$25,305,000 Ferrari 250GT Competizione Spider
Monterey’s Crown Jewel
The Monterey auctions of 2025 brought the usual mix of soaring results, quiet disappointments, and shifting tastes. But amid the noise, one car stood head and shoulders above the rest: the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione . While modern hypercars and contemporary exotics made their presence felt, this Ferrari reaffirmed why Monterey remains the premier stage for blue-chip collector cars.
The Legend of the SWB California Spider
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spider was born from both necessity and glamour. Originally conceived at the request of Ferrari’s American dealers, it was meant to satisfy wealthy U.S. clients who wanted a road-going convertible with race-worthy performance. Styled by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the California Spider blended clean Italian elegance with raw performance.
The short wheelbase (SWB) version, introduced in 1960, tightened handling and gave the car a more aggressive stance. But the “Competizione” specification took things even further. These ultra-rare cars featured thin-gauge aluminum bodies to save weight, upgraded disc brakes, a competition gearbox, and a tuned version of the 3.0-liter Colombo V12 producing around 280 to 300 horsepower, enough to push the car past 150 mph. Only a handful of these Competizione Spiders were ever built, and several went on to compete at endurance races like Le Mans, Nürburgring, and Sebring.
Provenance and Exclusivity
The example sold in Monterey carries both pedigree and rarity. With its alloy bodywork, original drivetrain, and factory competition upgrades, it ticks nearly every box collectors covet. Ferrari historians believe fewer than 20 short-wheelbase California Spiders were constructed in Competizione trim, making this one of the rarest variants of an already scarce model line. This scarcity, combined with Ferrari’s iconic 250-series bloodline shared with the GTO, TdF, and Lusso, cements its desirability.
A Historic Result
Pre-sale expectations placed the car “in excess of $20 million.” The final hammer price of $25,305,000 not only shattered that figure but also set two records: the most expensive California Spider ever sold at auction, and the highest-priced car ever handled by Gooding Christie’s (formerly Gooding & Co.).
For perspective, RM Sotheby’s also sold a 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 for $26 million, though that was a charity lot and not reflective of market value. The California Spider’s result, by contrast, was a pure expression of collector demand. It represents the true market ceiling for an alloy-bodied Ferrari road-racer of this caliber.
Market Context
Elsewhere at Monterey, later-model supercars from Ferrari, Pagani, and McLaren showed strength, and charity auctions created headlines of their own. But the mixed performance of certain pre-war classics and 1980s icons highlighted the increasingly selective tastes of buyers. Collectors remain willing to pay extraordinary premiums for cars with racing pedigree, rarity, and unquestioned provenance. The California Spider embodies all three.
Why It Matters
The sale underscores why mid-century Ferraris occupy a category all their own. With its blend of motorsport history, exquisite design, and extreme rarity, the 1961 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione is more than just a car, it is a cultural artifact of the era when Ferrari cemented its reputation as both a racing powerhouse and a builder of timeless road cars.
Monterey 2025 proved once again that when such a car comes to auction, the world takes notice and collectors will pay accordingly.
Photos courtesy of Gooding Christie’s