Ferrari Brought Its 250 GT California Spyder From the Dead
Carlos Kirby
· 3 min read
Let's face it,
luxury cars
like Ferraris stir up all kinds of emotions. Appreciation. Amazement. And yes, maybe even a little envy. It's understandable if you feel all those things when you learn that there is a revival in the works for the 1960 Ferrari
250 GT SWB California Spyder.But how exactly does a vehicle revival work? Are these revived Spyders any different from the original cars?
The 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder revival starts with a donor car
GTO Engineering is the mastermind behind the Spyder revival. The UK-based company has built a reputation as world-renowned Ferrari enthusiasts and restorers.
CarBuzz
recently interviewed GTO Engineering's Founder and Managing Director, Mark Lyon, to get all the details. According to Lyon, a California Spyder Revival all starts with a donor car. From there, over 1500 man-hours are spent restoring and building the vehicle. Under the hood, a 3.0-liter V12 engine and a four-speed manual gearbox come standard. If the buyer opts for customization, 3.5 and 4.0-liter engines and a five-speed manual transmission are available.
The donor car, customization options, and shipping dictate the final price tag for these revived Spyders, which ranges from $1.03 million to $1.1 million.
That's a relative steal for a Spyder because the same CarBuzz article reported that an original 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder recently sold for almost $18 million.
The Spyder is the latest revival project for GTO Engineering. The company has also brought back revivals of the 250 SWB and the 250 TR.
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Are the revivals different from the original car?
MORE: Rare, Mint Condition, Classic Cars Sold at Monterey Car Week
GTO Engineering knows not to mess with a good thing. That’s why they are trying to replicate the original spec. The original California Spyders also had a 3.0-liter V12 engine and a four-speed manual transmission
The California Spyder's popularity and revered status in the car collector world stem from its rarity. According to
Hemmings
, roughly 100 California Spyders were produced from late 1957 through 1962. For now, GTO Engineering isn't saying how many Spyder revivals have been ordered or how many they plan to produce.
No Ferrari Spyders were harmed in the making of this film
It's hard to believe that it's been almost 40 years since movie-goers watched in horror as a California Spyder plummeted to its demise. That famous scene was from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which was released in 1986.
Of course, that vehicle was, as Hemmings calls it, a "Fauxrari." The car we see falling over the edge of the house was actually a stunt double of sorts. It was just a fiberglass shell with a Ford engine.
If there's one thing we learned from that scene in Ferris Bueller, it's that accidents happen. That's why you need insurance. Compare prices online and shop in a no-pressure environment at
Jerry
.
