Paris, France (4 September 2025) — International collector car auction house Gooding Christie’s has announced a major consignment for its upcoming inaugural European sale, to take place as the official auction partner of Rétromobile in Paris in January 2026. A covered-headlight long-wheelbase Ferrari 250 GT California Spider will be among the headlining offerings at the Paris Auction, held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Gooding Christie’s continues to welcome additional consignments to the sale, subject to approval and availability.

"Gooding Christie’s has established itself as the leading auction house in particular regards to selling the greatest examples of the iconic Ferrari California Spider, as evidenced by the new record achieved only a few weeks prior with the $25+ million Competizione example at Pebble Beach,” said Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding. “We are delighted to offer this highly sought-after, Ferrari Classiche-certified long-wheelbase example with covered headlights for our inaugural Rétromobile Paris Auction, where we will bring our longstanding tradition of presenting the greatest collector car offerings to our international clientele.”

1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider (Estimate Available Upon Request)Completed in July 1958, chassis 0923 GT was the third long-wheelbase Ferrari California Spider built, and one of only 23 originally fitted with the highly coveted covered-headlight treatment. Sold new via John von Neumann’s Ferrari Representatives of California in Hollywood, 0923 GT remained in the Golden State for most of its early life, a quintessential early example of the model built and used as intended. The West Coast counterpart to Luigi Chinetti on the East Coast, von Neumann was a key figure and proponent of the 250 GT California Spider, and is largely credited for pushing Ferrari to conceive and produce the model.

Throughout the decades, this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider belonged to some of the most esteemed collections throughout the globe, including that of Marshall Mathews, who exhibited 0923 GT at the 28th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® in 1978. The California Spider eventually made its way to the UK, and was registered as “BSL 175” by the late 1990s. It would go on to be shown at the Ferrari Owners’ Club Annual Concours at Broughton Castle in 1999, and was later entered in the Goodwood Revival Meeting that same year. Its concours pedigree continued to shine into the new millennium, with appearances at the Louis Vuitton Concours at the Hurlingham Club in 2000, as well as the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Today, this LWB California Spider presents beautifully throughout, offered with Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification. Throughout its lifetime, it has been well-documented in key Ferrari literature as an important early California Spider, appearing both in George Carrick’s The Spyder California (1976) and Stanley Nowak’s Ferrari Spider California (1990). This elegant California Spider will be headlining Gooding Christie’s inaugural Paris Auction during the 50th edition of Salon Rétromobile in early 2026. This coming weekend, it will be displayed from 5-7 September at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, where Gooding Christie’s continues to serve as an official auction partner. Gooding Christie’s is actively consigning for the upcoming Paris auction; global clientele are encouraged to reach out to the specialist team at their earliest convenience to inquire about selling their vehicles at the inaugural European sale. Additional details for the Paris Auction will be made available in coming weeks via Gooding Christie’s website and digital platforms.

(Press Release)