At the Paris Salon in October 1959, Ferrari introduced its second-series cabriolet built on the 250 GT platform. Pinin Farina’s new coachwork was a breathtaking revision in formalism, using more conservative proportions and fewer finishing details to result in a model that was more easily distinguishable from the concurrent 250 GT California Spider.

Despite the outward guise of a staid luxury grand touring automobile, the new 250 GT Cabriolet still delivered characteristic Ferrari performance, with disc brakes at all four corners, and the latest iteration of the Colombo-designed three-litre V-12 engine. This motor, designated as the 128F, featured individual cylinder porting and “outside-V” spark plugs, developments undertaken with the Testa Rossa racecars that contributed to advanced performance, greater reliability, and improved convenience. Just 200 examples of the Series II cabriolet were built, and in more recent decades they have evolved into one of the most collectible 250 GT iterations, offering performance and styling roughly equivalent to the California Spider at a fraction of the investment—a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing.

This early-production Series II cabriolet benefits from a prior 26-year ownership by Marcel Petitjean, one of France’s most respected collectors. Chassis 1941 GT is the 40th example built, and it completed assembly in late-June 1960 specified with instruments in miles, and finished in Grigio Conchiglia paint over an interior of Rosso vinyl and leather.

The 250 GT was soon exported to the United States, and in August 1960 the cabriolet was delivered to John von Neumann’s legendary Ferrari representatives of California, who in turn sold the car to its first private owner, Jean Pierre Alvin of Overgaard, Arizona. At some point over the following 10 years the front end was modified by the noted Modena-based customizer Tom Meade with covered headlamps, an unusual and attractive configuration that continues to grace the car today.

By the 1970s the Ferrari was owned by a New Jersey-based property magnate named Noel Thompson, and in 1987 the car passed into the care of an owner based in Sweden. Seven years later the cabriolet was spotted at the garage of Jarls Bilverkstad in Stockholm, where it was enjoying attention to the engine and suspension.

After being refinished in Rosso paint and re-trimmed with a Nero interior, the 250 GT was offered for sale in May 1995 and acquired by Marcel Petitjean, a prominent French collector who went on to retain possession for a noteworthy period of nearly 27 years. Some 10 years later, the owner commissioned marque experts to rebuild the matching-numbers V-12 engine, and he enjoyed driving the car during summers on the French Riviera. The cabriolet was also displayed at a handful of local events, including the 2015 and 2016 stagings of the French Riviera Classic & Sport Motor Show in Nice, and the 2017 French Riviera Prestige Classic in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, where the car earned a 1st-in-class award.

Acquired by the consignor in February 2022, the Ferrari has been treated to a quality respray in Rosso Cordoba, and mechanical stampings corresponding to factory records confirm the car continues to retain its matching-numbers engine, gearbox, rear axle, and body. Capable of impressing on the road or the concours field, the 250 GT would make a strong addition to any collection of open grand tourers or Maranello speed machines.