GTO Engineering California Spider Revival revealed
Ferrari’s legendary ’60s roadster joins GTO’s range of 250 recreations
British-based GTO Engineering has revealed its latest 250 Revival derivative, this time recreating the iconic California Spider as a new-build model that’ll join its 250 SWB and 250 TR offerings. For those not already initiated with GTO Engineering’s methods, these cars are built from an existing Ferrari chassis, with a new body, engine and interior overlaid to recreate these rare 250 models.
The new California Spider Revival is, as its name suggests, a recreation of the roadster built by Ferrari from 1957 on both long- and short-wheelbase 250 chassis, predominantly for the American market. GTO Engineering made the decision to recreate the new model only in its short-wheelbase form, specifically in the 1960 specification that is the most desirable and therefore most valuable.
Various other elements of the final specification are built to the owner’s discretion, with GTO Engineering offering 3, 3.5 or 4-litre versions of the classic Colombo V12 engine it manufactures and builds itself from original drawings. As with many elements of these revival models, the engine takes the fundamentals of the original but buffs out the rough edges that more than 60 years of advancements in mechanical engineering can tighten up without changing the inherent character.
The body is hand-formed buck-aluminium as on the original, adhering to the SWB design, with elements like the grille shroud, exterior brightwork and bumpers all hand-finished to create an as-new quality beyond the standards of the originals from Maranello.
Prices for the Revival series cars vary depending on the donor vehicle and final specification, but generally sit between £750,000 and £850,000, making it a comparative bargain next to the originals, which often trade for seven or even eight-figure sums. GTO will not limit the build numbers, but considering the quality of its execution, we’d suggest under-subscription won’t be an issue.
