Unrestored and All-Original 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Is a Million-Dollar Garage Find

Back in 2022, a 1962 250 GT emerged out of long-term storage in New York. A numbers-matching car, the convertible had been ignored for several years and needed a complete restoration. Less than two years have passed since then, and a second 250 GT Series II Cabriolet popped up for sale in similar condition.

This time around, it's an earlier version produced for the 1960 model year. More importantly, it had a couple of famous owners and it's been featured in one of the most iconic films of the 1960s.

One of only 200 Series II models built from 1959 to 1962, this Pininfarina-designed drop-top was delivered new to Prince Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli of Rome, Italy. The Ferrari was finished in Grigio Conchiglia (shell grey). "Dado" drove the car for about a year. Starting in 1961, the 250 GT changed ownership twice before being purchased by famed American actor Robert Wagner.

In 1964, while still in Wagner's ownership, the Ferrari was featured in the comedy film The Pink Panther. The drop-top appears in an absurd car chase in which a jewel thief in a gorilla costume uses it to evade Inspector Clouseau.

Five years later, the Ferrari was shipped overseas to an Italian car dealer in San Francisco. In 1979, the 250 GT found its way into the garage of Donald Nichols, an employee of Berkeley-based Ferrari specialist Griswold & Co. Mr. Nichols disassembled the car in preparation for a complete restoration. However, life got in the way, and the convertible remained untouched to this day.

Presented as it emerged from Mr. Nichols' garage, the 250 GT has been documented by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. Still stripped off the paint, but with most of its components still in place, the Ferrari is highly original and still has its numbers-matching 3.0-liter V12 engine under the hood. The four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive showcases a similar status. The combo delivered 240 horsepower at 7,000 rpm when it was new.

Arguably one of the most exciting Ferrari discoveries in recent years, the 250 GT Series II Cabriolet will go under the hammer at Gooding and Company's 2024 Amelia Island Auctions event on February 29 - March 1. The Ferrari is estimated to change hands for $1 to $1.3 million. For reference, restored examples have been selling at auction for more than $1 million over the past five years. The current record holder, a fully restored, numbers-matching 1969 Series II, found a new home for $1.6 million at Pebble Beach Auctions in 2022.