Until the 250 GT Pininfarina was launched, Ferrari model production numbers ranged from a few-handfuls to slightly less than 100 copies. Many were customized to buyers’ tastes. By the mid-1950s, the company knew it needed to sell more road-going models both to buttress its finances and to strike a balance between sportiness and luxury for customers who wanted a touring vehicle. The 250 GT Europa/Boano/Ellena sequence led Ferrari to hire Pinin Farina to design and build its next series. Pinin Farina was about to open a new plant to upgrade its capacity, which would be suitable for the numbers Ferrari contemplated. The first versions of its cabriolet – with glass-enclosed headlights, a svelte rear end, and sinuous sheet metal in between, still gave the impression of “sporty first, comfort second”. Just 40 first-series cabriolets were built before a re-design. The new car had stand-up headlamps, more cabin space, vent windows, and a slightly larger trunk. An example of this elegant tourer will be offered by Gooding at its February 29/March 1 Amelia Island auction: this 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet is one of 200 made and its illustrious provenance includes an appearance in the 1964 Pink Panther movie while the car was owned by Robert Wagner. Delivered in a grey-over-red color combination, the car’s body number and driveline correspond to a different 250 GT cabriolet – a happenstance that has no good explanation but is assumed to have occurred during production. The car was found in a California garage, having been dismantled for restoration some thirty years ago. The estimate is $1.0 to $1.3 million.

Ferrari chose its tried and true Columbo sixty-degree 3.0-liter V12 to occupy the engine bay, but for the time being, this one’s engine is apart. Its three down-draught Webers can be seen in the parts pile, along with the crank, sump, and exhaust manifolds. The new owner will be rebuilding this 240 hp powerplant and more than likely, its four-speed synchromesh/overdrive gearbox. By 1959, the 250 GT was supplied with four-wheel disc brakes. Performance was more than adequate: zero to sixty came in at 6.2 seconds and top speed was around 150 mph.

Inside, remnants of that rich red leather remain. Its seats are with the car and are upholstered in tan rather than red, but who cares. Everything needs complete refurbishment here anyway. The trunk still contains the spare, but we can bet all those Borrani’s will need to be refurbished or replaced. The full set of Veglia gauges is present, along with an Autovox radio.

This Ferrari is many months and cubic dollars away from its first drive in thirty years. For the buyer who doesn’t want to wait to complete a restoration, a modicum of patience could net a nice alternative. Here in England is a lovely Blu over Tan example awaiting a new owner who’s willing to pay £1,495,000; last month this example failed to sell at $1.65 million, so it’s still available. Neither of these has the albatross of mismatched numbers, but neither starred in Pink Panther, either. I’ll be a bit surprised if this meets the low end of the estimate; what do you think?

* Copyright and Courtesy of Gooding & Company, Images by Brian Henniker.