RM Sotheby’s will attempt to find a new owner for a highly desirable Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider in Monaco in late April. The Prancing Horse only made 56 such SWB (short wheelbase) examples, and this is reportedly the number 26 in the batch. Early estimates claim it might fetch up to €16.5 million ($19 million).
The car has a transparent, if rich, background. Made in the fall of 1961 for a client in Germany, it attended that year’s IAA Frankfurt expo before departing to Italy. Soon thereafter, it crossed the Atlantic to settle in the USA until 2000. It has since returned to Europe and changed multiple owners again.
Throughout its 65 years of life, the California Spider has received multiple exterior recolors, interior overhauls and drivetrain restorations. Despite this, the listing claims it comes with a genuine Ferrari Classiche certificate, meaning that its entire powertrain and chassis are genuine and free from aftermarket mods. The winning bidder will be getting a silver-hued removable hardtop along with the car, which looks like it needs to be left in the garage in sunny weather – no folding it into the trunk.
A couple of years ago, the first example of the same Ferrari 250 GT production batch fetched slightly more than $17 million at an auction.
