Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 1 Pininfarina
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Car producer : |
Ferrari |
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Model: |
250 GT Cabriolet Series 1 Pininfarina |
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Year: |
1958-1959 |
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Type: |
Cabriolet |
The original 250 GT Cabriolet Pininfarina Series I used the 2,600 mm (102.4 in) wheelbase and the body was styled differently from the Berlinetta. It is to the emergent, dynamic and at the time only two-year-old Italian coachbuilding company, Carrozzeria Boano, that credit should go for reviving 1950s interest in Cabriolet convertible coachwork upon Ferrari chassis. The very first 250 GT Cabriolet was built by Boano in time for the 1956 Geneva Salon de l'Automobile exhibition. Its unveiling there coincided with that of the first Ferrari to launch genuine series production – a Pinin Farina Coupe built in a small production series by the same Boano company. Cars left the factory on either 165R400 or 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato tyres (CA67).
Boano's Cabriolet was subsequently displayed by Luigi Chinetti – Ferrari's legendary American East Coast importer – at the New York Show. The car found a ready buyer, and meantime Pinin Farina had taken notice of interest in these convertible cars, producing its own Cabriolet that was launched to the public at the following year's Geneva Salon, in March 1957. This very functional and rather sporty-looking styling exercise featured a functional notch in the crest of the left-side door, to give space for the driver's elbow while the waistline thereafter kicked-up into the rear fender peak. While that dream car was finished in Italian red for its debut, it was quickly resprayed green and became Ferrari's British works driver Peter Collins's personal car. It was subsequently fitted by Dunlop with British-made disc brakes – and they in turn would be adapted one day to enhance a works-team Testa Rossa sports-racing machine.
Pinin Farina continued to develop the notion of a 3-litre V12-engined Ferrari Cabriolet, first with a rather exotic and even more sporty-looking Spyder, followed by a more sober prototype street version. The group of four Speciale 250 GT Cabriolet prototypes finally culminated in a green-finished example, sold to Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan in May 1957.
The first 'true production' 250 GT Cabriolet Pinin Farina was then delivered in mid-summer 1957 to American, Mr Oscar 'Ozzie' Olson, later sponsor of the Indy-racing Olsonite Eagles. His Cabriolet's flanks were devoid of the air vents that had adorned the preceding prototypes, and this more discreet style was adopted for the vast majority of the 20-plus examples which quickly followed.
About 36 examples were produced before a second series was shown at Paris in 1959. These later cars had more in common with the production Berlinetta.
