SANTA MONICA, CA.- International automotive auction house and market leader Gooding Christie's today published the entirety of its Pebble Beach Auctions catalogue, revealing the best-kept secret of the upcoming sale: the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione (Estimate: In Excess of $20,000,000) set to headline the two-day auction event. One of only two alloy-bodied, full competition-specification 250 GT SWB California Spiders built, this offering is among the most significant cars to ever come to public auction. Alongside this California Spider Competizione, the rest of the Gooding Christie's catalogue of offerings will cross the auction block on Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16 at the company's renowned Pebble Beach marquee. To browse all Pebble Beach Auctions lots online, head to goodingco.com, where Gooding Christie's debuts the introduction of bespoke PDF digital catalogues.
“In over two decades of representing the world's most important Ferraris, we've had the privilege of handling nearly every iteration of the California Spider – a perennial favorite among collectors and a true specialty of our firm,” said David Brynan, Senior Specialist at Gooding Christie's. “Without question, 2383 GT stands out as the most significant and compelling example we've ever presented. This car offers the full measure of what makes a great 250 Ferrari so coveted – rarity, beauty, provenance, and originality. It is that elusive collector car that excels on every front: eligible for top-tier concours and historic racing events, yet elegant, usable, and genuinely enjoyable to drive. In every respect, it represents the very best of the best – and as a car that has never before been offered on the public market, it presents a truly exciting and unrepeatable opportunity to acquire a Ferrari masterpiece.”
"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, among the most valuable cars we have ever presented for live auction. Its significance as one of only two alloy-bodied, competition SWB California Spiders cannot be emphasized enough.”
Few cars are as evocative and venerated as the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider. Already a rare and exclusive breed, with just 56 examples built in total, Ferrari constructed three with lightweight aluminum coachwork – and of that trio, only two were built to full competition specification, including this remarkable car on offer, chassis 2383 GT.
Equipped by Carrozzeria Scaglietti with lightweight aluminum bodywork, covered headlamps, and a rare, removable aluminum hardtop, 2383 GT was fitted with a competition-style, quick-release external fuel filler. Originally finished in Grigio Argento (Silver Gray) over blue leather, 2383 GT was a force to be reckoned with, powered by a competition-specification tipo 168 engine. Its 9.5:1 compression ratio is the highest recorded for any SWB California Spider, and its estimated output of 280 hp is approximately 40 hp more than the standard.
2383 GT was delivered new to gentleman racer Ernst Lautenschlager of Stuttgart, Germany, who extensively campaigned his only Ferrari in German and Austrian hill climbs and circuit races. In 1961, he competed at the Preis von Tirol (Innsbruck) and two hill climbs, Schorndorfer and Eberbach, earning two 1st place finishes. His final outing in 2383 GT came at the Solitude GT race in July 1962, where he placed 4th in Class and 11th Overall. The California Spider remained in Germany and Switzerland with a handful of owners before coming to the US in 1968, when it was acquired by pioneering Ferrarista Lee Wilson of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Wilson proudly displayed 2383 GT at a number of FCA events and meets, even loaning it to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum.
In the mid-1980s, 2383 GT was acquired by famed television producer and Ferrari collector Greg Garrison. Save for the 1994 FCA International Concours in Monterey, Mr. Garrison kept 2383 GT in his esteemed collection of one-off Ferraris and largely out of the public eye. The current owner purchased this remarkable Competition California Spider from Mr. Garrison in 1999, and subsequently commissioned Italian master Dino Cognolato with a meticulous restoration. The car was refinished in its current livery of sleek Grigio Fumo (Smoke Gray), a subtle yet elegant choice.
Fittingly, the consignor brought 2383 GT back to Stuttgart, reuniting it with Ernst Lautenschlager and participating in the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge in 2001 (where its first owner looked on). Throughout the 25 years, 2383 GT has remained a centerpiece in one of the world's most admired and respected Ferrari collections. During this time, 2383 GT has been a successful participant in virtually every top-tier event, from the Le Mans Classic to Salon Privé, the Concours of Elegance to Chantilly and the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
This is no “ordinary” California Spider – it is one of only two alloy-bodied, full-competition examples with unique specification, period racing pedigree, distinguished chain of ownership, and outstanding documentation, including Ferrari Classiche certification. Never shown at Pebble Beach or Villa d'Este, nor offered publicly since the mid-1960s, 2383 GT represents the pinnacle of Ferrari motoring. A monumental occasion for Gooding Christie's, the presentation of 2383 GT is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for the collecting world at large.
