1960 Ferrari 250

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys Paris event, 28 January 2026.
12,000,000 - 14,000,000 EUR

• The third of 56 short-wheelbase examples built; one of only 39 cars originally configured with covered headlamps
• Delivered new to Paris, France; now offered from 30 years of fastidious single-owner care as part of a short chain of just four documented keepers
• Factory certified in 2008 with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book stipulating the presence of the matching-numbers engine, rear axle, and coachwork; certification reissued in late 2025
• Documented with factory build sheet copies, Ferrari Classiche Red Book , history reports by marque experts Marcel Massini and Cyrille Jaquinot, restoration invoices, FIVA card, and detailed assessment report by Klaus Kukuk
• Accompanied by a purpose-built 3.8-litre alternative engine completed by expert Piet Roelofs in 2019 and original Borrani wire wheels
• A sensational example of Maranellos most celebrated classic open GT model

The long-wheelbase 250 GT California Spider was an immediate success, taking a class win at Sebring in 1959 and finishing 5th overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few months later. At the 1960 Geneva Salon, Ferrari introduced an updated version built on the companys new, shorter 2,400-millimetre wheelbase.

The revised California Spider featured a wider track, Koni telescopic shock absorbers, four-wheel disc brakes, and the latest evolution of the short-block V-12 engine. Produced in a modest quantity of 56 examples, the California Spider SWB, and in particular the covered headlamp version, is justifiably regarded as one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever built, combining timeless styling with race-winning performance.

Offered from 30 years of fastidious single-owner care, and claiming highly desirable factory specifications, this breathtaking early short-wheelbase California Spider is a stunning example. According to the combined research of marque expert Marcel Massini and French Ferrari historian Cyrille Jaquinot, chassis number 1915 GT is just the third short-wheelbase California Spider built and one of only 39 examples originally configured with the highly desirable covered headlamps. As confirmed by factory build sheet copies and the Ferrari Classiche Red Book , 1915 GT completed assembly in September 1960 and was distributed to official marque dealer Franco Britannic Autos in Levallois-Perret, France.

Believed to have been originally finished in Bianco paint over a Nero interior, the Ferrari was sold in October 1960 and its initial French registration was 663 EW 68 . Its first keeper was Mr Pierre Liechti, an industrialist residing in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace, near the Swiss border. The cars first owner retained possession of the 250 GT until 1965, when it was acquired by Madame Micheline Dalbard who re-registered it as 6263 QY 75 , its region marker noting residence in Paris. Later acquired by Mr Roland Louis Duteurtre of Paris, who oversaw another re-registration to 8277 U 92 . It was eventually traded back to Franco-Brittanic, which around this time was absorbed by well-known marque importer Charles Pozzi SA. Circa 1972 the Spider was sold to Roger Baillon, who in turn sold the car in 1977 to Villemarchal resident Guido Bartolomeo. At some point in the 1960s or 1970s the Ferrari was repainted to a classic shade of red and remained preserved and largely untouched in Mr Bartolomeos garage for many years.

In February 1996 the Ferrari was sold by Mr Bartolomeo to the consigning owner a sophisticated marque collector based in Germany who owned many of the finest Ferraris, Maseratis, and Alfa Romeos. The keeper soon entrusted the 250 GT to marque specialist Carrozzeria Campana Onorio in Modena, Italy for a two-year nut-and-bolt restoration that included a refinish of the coachwork in Nero. As demonstrated by invoices on file, this restoration cost approximately 40 million Italian lire. More recently, in late 2025 the interior was re-trimmed with period-correct surface-dyed Rosso leather.

Following completion of this rejuvenating work, the California Spider participated in the Ferrari 50th Anniversary Celebration that toured from Rome to Modena in June 1997. In September 2008 the owner enjoyed the Ferrari at the 25 Anni Degli Amici Della Ferrari Club Nederland and in June 2012, he presented the car at the 10th annual Paleis Het Loo Concours dElegance.

In 2008 chassis number 1915 GT was certified with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book that authenticated the presence of the matching-numbers chassis, engine, rear axle, and coachwork with the gearbox confirmed to be the correct type, and being one of the rare ribbed, competition versions. The Ferrari Classiche certification was reissued in November 2025, reconfirming that the car is an original covered-headlamp version. Given that this process was completed at the time of cataloguing, the new Red Book will be delivered by Ferrari Classiche after printing.

While some older historical sources had erroneously listed 1915 GT as originally having open headlamps, recent research, period photographs, and a detailed analysis of the metalwork on the nose confirm the headlamps and the coachwork to be completely unaltered, confirming the authenticity of the covered headlamps. This conclusion is cemented in a thorough 91-page analysis by engineer Klaus Kukuk (including the input of two metallurgical experts and Ferrari Classiche representative Giacomo Tropea) in 2025. Of further benefit to the future owner, the car comes with a spare purpose-built 3.8 litre engine completed by expert Piet Roelofs in 2019 along with four original Borrani 16-inch wheels (the RW 3598 wheels mentioned in the Ferrari Classiche Certification).

Short-wheelbase California Spiders are only rarely offered in public settings, making the availability of this finely restored, covered-headlamp, Classiche-certified example an extremely special opportunity. Discerning marque collectors yearning to acquire one of Maranellos most celebrated creations should not hesitate to seize this chance to own a truly legendary performance machine.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/pa26/.