Only around one hundred genuine 250GT Spyder California's were created by Ferrari between 1958 and 1963. Existing examples are very rare and expensive so Paramount chose to commission and build a replica for filming purposes.
The film follows Ferris (Matthew Broderick) and two of his friends skipping high school for a day and borrowing the Spyder California from his father. Finally, the car ends up crashed. The film, starring this iconic car, was a huge hit (grossing over $70million in the US) and Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Styled by Pininfarina, the car was also a highly capable competition machine, as was demonstrated by Ginther/Hively winning their class at the Sebring 12 Hours in March 1958 on their way to finishing 9th overall, and Grossman/Tavano finishing 5th overall at Le Mans in June.
According to Bonhams, the example on offer, estimated in this auction at £30,000-40,000, is ready to drive.
Other sale highlights include a Concours 1939 SS Jaguar 2½-litre Three-Position Drophead Coupé (£90,000 – 110,000), 1968 AC 428 Coupé by Frua (£50,000 – 70,000), a stable of Bentleys which include 1997 Bentley Continental T (£45,000 – 55,000) and a 1962 Bentley S3 LWB (£35,000 – 40,000).
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