Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB
1957–1960 · Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB — Grand Tourer, V12, designed by Pininfarina.
The Story
The 250 GT California Spider LWB (Long Wheelbase, 1957–1960) is the rare case of a Ferrari conceived not in Maranello but in America. The idea came from John von Neumann, the California-based importer who distributed Ferraris on the West Coast and saw demand among sun-belt buyers for an open, race-and-road Ferrari — one you could drive to the track, race, and drive home. Official US importer Luigi Chinetti carried the idea to Enzo Ferrari, and the model was named for the California market that inspired it. The result was, in essence, a roofless 250 GT Tour de France berlinetta: same 2,600mm long-wheelbase chassis, same race-bred dynamics.
What made it immortal was the body. While the styling drew on Pinin Farina’s 250 GT idiom, Pinin Farina itself was committed elsewhere, so the open coachwork was designed and built by Sergio Scaglietti in Modena — beautifully sculpted fenders, louvered front vents, the now-iconic profile, mostly in steel with aluminium opening panels. Under the hood sat the 3.0L Colombo V12 (Type 168), good for ~240 bhp and 150-plus mph.
Just ~50 examples were built on the long-wheelbase chassis before the tighter, even more coveted SWB version arrived in 1960. A handful were full alloy-bodied competition cars that raced at Sebring and Le Mans. The LWB is where the legend started: the open Ferrari an American importer willed into existence, and one of the most beautiful cars the marque ever made.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Pininfarina
Italy’s most storied carrozzeria and Ferrari’s principal design house 1952–~2012. Used as the credit where no individual stylist is documented (esp. 1950s GTs designed collectively in-house).
Studio Motors POV
The LWB California is where the dream began — an American importer’s vision rendered in Scaglietti aluminium and steel, and arguably the purest expression of the ‘open Ferrari you race on Sunday and drive Monday.’ Less hyped than the SWB, which makes a covered-headlight LWB one of the most romantic blue-chip Ferraris money can (barely) buy.
The Engine
Ferrari Colombo V12
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 250 GT California Spider LWB
Worth Knowing About the 250 GT California Spider LWB
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • It was an AMERICAN idea: importer John von Neumann proposed the open road-racer and Luigi Chinetti backed it to Enzo Ferrari — the model was named for the California market that inspired it.
- • Only ~50 LWB cars were built, and just nine of those wore lightweight alloy 'Competizione' bodywork.
- • Pinin Farina got the styling credit but didn't build it — committed elsewhere, the firm handed construction to Scaglietti, who hand-built every body in Modena.
5 Fast Facts
- • ~50 LWB cars built (1957–1960); ~9 with alloy competition bodies.
- • 3.0L Colombo V12 (Type 168), 2,953cc, ~240 bhp; competition versions ~275 bhp.
- • Built by Scaglietti in Modena on the 2,600mm long-wheelbase 250 GT chassis.
- • Offered with covered or open headlights — covered-lamp cars are rarer and more valuable.
- • Recent LWB values run ~$5M–$11M (competition LWB cars into eight figures).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
None verified for the LWB specifically. IMPORTANT: the most famous ‘California Spider’ celebrity car — James Coburn’s, later bought by broadcaster Chris Evans for ~€7.04M (~$10.9M) at RM’s 2008 Maranello sale — was a 1961 SWB (chassis 2377 GT), NOT an LWB → not attributed here. And the ‘Ferris Bueller’ cars were Modena Design fibreglass REPLICAS (Ford V8), not real Ferraris → excluded. General lists name Coburn/Delon/Bardot as California Spider owners, but the cars confirmable to those names are SWB, not LWB.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Headlights: covered (faired-in) lamps are the rarer, prettier, pricier configuration vs open/uncovered. Alloy ‘Competizione’ cars (~9 built, disc brakes, hotter cams, Sebring/Le Mans history) sit at the very top, into eight figures. Confirm Ferrari Classiche ‘Red Book’ certification and a numbers-matching engine; demand a documented chassis history (Massini report). Expect ~$5M–$11M for an LWB, with steel covered-headlight cars at a premium over open-lamp examples. VERIFY LWB vs SWB — the SWB trades at a large multiple, so the distinction is load-bearing on value.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1957–1960
- Units built
- ~50 LWB (14 in 1958, 36 in 1959–60; ~7 alloy/comp)
- Variants
- Covered headlight, open headlight
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V12
- Engine family
- Ferrari Colombo V12
- Displacement
- 2953 cc (3.0 L)
- Power
- 240 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.5 s
- Top speed
- 140 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 218 hp/tonne · 10.1 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2425 lb
Questions
250 GT California Spider LWB FAQ
What are the key specifications of the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB?
The 250 GT California Spider LWB (Long Wheelbase) uses the Colombo 3.0-litre V12 producing approximately 240 hp, in an open Scaglietti spider body on a 2,600mm wheelbase. Ferrari produced approximately 50 examples between 1957 and 1960, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after open Ferraris of the classic era.
Why is the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider named California?
The 250 GT California Spider was proposed by both Luigi Chinetti (Ferrari’s US importer) and John von Neumann (West Coast Ferrari importer). Named for the California market that drove the demand, it was bodied by Scaglietti on 250 GT chassis and became one of the most beautiful open Ferraris of the era.
What is the difference between the 250 GT California Spider LWB and the SWB?
The Long Wheelbase California Spider (1957-1960) was built on the 2,600mm 250 GT Coupe chassis and had a softer, more touring-oriented character producing approximately 240 hp. The Short Wheelbase version (1960-1963) used the stiffer 2,400mm 250 GT Berlinetta SWB platform and was offered in Competizione specification with up to 280 hp, making it more directly competition-capable than the LWB.
What is a Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB worth at auction?
Hagerty’s valuation data and major auction house results indicate Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB examples have traded between approximately 6 million and 14 million dollars, with documented competition history and original matching-numbers specification commanding further premiums. Approximately 50 examples were produced, placing the LWB among the rarest open Ferraris from the classic era.
Can you source a Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB through Studio Motors?
Yes. The 250 GT California Spider LWB is among the most desirable open Ferraris ever built, combining the Colombo V12 with Scaglietti coachwork specifically created for the American market.
The Ferrari Lineup
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250 Europa / Europa GT ’53250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF) ’56250 GT Coupe 'Boano' / 'Ellena' ’56250 Testa Rossa (TR) ’57250 GT California Spider LWB ’57250 GT Cabriolet ’57250 GT Coupe (Pininfarina) ’58250 GT Berlinetta SWB ’59250 GT Berlinetta 'Interim' ’59
250 GT California Spider SWB ’60250 GTE 2+2 ’60250 GTO ’62250 GT Lusso (GT/L) ’62330 America ’63275 GTB ’64365 GTB/4 Daytona ’68Dino 246 GT ’69
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288 GTO ’84Testarossa ’84328 GTB / GTS ’85F40 ’87348 ’89
F355 ’94F50 ’95550 Maranello ’96360 Modena ’99
575M Maranello ’02Enzo ’02360 Challenge Stradale ’03612 Scaglietti ’04F430 ’04599 GTB Fiorano ’06430 Scuderia ’07California ’08458 Italia ’09
599 GTO ’10F12berlinetta ’12LaFerrari ’13458 Speciale ’13F12tdf ’15488 GTB ’15GTC4Lusso ’16812 Superfast ’17Portofino M ’17488 Pista ’18Monza SP1 / SP2 ’18F8 Tributo ’19SF90 Stradale ’19Roma ’19
812 Competizione ’21296 GTB ’21Purosangue ’22Daytona SP3 ’22SF90 XX Stradale ’2312Cilindri ’24F80 ’24296 Speciale ’25
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