The Ferrari 250 GT LWB was aptly named the Ferrari 250 Gran Turismo Spyder California. Others know it as the Ferrari 250 California with a body designed by Pininfarina. A star in many movies, it is one of the most iconic Ferrari's ever built. While it carries the name Spyder, it wasn’t designed as one but was instead a convertible version of the Berlinetta. Under the hood was a V12 engine designed by Gioachino Colombo. This engine resulted in a 250 GT LWB horsepower of 240hp at 7000 rpms. It was available with both a long wheelbase and short wheelbase version. Our focus today will be on the LWB which saw production from the years 1957 to 1960. The 250 GT LWB price can be sky-high as we will see later in our 250 GT LWB review. So, if you are ready, let's dive straight in!
Back in the racing hay days of Ferrari, another market had taken note of the Ferrari’s performance and was looking to get a piece of the pie; the American car buyers. Convertible Ferrari models sold well in America and two of the major dealers on the west coast - Luigi Chinetti and Jon Von Neumann urged Ferrari to build a car that was sportier but still a convertible designed exclusively for the American market. They ensured Enzo Ferrari that the American market would take well to a hardtop race car version and that there was a niche the 250 GT Cabriolet just couldn’t fill. Enzo was skeptical at first as the 250 GT cabriolet was a popular hit in the European market but later conceded and developed the GT LWB. But you might be wondering, where was the 250 GT LWB made? The car was assembled at the company Factory in Modena, Italy. In 1960 Ferrari showcased the 250 GT LWB at the Geneva International Motor Show. This new car had a wheelbase of 2600mm. While this doesn’t take the title of the most limited model ever built, the 250 GT LWB was still a limited production car with just 50 units made. Let’s now take a closer look at the design and build of this awesome sports car as we dive deeper into our Ferrari 250 GT LWB review. But first…if you are looking to buy a car, then you probably know how hectic the process can become. Luckily Exotic Car Trader is here to help. We will guide you through every step in the process, taking away the hassle and ensuring that your car is delivered to your doorstep regardless of your state.
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The 250 GT had a V12 naturally aspirated engine with 2 overhead camshafts and 2 valves per cylinder. Both the engine block and the cylinder heads were constructed out of a light alloy. It was designed by Gioachino Colombo and is the same engine that was given to all the models in the 250 series. The banks sat at a 60-degree angle apart from each other with the engine having a total displacement of 2953 cc with a 73mm bore and 58.8mm of stroke. It was fed by a trio of Weber carburetors. The V12 could give the 250 GT LWB horsepower and torque figures of 240hp and 181 lb-ft respectively, and was one motor that proved to not just be reliable but available as well. The Colombo V12 was mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox with a rear-wheel-drive configuration which resulted in a 250 GT LWB top speed of 152 mph and a 250 GT LWB 0-60 of 6.2 seconds. As for the engine design it featured spark plugs that were outside the V allowing for much easier maintenance. The gearbox also featured an overdrive. Two side vents received air from the front air intake as well as three slots situated just behind the front wheels that served to ventilate the engine. Overall, the 250 GT LWB weight stood at 1100 Kilograms. Are you searching for a car online? Start by learning the process and ensure that your purchase goes smoothly by checking out ECT online car buying guide.
There is not much to say about the 250 GT LWB interior as the 250 GT LWB interior design didn’t feature many accessories and was pretty much spartan. The seats were however comfortable and featured leather upholstery. There were seven dials on the dash that included the rev counter, oil temperature gauge, engine temperature gauge, and tachometer. These were situated behind the steering wheel. Speaking of, the steering wheel had a three-spoke aluminum and wood design. Looking to sell your car? Check out Exotic Car Trader, create your listing, and start receiving calls.
The Ferrari 250 GT was an instant hit and had an exterior design that looked very similar to the 250 GT Cabriolet. However, the 250 GT LWB exterior design was what many would describe as fluid lines from the front to the wings and an aggressive shark grille at the front. Since the 250 GT was designed inspired by the Berlinetta, it also comes with plenty of similar features such as the recess that is in front of the front wheels. However, the 250 GT LWB featured a more sloping windscreen. The car was built by hand by Carrozzeria Scaglietti in Modena. At the front were Marchal headlights which were covered in plexiglass. The fog lights were housed inside the grille. That said there wasn’t much thought on where to place the license plates and each customer had to improvise on their own. But how do you even tell the 250 GT LWB design apart from the SWB version? Well, one way is by the air intakes with the SWB having more recessed ones than the LWB. For one there was no chrome around the headlights on the LWB but that was often the case with the SWB. This wasn’t always the case though as some LWB featured chrome around the headlights. On the taillights was chrome going across the middle in the LWD. This wasn’t the case with the SWB as it didn’t feature any chrome cutting across the taillights. They both however featured chrome around the taillights. The LWB also came with straight door handles and a button that made the handle pop out while the SWB door handle featured a curve on one end. You can also spot differences between the long wheelbase and the short wheelbase when looking at the cars from the side. The LWD also featured four gaps on its side vents while the SWB had only three.
The 250 GT LWB technology included a similar chassis design to the Berlinetta. However, it also featured an independent suspension as well as coil springs. There was a rigid axle in the back that was held by leaf springs. It also had link shocks and in the 250 GT LWB, the Houdaille shocks were replaced by Telescopic shocks. The chassis still retained that signature tubular design by Ferrari. The doors however were constructed from aluminum while the rest of the body was built from steel. Initially, the wheels came with drum brakes but these were later replaced by disc brakes from Dunlop. If you are searching for a car, look no further than Exotic Car Trader. Our huge listing guarantees that you’ll find the perfect car for you.
Being a limited-edition build, and carrying such favor with buyers of its time owing to its amazingly good looks and superior performance, the Ferrari 250 GT LWB still garners even more admiration and is a sought-after vehicle for car enthusiasts, collectors and connoisseurs. So how much is a 250 GT LWB worth, you might ask? Well, you can expect the price of the 250 GT LWB to get into the millions. And this price will also depend to a large extent on the trim level as the 50 units would also come with some unique differences. The 23rd unit of the 50 units built by Ferrari for instance, was sold at an auction for $8,500,000. This car was sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015 Auction and was previously owned by Prince Alvise Hercolani, Ed Niles, and Wolfgang Siedel. Another unit was sold for $7,700,000 at the Scottsdale Auctions 2015 by Gooding & Company. Yet another unit sold for $8,800,000. This particular car was sold by Gerald Roush and Anthony Wang at the 2014 Arizona by RM Auctions. If you want to get your hands on a Ferrari 250 GT LWB, then it’s clear by now that you have a few, or a lot, millions lying around.
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The Ferrari 250 GT LWB doesn’t just appeal to car enthusiasts because it was a limited production car but also because it has a stunning classic design and excellent performance. And today, car connoisseurs and collectors are willing to pay huge sums to own one and we are talking into the millions.
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