Gooding Christie’s returns for its 21st year as the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, presenting the 2025 Pebble Beach Auctions on August 15 and 16. Held at the Parc du Concours, the event will bring together the world’s foremost car collectors, buyers, and sellers for a two-day auction featuring over 180 exceptional lots.
The undeniable stars of the catalogue are three unprecedented Ferrari 250 GT California Spiders, headlined by the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione — one of just two alloy-bodied, full competition-spec examples ever built. In addition to this treasure, Gooding Christie’s has unveiled a rare 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, finished in its striking factory Nocciola over Tobacco livery, and the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototipo, the original model that launched the iconic California Spider series.
“It is a privilege to bring this remarkable offering to auction at Pebble Beach, and I am confident that this sale will be an important, market-defining milestone in the collecting world for years to come,” said Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding. “This year’s sale features three spectacular, distinctive California Spiders, led by 2383 GT, one of the most valuable cars we have ever presented.”
Here’s a closer look at these Ferraris:
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione (Estimate: In Excess of $20,000,000)
Among the rarest and most historically significant Ferraris ever built, chassis 2383 GT represents the ultimate evolution of the celebrated 250 GT California Spider. As one of only two alloy-bodied examples constructed to full competition specification, this SWB Spider superbly expresses Ferrari’s dual mastery of road and race car development during the early 1960s.
In April 1961, Carrozzeria Scaglietti fitted the Spider with lightweight aluminum bodywork, covered headlights, a removable hardtop, and a quick-release external fuel filler. Resplendent in its original finish of Grigio Argento over blue leather, the car was delivered new to gentleman racer Ernst Lautenschlager via Auto Becker in Düsseldorf.
Unlike the standard road-going SWB Spiders, 2383 GT was engineered for pure competition. Its tipo 168 V-12 engine features high-lift tipo 130 camshafts, Testa Rossa-type cylinder heads, triple Weber 40 DCL6 carburetors, and a competition-spec Abarth exhaust, producing an estimated 280 bhp — approximately 40 hp more than a standard California Spider. A ribbed 4-speed gearbox, oversized 120-liter fuel tank, Borrani RW3591 wire wheels, and upgraded suspension with Miletto shocks completed its racing configuration.
Lautenschlager, an amateur boxer-turned-entrepreneur and rally competitor, campaigned 2383 GT extensively in German and Austrian hill climbs and circuit events, often under the pseudonym “Luciano Conti.” Between 1961 and 1962, he secured multiple class victories, including wins at Schorndorfer, Eberbach, and in the Preis von Tirol, before selling the car to fellow racer Wolfgang Seidel.
Following a brief stint of several European owners, the Spider arrived in the U.S. in 1968 and joined the esteemed collection of Ferrari enthusiast Lee Wilson. Renowned TV producer Greg Garrison later acquired the car for his world-class stable of Ferraris. In 1999, it was purchased by the current owner, a noted Ferrari connoisseur.
Restored by Dino Cognolato with input from Ferrari historian Jean Sage, 2383 GT has been refinished in Grigio Fumo and shown at leading concours and historic races, including the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge.
Certified by Ferrari Classiche and retaining its original chassis, body, engine, gearbox, and differential, this competition car embodies Maranello’s golden era. Combined with its unparalleled pedigree, race history, and provenance, it's clear to see that 2383 GT is not simply a California Spider – it is the California Spider.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (Estimate: $8,000,000 – $10,000,000)
From glamorous film sets to the garages of Italy’s elite, chassis 2277 GT carries a history that reflects the unique cultural impact of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider. This particular example stands apart for its one-off factory livery, celebrity ownership, and appearances in several iconic Italian films.
Completed in January 1961 and delivered new to noted Milanese publisher and Ferrari VIP client Dino Fabbri, this California Spider was originally finished in the elegant shade of Nocciola over Tobacco leather. It is believed to be the only SWB Spider completed in this distinctive color combination.
In true California Spider tradition, chassis 2277 GT was equipped with three Weber 40 DCL6 carburetors, Miletto shocks, an Abarth exhaust, and Pirelli Cinturato tires on Borrani wire wheels. Under the hood, the Tipo 168/61 V-12 produced 240 bhp at 7,000 rpm, paired with a 4-speed gearbox and Dunlop servo-assisted disc brakes.
Fabbri’s California Spider passed to the celebrated pop singer and actor “Little Tony,” whose flamboyant lifestyle matched the car’s rakish lines. Registered in San Marino, chassis 2277 GT was repainted in a pale metallic green during his ownership and famously appeared in his 1967 film Riderà! (Cuore Matto).
In subsequent years, the Spider changed hands among Italian enthusiasts and made notable cameos in two more films: La Più Bella Coppia del Mondo and Sissignore, the latter featuring a dramatic high-speed chase with a Lamborghini Miura. In 1968, it was imported to the United States and eventually became part of William Caldwell’s Long Island stable. He retained the Ferrari for a decade, even fitting a hardtop sourced through a New York Times classified ad.
Over the decades, chassis 2277 GT passed through several respected collectors in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Most recently, it has been restored to its original Nocciola and Tobacco livery and is accompanied by Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification, a Marcel Massini history report, and period literature.
Blending rarity, originality, and cinematic pedigree, 2277 GT is among the most fascinating SWB California Spiders in existence — a rolling testament to mid-century Italian style.
1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototipo (Estimate: $7,500,000 – $9,000,000)
The car that started it all: chassis 0769 GT is the original Ferrari California Spider prototype – built, photographed, and campaigned by Ferrari as the launch platform for what would become one of the most revered sports cars of all time.
Commissioned at the request of American distributors Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann, the California Spider was envisioned as a dual-purpose open-top Ferrari for the U.S. market. To bring the idea to life, Ferrari selected chassis 0769 GT, a Tipo 508C platform mated to a Tipo 128C Colombo V-12. The driveline was a prototype itself, with a reverse-pattern 4-speed gearbox and non-limited-slip differential.
Carrozzeria Scaglietti was tasked with the bodywork, blending elements from the Tour de France Berlinetta with cues from the Series I Cabriolet. The result was an aggressive, simplified roadster with covered headlights, a bold hood scoop, and unique body lines that would never be replicated. The car’s sharp front fenders and reverse-cut hood scoop marked it immediately as something special, an experiment in design that informed every California Spider to follow.
Photographed in Ferrari’s botanical gardens and featured in early marketing materials, 0769 GT was the face of the new model. It was delivered in January 1958 to George Arents, a major U.S. Ferrari patron, who road-tested and lightly raced the prototype in Florida.
Later exported to Puerto Rico, the car earned two 1st place finishes at local events before being stored for decades. Restoration began in the U.S. in the 1980s, with efforts culminating in the mid-2000s when Ferrari Classiche authenticated the car and reunited it with its original engine, identified by the internal number “058C.”
Under the stewardship of a respected Ferrari collector, 0769 GT underwent a concours restoration by Rare Drive Inc. of New Hampshire. The car reemerged to worldwide acclaim, taking First in Class at Pebble Beach, Best in Class at Amelia Island, and Best in Class at the Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary “Rosso 70” Concours in Maranello.
Documented by Ferrari historians Alan Boe and Marcel Massini and featured on the cover of Cavallino magazine, 0769 GT is not just a rare Ferrari — it is the first California Spider.
A cornerstone of Ferrari history, this prototype offers collectors a singular opportunity to acquire the origin story of a legend, wrapped in one of the most captivating bodies ever crafted by Scaglietti.
The online catalogue can be viewed here. The auctions will take place on Friday, August 15, at 4:00 p.m. PDT, and Saturday, August 16, at 11:00 a.m. PDT at the Pebble Beach Parc du Concours. Bidders may participate online or in person, but registration is required.
