Back in January, a replica Ferrari 250 GT California Spider used in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off sold for almost $400,000. But next month, the real deal will be up for sale, and it will assuredly garner much more than that – somewhere around 20 times the price.
On March 6 at Gooding & Company’s 11th Annual Amelia Island Auction, the feature car will be an authentic 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider. This car is the seventh of just 50 long-wheelbase California Spiders built between 1957 and 1963, and it sports features of the earliest examples, such as one-piece side vents, Tour de France-style taillights and a distinctive rear-end treatment. It also has the rare covered headlights and a factory hard top.
The Ferrari was first sold in Geneva and changed hands a few times before coming to California, where it underwent a full, concours-worthy restoration in 2005 by Tillack & Co., and it is indeed in pristine condition. In fact, it won a class award in 2007 at Pebble Beach and a Platinum Award and Judges Cup at the 2008 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. On top of all that, it’s also certified by the Ferrari Classiche Department, an official stamp of approval from the brand itself.
That level of rarity and quality comes with a price, of course; it’s expected to fetch between $9 million and $11 million. Is it worth the money? Perhaps Ferris Bueller himself said it best: “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
*Images courtesy of Gooding & Co. and Brian Henniker
