Have you seen the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off? If you have, I'll bet you remember the red Ferrari that went off a driveway and crashed at the base of a hill. Well that was a replica of a 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Ferris and his friend Cameron looked rather stunned when they watched this car become airborne. As did all Ferrari lovers. Why was a replica used? It could have been because only 55 of these cars were made, and it is considered one of the most beautiful examples of the car maker's art.
There are really two different 250GT California cars. The first one produced from 1957 to 1960 was based on the Ferrari 250GT Tour De France, which had its top removed, and a coupe became a convertible. Pinin Farina designed these spiders and they were built by Scaglietti built them. The initial request came from Ferrari's North American importer. This run of 49 cars are now referred to as the LWB or long wheel base models.
The Ferrari 250GT SWB (Short Wheel Base) California was built from 1960 to 1963. It is considered one of the most desirable and beautiful cars ever made. How desirable? At the RM auction on May 18, 2008 a 1961 model sold for $10,894,900, setting a new record. The car had been owned by actor James Coburn, which may have helped a little in the final price.
From a mechanical standpoint the 250GT SWB was powered by a V12, rated at 280bph. Top speed was about 145mph. A little unusual was a four speed manual gearbox rather than the five speed. These particular cars now had disc brakes front and rear. The purchaser had a choice of either an aluminum or steel body.
While the 250GT series of cars set international racing records throughout the early 1960's most of the competition was done in the coupes rather than the California models.
When the average non Ferrari owner thinks of a Ferrari, chances are this is one that comes to mind, or perhaps the 308GTS shown in the Mannix TV show.
Dennis Dater has been involved with cars for over 50 years. His first love was sports cars when he drove a 1952 MG to high school. He has produced over 40 articles for EzineArticles on cars, and almost a hundred on his web sites. His two web sites are designed for Honda Accord aftermarket accessories.
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