The Ultimate California Spyder:

The Ferrari 365 California Spyder was announced in parallel with the 330 GTC at the 1966 Geneva Salon. It was the ultimate Ferrari of its day, the flagship for which only Ferraris most loyal and valued VIP clients were eligible. Production totalled only 14 examples, each being hand crafted at the Pininfarina works in Turin, and Ferrari factory at Maranello. All 14 were built for the super-rich, people who inhabited that rarefied air in which bespoke deals were done with the utmost discretion. Used to being able to get exactly what they wanted, they would have looked at a ‘run of the mill’ 250 GT or 275 and decided that they wanted something a little more special, more individual, more befitting of their status.

The ‘California Spyder’ nomenclature is most commonly associated with the 250 GT series of cars, of which around 100 examples were made, predominantly for the US market. Whilst the 365 California Spyder was visually and technically a departure from the 250 GT series cars, it maintained the same philosophy, to be the ultimate Ferrari GT Spyder.

Using the same well-developed chassis as the 500 Superfast before it, the 365 California Spyder was then wrapped in an evolutionary Spyder body by Pininfarina, culminating in Ferraris most expensive road car of the time. This model is also considered to be one of the last great coach built Ferraris, encompassing unique elements such as the covered headlights, pop-up driving lights and door handles which suggest a mid-engine layout. Another unique feature to this model is the angular tail styling, a big departure from any previous traditional designs.

The mechanical DNA of this model is also very significant, it is the first road-going Ferrari model offered with the 4390 cc V12 Colombo engine. It features a single overhead camshaft per bank and was assigned the factory type reference 217B, featuring a bore and stroke of 81mm X 71mm and ‘outside plugs’. The engine was coupled to a five-speed all synchromesh gearbox, with drive taken through a propeller shaft to a rigid rear axle.

This California Spyder:

The beautifully elegant Ferrari 365 California Spyder we have pleasure in offering you is chassis number 10327. The chassis frame entered the Carrozzeria Pininfarina plant in Torino on 5^th November 1966 and once the bodywork was complete, the car returned to the Ferrari factory in Maranello where assembly was finished on 27^th July 1967. This the penultimate of only 14 examples built. The car was immediately destined for the American market with Ferrari issuing its invoice, number 2131/67, to Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc in Greenwich, Connecticut on 19^th September 1967. The car was specified with air conditioning, power steering, power-operated windows, safety belts and a Blaupunkt radio with electric antenna. A copy of the Ferrari invoice is supplied in the cars history file, also confirming the sale price to be 12,050 Italian Lire. The car was painted in the same elegant colour combination it retains to this day, Rosso 2664901 A.It. over a Pelle Bianca “Molitan” M interior.

In early October 1967, this car was sold to its first owner, the Electric Regulator Company (ERC) which was owned by Mr Arthur Cohen. The company was founded in 1945 to manufacture regulators for motor-generator sets and was also based in Connecticut. It is believed that in 1968 the left front of the car was damaged with Luigi Chinetti purchasing the required replacement parts directly from Pinincar, the parts department at Pininfarina, on 28^th February 1968.

James Ettinger was the cars second owner, also based in Connecticut, taking ownership in September 1970, before passing it to Harley E. Cluxton III, of Grand Touring Cars Inc in 1978. At the request of Ferrari SpA, Grand Touring Cars Inc. was first incorporated in Chicago in 1972, by former racing driver and attorney Harley E. Cluxton III. The youngest exclusive Authorized Ferrari Dealer in the United States at age 26, Mr. Cluxton relocated GTC to Phoenix, Arizona in 1973, at which time he was also awarded the Lamborghini contract for the Western United States. Harley E. Cluxton III was also a successful racing driver who entered the Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours, and eventually the famed Le Mans 24 Hours in 1975.

Grand Touring Cars Inc overhauled the car and sold it soon after to JPD Wholesale, owned by Ed Superfon in Los Angeles, California. In 1979, the car was also photographed and featured in an article written by Ferrari aficionado Gerald Roush for the Ferrari magazine, Cavallino.

In the 1980’s the car was bought by Al Garthwaite, who in 1972 formed a partnership with Luigi Chinetti to become the importer for Ferrari, covering the entire eastern half of the United States. Garthwaite registered this car on Pennsylvanian license plate ‘ALGAR 3’.

The car next appeared with Mike Sheehan in 1993 who sold 10327 on behalf of Al Garthwaite to Steve Hamilton in Reno, Nevada. In 1997 Hamilton confirmed to Mike Sheehan that the car had now covered 33,000 miles and he was having the car repainted. Motor Klassik then featured chassis 10327 in the October 1998 edition of its magazine.

The car later passed to Charles Bronson who also had the interior retrimmed in tan leather with matching carpets in February 2002. In late 2005 Patrick Ottis performed a major service on the car prior to its sale via Bruce Trenery’s Fantasy Junction in Berkley, California. Over the late 2000’s the car passed through auction before passing to its previous owner.

Most notably on 18^th June 2014 chassis 10327 was awarded its much-coveted Ferrari Certificato di autenticita. The Ferrari Classiche Certification process confirms the car to retain all its original major mechanical components including its chassis, engine, gearbox, differential and body. The certification also confirmed the car is presented entirely in its original colour combination of Rosso over Pelle Bianca “Molitan” M interior.

The car we are offering here is matching-numbers with known history from new, it has been Ferrari Certified and is unquestionably one of the finest examples of the limited few 365 California Spyders built. Still in fabulous condition, this is one of Ferrari’s rarest coach built road cars. With its competition derived 320 horsepower 4.4-litre engine and gorgeous Pininfarina body, it would be welcome to all the great Ferrari events around the world, in this its 50^th anniversary year.

Price: SOLD