Intended for a different customer and style of driving than Ferrari’s other open-top offering, the 250 GT California Spider, the 250 GT Cabriolet was not intended to channel the emotions and driving style of Ferrari’s thoroughbred racers. This was a true gentleman’s Ferrari designed for high-speed touring in comfort. With the performance one would expect from Maranello’s finest, the 250 GT Cabriolet gave no concessions to luxury and was exquisitely trimmed and appointed to please Ferrari’s demanding clientele. With a spacious boot that could hold more than enough luggage for two for a long-weekend trip, this was the ideal touring car for the California coast or the south of France.

A second-series cabriolet was first debuted at the 1959 Paris Motor Show and showcased a number of stylistic and mechanical updates over its predecessor. Visually, these cars featured open headlamps with a slightly more rounded nose and rear fenders with elongated tail-lamp lenses. Slightly more interior space was added to provide both the driver and passenger with more comfort, and the trunk was made slightly larger as well.

With the 250 GT Cabriolet Series II, Ferrari took the opportunity not only to upgrade the car’s looks but also to improve the overall driving experience. Now fitted with all-wheel disc brakes, Ferrari installed their latest iteration of the Colombo V-12 engine, designated Tipo 128F. The spark plugs were relocated to the V-12’s outside surfaces (rather than in between the V as in prior iterations), and the coil-valve springs were substituted for hairpins. This new architecture allowed for more head studs per cylinder and non-siamesed porting. This resulted in a better breathing engine with improved torque and reliability. To boot, the 128F also facilitated far easier and quicker changing of the plugs, to the enduring relief of both mechanics and owners alike. By the end of production in mid-1962, 200 examples of the 250 GT Cabriolet Series II had been constructed, far outselling the first series of 250 GT Cabriolets.

CHASSIS NUMBER 2153 GT

Chassis number 2153 GT was the 98th cabriolet series II built. It was finished in the highly attractive color combination of Bleu Sera (16439 MM) over a Pelle Naturale (VM 3309) leather interior. The car was delivered new to Garage Francorchamps, Ferrari’s official distributor in Brussels, Belgium, on October 29, 1960, and was sold to its first Belgian owner later that year.

Chassis number 2153 GT spent a short amount of time in Belgium and was soon imported to the United States in the 1960s or early 1970s, where it has resided ever since. By 1975, the car was noted as residing in Oklahoma before it moved to Texas in the 1980s. It was later sold to David Kehl of San Antonio, and at that time, it was noted as sporting green paint with a tan interior. By 1989, the car had moved to California, where it was offered for sale by the MDR Car Collection of Marina Del Rey, and it was restored to red with a tan interior. The car remained in California until 1993, when it was sold to Dan Eaton of Arizona.

By the year 2000, the car was noted as residing in Pennsylvania but had returned to California in 2002. In 2003, the car was sold to well-known collector David E. Walters of Kaua’i, Hawaii, and registered on Hawaiian plates “250 GT.” Walters kept the car until his passing in October of 2009, and the car remained with his estate until 2012 when it was brought to California to be fully restored in its original livery.

This Cabriolet Series II, retaining its original engine, was then entrusted by its current owner to Fast Cars Ltd. of Redondo Beach, California, in 2013. The car was fully dismantled and every component was brought back to as-new condition. No stone was left unturned in bringing this car to an award-winning standard, and the current owner was very diligent in the restoration process, visiting the car in restoration at least once a week to observe its progress. Refinished in its original Blue Sera over Pelle Naturale, the restoration was completed in the spring of 2015. Since then, the car has been driven less than 300 miles by its current owner to ensure everything is in working order. Today, it remains in spectacular condition, ready for its next custodian in all regards.

Often overlooked for the more aggressive California Spiders, the 250 GT Series II Cabriolet is a wonderful car in its own right, stately, sophisticated, and full of character. Excellently restored, chassis number 2153 GT is an exceptional example of its breed. It would not only be an excellent concours entrant but would also surely perform well on the open road. In the minds of many enthusiasts, nothing can provide a better driving experience than an open-top, front-engined V-12 Ferrari, and this example surely will not disappoint.