1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder

All numbers matching, including engine, gearbox and bodywork. Factory hardtop, 51st of the 55 California Spyder SWBs built, 1 of the 18 cars with open headlights, beautifully restored by the best workshops in Italy.

Certified Ferrari Classiche, in Jan 22 this car has been elected Best of Show at Bella Macchina Trophy and was Best in Class of the 2022 Villa d'Este Concours.

One of the very last 250 GT Californias produced, it has the Berlinetta Lusso specification Tipo 168/61 engine that was rated at 20 more horsepower than earlier SWB California Spyders.

#4121 GT is a very special car!
This open headlight example was sold new to Italian Marquis Medici de Vascelo from Turin. It was painted silver-grey and came equipped with a silver hard-top.

It was sold two years later, in March 1965, to former race driver and Maserati patron Franco Rol. Rol kept 4121 GT just over four years, selling it in June 1969 to Ruggero Manca, also of Turin who exported the SWB California Spyder to the United States in November of 1970. The exact sequence of subsequent events is not clear, however in the fall of 1971 Rick Jackson accepted 4121 GT in settlement of debt. Jackson drove it to Florida, then on to California where he received $4,500 for it as a trade-in on a new Porsche at circle Porsche/Audi in Long Beach California. It was purchased from Circle Porsche/Audi in November 1972 by Kenneth and Marie Thomas, who owned it for 31 years until 2003. Ken Thomas was a Snap-On tool dealer and he and his wife enjoyed and used their SWB California Spyder, driving it from the Los Angeles area to Monterey for the Historic Races and other August events where it was a familiar feature in gatherings of Ferraris every year from 1974 through 2002. It received regular maintenance – presumably with all the correct and precious Snap-On tools – and repairs as needed including an engine rebuild, rebuilt Borrani wire wheels, differential and brake rebuild and new shocks.

Along with its trips to Monterey, #4121 GT has occasionally appeared in local car shows in the Long Beach area and has been used in several movies and television shows including a 2000 television film about the “Beach Boys”, the television series “Fast Lane” and the movies “Charlie’s Angels II.” It was also featured in George Carrick’s definitive book The Spyder California (page 63) and in Stanley Nowak’s books Ferrari Spyder California (page 93) and Ferrari Forty Years on the Road (page 111).

Thomas made useful modifications including a fast idle control, brake circuit holding valve and battery cutoff switch. He noted on February 11th, 2003, in a letter addressed to the “new owner of 4121” that “during my tenure with the car it has never been damaged in an accident, nor has it ever been raced. I have two rules when driving the car: never break traction with the tires and never depress the accelerator until the clutch is fully engaged. The car has never failed to get me home (can’t say this with any other car I’ve ever owned).”

After 30 years of continuous, caring ownership in California’s car-friendly climate, this Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder was sold to Klaus Werner of Wuppertal, Germany who used it sparingly but always carried out regular service and maintenance. Mr. Werner then sold #4121 GT in 2005 to its current owner, a long-term collector who has used it on many continental tours and other events – such as Italia Classica – where the car has performed flawlessly.

Among the subsequent owners was Swiss collector, Jean-Pierre Slavic, who had the car repainted in its original colours.

#4121 remains almost totally original and has a delightful and well documented history from new making it a truly exceptional example of the 250 GT SWB California Spyder.