping is no longer visible due to machining, but the internal number stamping below (870 E) is clear and confirms this engine as the original, matching-numbers component. Next, the California Spider was acquired by a prominent UK collector in 2012. During his ownership, 3095 GT was loaned to the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team to serve as the official parade car for Kimi Räikkönen during the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix. Since 2015, this Ferrari has been maintained in significant private collections in the US. It benefits from recent attention, including new interior upholstery and carpeting, and presents as a well-cared-for, older restoration».

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Chassis-Nummer: 3099GT
Motoren-Nummer: 3099

Produktionsdatum: –
Original-Farbe: Azzurro (MM16240)
Interieur: beige
Erster Besitzer: (ausgeliefert an Luigi Chinetti, ausgestellt auf der New York International Auto Show im April 1962)
Weitere Besitzer: die frühe Geschichte ist unbekannt; stand Anfang der 70er Jahre nach einem Unfall auf dem berühmten Schrottplatz von Rudi Klein in Carson, Kalifornien; Charles Betz/Fred Peters (1972, bezahlten 2400 Dollar; erst in den 00er-Jahre restauriert); Lee Harrington (seit 2008)
Besonderes: geschlossene Scheinwerfer (1 von 37)
Auktion: Gooding & Co., Amelia Island 2023, Schätzpreis 18’000’000 bis 20’000’000 Dollar, verkauft für 18’045’000 Dollar.

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Chassis-Nummer: 3119 GT

Motoren-Nummer: 3119
Produktionsdatum: 25.07.1961 (ausgeliefert an Gastone Crepaldi, Mailand)
Original-Farbe: Grigio Conchiglia (16249 M)
Interieur: Pelle Blue (VM 3087)
Erster Besitzer: Fredy Damman
Weitere Besitzer: Philipp Cole (USA, März 1970); Walter McCune: Bill Bauce (USA, Mitte der 90er Jahre)
Besonderes: gedeckte Scheinwerfer (1 von 37); RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2012, verkauft für 8’580’000 Dollar*.

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Chassis-Nummer: 4121 GT

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, London 2008, nicht verkauft, Schätzpreis 3’000’000 bis 3’500’000 Pfund. Später: Verkauft über Tom Hartley Jr.:

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Chassis-Nummer: 4131 GT

Motoren-Nummer: 4131
Produktionsdatum: 28.12.1962 (ausgeliefert an Peter Monteverdi, Binningen, Schweiz)
Original-Farbe: Rosso (10593)
Interieur: Beige (VM 3218)
Erster Besitzer: John Amborn (19.02.1963, Binningen, Schweiz)
Weitere Besitzer: Ralph Olinger (Schweiz); Rob de la Rive Box (Schweiz); George Carrick (Ontario, Kanada, 1971); Jürg Heer (Schweiz, 1983); Walt McCune (Los Angeles); Jim Wollisoff (Long Island, 1992)
Besonderes: offene Scheinwerfer (1 von 19); RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2019, Schätzpreis 10’500’000 bis 13’000’000 Dollar, nicht verkauft*.

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Chassis-Nummer: 4137GT

Endfertigung am 6.2.1963, der letzte California Spider, ausgeliefert an Chinetti/New York. Erster Besitzer war Andre Aldeghi, irgendwo aus Minnesota. Auktion: Mecum, Kissimmee 2024, noch kein Schätzpreis.

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Mehr Ferrari gibt es in unserem Archiv. * bedeutet: Wir haben mehr Bilder.