1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sets new model record

A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider topped the Saturday session of Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach auction on August 16.

It sold for $15.8m, a world record sum for the model.

Ferrari Gooding
Gooding & Company's Saturday session at Pebble Beach realised total sales of $60.4m

The car, one of only 56 built, was designed specifically for the US market and is among the marque's most sought after, with a 1958 example making $8.8m at RM Auctions in January.

It's a reimagining of the enormously popular 250 GT Berlinetta, an example of which set a new world record for any car at auction at Bonhams' Carmel Lodge sale on August 15.   

David Gooding, president of the auction house, commented: "We had one of the most successful one-day sales in our history and saw tremendous excitement surrounding the sale of the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.

"It's incredible that Saturday's results do not yet take into account many of our star attractions including the 1966 Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale Tre Posti and the 1939 Alfa Romeo Tipo 256 Cabriolet Sportivo, which will both be featured at our auction following the Concours on Sunday."

Elsewhere at Pebble Beach, Mecum Auctions sold a 1961 Ferrari 250 Series II Cabriolet for $2.2m, while a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM achieved $7.7m at Bonhams.

We have this racing jacket worn by actor and racing enthusiast Paul Newman.

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