260 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• One of only 202 examples built

• Ferrari Classiche certified

• 2007 FCA Platinum Award winner

• Original manuals and ephemera

• Elegant Pininfarina design and craftsmanship

With the appearance of the Scaglietti-built California spyder in early 1958, Pininfarina felt an increasing need to differentiate its own open-top Ferrari, the long wheelbase 250 GT Cabriolet that had begun limited series production in 1957. With a minimal redesign of the Series I Cabriolet that had features like upright uncovered headlamps and a formal shoulder line, the coach builder created a more luxurious convertible Ferrari that nearly matched the concurrent spyder in performance. With just 202 examples produced between 1959 and 1962, Series II PF Cabriolets are increasingly prized for their elegance and classic V-12 driving characteristics and can be attained at a fraction of the investment required by their stablemates, despite being nearly identical in many respects.

This beautiful Series II Pininfarina Cabriolet combines benchmark quality and select ownership by knowledgeable collectors to result in a near time capsule example. Originally retailed to A. Lonai in the United States, this car, according to factory records, was finished in a very rare colour of Oro Longchamp (16288 MM), with a Cuoio Natural interior (VM 3218). 3055 GT was later sold to a dentist named Johnson, residing in Costa Mesa, California. In 1994, 3055 GT was acquired in a highly original state by well-known collector Paul Gilpatrick of Westminster, Colorado. Mr Gilpatrick immediately began exhibiting the rare Cabriolet at various events, including that year’s Concorso Italiano and the International Ferrari Concours in Monterey, California, where the car earned 3rd in class. The following May, 3055 GT was recognised with a Silver Award at the FCA’s National Concours in Columbus, Ohio. Mr Gilpatrick also campaigned the car in the 1994 and 1995 runnings of the Colorado Grand vintage rally.

In 1997, this rare open-top Ferrari was purchased by Colorado resident Harry Mathews, whose eponymous collection has been noted as one of the world’s largest assemblages of McLaren race cars. Mr Mathews campaigned 3055 GT at the Colorado Grand in 1997 and 1998 before selling the Cabriolet to Dick Belveal, who entered the car in the California Mille, the Colorado Grand and the Copperstate 1000. In addition to the dutiful mechanical upkeep that these events clearly required, Mr Belveal also fastidiously maintained 3055 GT’s cosmetic appearance, garnering a coveted Platinum Award at a 2007 FCA meet in Arizona, which continues to accompany the car today. During its current ownership, the car benefitted from a full bare-metal respray, and having been an Arizona car for so long, 3055 GT proved to be very sound. The current owner also entrusted a marque specialist to give the car a mechanical overhaul to ensure that it is ready to be enjoyed.

Still displaying just approximately 38,000 miles on its odometer, this beautifully preserved PF Cabriolet is a bellwether example that has been sparingly driven and desirably maintained by just a handful of owners over the course of its 51-year life. Its high level of authentic quality is epitomised by the presence of original manuals, parts books, warranty cards and keys. This exquisite Series II Cabriolet is a rare example of Pininfarina’s elegant open-top V-12 Ferrari that is surely among the finest available today.