(Video features car before the bumpers were fitted)

The only physical Ferrari 250 SWB California Spyder available in the world - serious enquiries only please.

COACHWORK BY SCAGLIETTI

CHASSIS NO. 3163GT
ENGINE NO. 3163GT

34th car out 37 covered headlight models made
Exacting Paul Russell And Company Restoration
Complete With Rare Factory Hardtop
A Ferrari Classiche Certified Matching-Numbers Example
Two-Time FCA Platinum Award Winner
Cavallino Classic Coppa per Dodici Cilindri Award Winner
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Award Winner

On January 12, 1962, this 34th of the 54 short-wheelbase California Spiders was completed at the Ferrari factory. A few weeks later, the certificate of origin was issued and, within a week, Ferrari SEFAC sold the car for 5,500,000 lire. The original owner was listed as Officina Romanazzi ICAR SpA, the prodigious Italian manufacturer of buses and specialized vehicles. It was immediately registered, on Italian license plates reading “Roma 509295.” One of only a few California Spiders delivered to European clients, this car left the factory with the beautifully tailored hardtop specially designed to suit the clean lines of the car.

On July 9, 1965, it found its second owner, Enrico Ruschena, who then sold the car to Biagio Valeri for a 1,000,000-lire profit six months later. The car’s fourth and final Italian owner was Mafalda De Magistris, who purchased the car for a mere 300,000 lire on June 14, 1966. In 1968, the California Spider was imported to the US by William Dixon of Seattle, Washington. It was sold to Mr. Ralph Stefano in the unusual location of Anchorage, Alaska. Mr. Stefano was a mechanical engineer and passionate Ferrari enthusiast who owned a number of great Ferraris including two 500 TRs. By 1970, while in his ownership, the car had been repainted in a dark metallic blue and featured an interior upholstered in tan leather.

Later that year, this Ferrari was sold through Pete Lovely to Jim Selvidge of Seattle who repainted the car in the familiar red. After some time, 3163GT settled with its first California owner, noted collector and automobile aficionado Mark Tuttle of North Hollywood, California. Mr. Tuttle was an enthusiast in the truest sense of the word, and there is no doubt that when he acquired his California Spider in 1977, it was a major accomplishment. As early as the 1970s, there were few classic Ferraris that had the cachet of a California Spider – even then, it was considered one of the great road-going Ferraris and a must-have for any knowledgeable collector. Mr. Tuttle enjoyed the car for the better part of a decade before selling it to noted Ferrari collector Anthony Wang. In 1995, Mr. Wang sold the car to Bruce Vanyo, who in turn sold it to Ervin “Bud” Lyon, also a renowned collector.

Toward the end of 1998, Paul Russell and Company set to work on an exacting restoration that returned the Ferrari to its original grandeur. When it was inspected prior to restoration, the car was found to be a very solid, unblemished example with no major rust or corrosion issues – all fairly commonplace maladies for a 40-year-old Ferrari. No expense was spared in the restoration process and, in typical fashion, every hairline detail was addressed and an enormous amount of care and craftsmanship applied. The attention to detail was such that even the official inscription on the original Italian license plates was faithfully reproduced.

Crowds of spectators and class judges were wowed when the car made its first appearance since restoration at the 1999 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. After receiving a class award in what is always regarded as one of the Concours’ most competitive classes, the California Spider proved that it was no trailer queen, and the next day embarked on a trouble-free 150-mile trip up the California coast.

In January 2000, after participating in the Cavallino Classic tour, this car was awarded the FCA’s vaunted Platinum Award on the lawn of The Breakers Hotel. Not to be outdone, it also earned the Coppa per Dodici Cilindri – the award for the best 12-cylinder Ferrari.

Later that year, 3163GT was sold to an English collector who had the exterior color carefully changed from yellow to silver – a very appropriate and fashionable color for a car of such timeless beauty. In 2005, this California Spider was shown again in FCA competition. Five years after its initial showing, it received its second Platinum Award – a strong testament to the lasting quality of its restoration and the meticulous maintenance that this car has received in recent years. It continued this series of triumphs when it was shown at Amelia Island, capturing a First in Class as well as Best Open Car. Ferrari Classiche program has certified this car – further proof of its authenticity and accuracy. Incredibly rare Miletto shock absorbers are present, the exhaust heat shields are in place, the correct Marelli electrical system is intact and every stamp appears entirely original. The original hardtop is also included in the sale. It is currently in an unrestored state, giving its next owner the opportunity to finish it according to their specific needs and tastes.

In 2009, Paul Russell and Company performed some work on the valves and on the V-12 in general, and tended to a number of small details. A test drive confirmed the stellar performance that is available from this California Spider. It delivers the athletic responses and uncanny performance that have come to be expected of a lightweight Ferrari V-12. The engine has been rebuilt to exact factory specifications that give an accurate impression of how these cars performed 50 years ago.

Like a correctly assembled 250, this car has a remarkably balanced feel behind the wheel, responding instantly to driver inputs while delivering an almost telepathic level of feedback – it gives a generous level of involvement that is sadly lacking from many of its contemporaries. It is simply astonishing that a car engineered and developed in the early 1960s can offer such intuitive and accessible performance.

In its current condition and specification, this Ferrari offers everything one could possibly expect from a California Spider. Not only is 3163GT stunningly presented and superbly prepared, it maintains a spotless history from new and has spent the past 45 years in the collections of the most knowledgeable Ferrari enthusiasts, who have all lavished this California Spider with the utmost care and attention. Anyone who has ever considered adding one of the greatest road-going Ferraris to their stable could scarcely do better than 3163GT.

History:

1962 - Officina Romanazzi ICAR SpA, Roma, I "Roma 509295"
1965/jul/09 - Enrico Ruschena, I
1965 - Biagio Valeri, I
1966/jun/14 - Mafalda De Magistris, I - paid Lit. 300,000.-
1968 - Ralph Stefano Anchorage, AK, USA via William Dixon
1970 - repainted dark blue/tan "MI A13387"
1970 - Jim Selvidge, Seattle, WA, USA
197? - repainted red
1973 - John C. W. Morse, Atlanta, GA, USA
1976 - Harley Cluxton - GTC, AZ, USA
1977 - Mark Tuttle, North Hollywood, CA, USA 7. - re-painted red
1987/feb - Anthony Wang, Boston, MA, USA 95/mar - Bruce Vanyo, SF, CA,
1995/apr - SMC, La Jolla, CA, USA 95/may - Ervin 'Bud' & Thelma Lyon, Kensington, NH, USA
1998 - completely restored by Paul Russell & Co., repainted silver/tan
1999/aug/29 Pebble Beach Concours, class M-1 Bud & Thelma Lyon
2000/jan/21 IX. Cavallino Classic Tour di Palm Beach Bud Lyon C116 p38
2000/jan/22 Platinum IX. Cavallino Classic, class 2 Bud Lyon
2000/jan/22 Coppa Dodici Cilindri IX. Cavallino Classic Bud Lyon 0.
2000 Michael Cantanucci, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
2005/jan/22 Platinum XIV. Cavallino Classic, class 2 Michael Cantanucci
2009/aug/15 - S - Gooding's Pebble Beach auction
2009 Marvin Schein - New York
2013 Chris Evans - UK
2014 Talacrest - UK