By 1960, Scuderia Ferrari dominated the highest levels of international motor sports. Its Grand Prix cars had delivered World Drivers’ Championships to Ascari, Fangio and Hawthorn. In sports-car racing, Ferrari was unrivaled, scoring repeat victories at endurance classics including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1000 Miglia, Targa Florio, Tour de France Automobile and 12 Hours of Sebring. Central to these achievements was Ferrari’s versatile 3-liter V12 engine, which powered a remarkable lineage of 250-series variants, from its factory Testa Rossas to privateer competition berlinettas and refined 4-seat grand tourers.
Ferrari built just 56 examples of the 250 GT SWB California Spider. Only three were constructed with lightweight aluminum coachwork — and of those, only two were built to full competition specification: chassis 2015GT, and the remarkable car offered here, chassis 2383GT.
For the past 25 years, 2383GT has remained a centerpiece in one of the world’s most admired Ferrari collections. It has proven to be the ideal historic motorcar: a successful participant in virtually every top-tier event, from Le Mans Classic to the most exclusive concours and rallies — yet also genuinely rewarding to drive, especially in its ultimate competition form.
This is no ordinary California Spider. It is one of only two alloy-bodied, full-competition examples of the most sought-after SWB variant. It has a unique specification, period racing pedigree, a distinguished chain of ownership and outstanding documentation — including Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification, a Marcel Massini Report and copies of build sheets. It has never been shown at Pebble Beach or Villa d’Este, nor offered publicly since it appeared in the classified pages of Auto Motor und Sport in the mid-1960s.
In every respect, 2383GT represents the pinnacle of open-Ferrari motoring. A connoisseur’s choice and collector’s dream, it is not merely one of the most desirable Ferraris ever built — it is one of the greatest sports cars of all time.
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding Christie’s.)
