1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet
- Engine
- 2.95L SOHC V12, three Weber 36 DCS carburetors, ~240 bhp
- Colour
- Red with brown leather interior
Chassis 1213 GT is the prototype and first of 200 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolets, built before the last Series I example and featuring unique details — side louvers, a hood scoop, windscreen-mounted mirror, and Dunlop disc brakes — that distinguish it from all subsequent cars. Originally finished in black and then repainted grey at the factory, the car spent its first two decades in Portugal and Spain before being imported to the United States in 1981. It underwent a full restoration in the early 1990s and has been an active road car ever since, with its engine fully rebuilt in 1997.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,320,000
- → 1963Factory deliveryMaria Amelia da Silva José DeMelopartial documentation
First registered owner, based in Lisbon; spouse of a co-owner of the Portuguese Alfa Romeo and Peugeot import business. Car delivered approximately one month after factory completion.
- 1963 →Private saleCarlos Marcelino Correia Sabino Pereirapartial documentation
Lisbon-based owner who held the car roughly two years before exchanging it for a new Jaguar at a local dealership.
- → 1966Private saleA.M. Almeida dealershippartial documentation
Portuguese dealer that received the car as a trade-in and had it repainted red before selling it on.
- 1966 → 1966Private saleLuis das Nevespartial documentation
Brother of Portuguese racing driver Ernesto Neves; ownership was brief within the same year.
- 1966 →Private saleAndré Gonçalves Pereiapartial documentation
Prominent Lisbon attorney who had the bodywork repainted white and is believed to have had the engine swapped to a 128F-type unit sourced from a 250 GTE.
- 1968-07-01 →Private saleJosé Luís Stock and cousin Matheuspartial documentation
Stock, a teenager at purchase and sibling of racing driver Fernando Stock, was involved in a collision near the Forte do Velho Discotheque in Estoril in early 1970; the car was repaired, repainted blue, and sold through a Ferrari dealer.
- → 1981-11-01Acquisition unknownSpanish intermediary ownernone documentation
Car passed through ownership in Spain at an unspecified point before being exported to the United States.
- 1981-11-01 → 1982-07-01Private saleGiuseppe Risi / Ferrari of Houstonpartial documentation
Houston-based Ferrari dealer who imported the car from Spain and held it until selling to a private buyer.
- 1982-07-01 → 1995Private saleTheodore R. Petersonpartial documentation
Hinsdale, Illinois resident who commissioned a full restoration, resulting in a red exterior with brown leather interior — the same livery the car carries today.
- 1995 →Private salePalm Beach, Florida residentpartial documentation
Long-term custodian who used the car regularly as a warm-weather driver; engine was fully rebuilt in late 1997 and over 10,000 km were added during this period of ownership.
- Date unknownPrivate salePalma & Morgado Ferrari dealershippartial documentation
Portuguese Ferrari retailer that handled the post-accident sale of the car after repairs were completed.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1965BodyworkA.M. Almeida
Exterior repainted red by the dealership while the car was held in their inventory.
- 1966Bodywork
Exterior repainted white during this ownership.
- 1966Modification
Engine replaced with a 128F-type Colombo V-12 sourced from a 250 GTE (chassis 3927); this later outside-plug unit has individual cylinder ports rather than the siamesed arrangement of the original 128D.
The precise date of the swap is unconfirmed; it is believed to have occurred during André Gonçalves Pereia's ownership in the mid-to-late 1960s.
- 1970Repair
Accident damage to the front passenger side and rear driver side repaired following a collision in Estoril; car was also refinished in blue at this time.
Accident occurred in March 1970 near the Forte do Velho Discotheque, Estoril.
- 1997Engine rebuild
Full engine rebuild completed at 28,000 km; following this work the owner committed to using the car regularly rather than keeping it garaged.
- —BodyworkFerrari factory
Factory repaint from original black (Nero Tropicale) to light pearl grey (Grigio Perla Chiaro) shortly after the car's completion, while the original red leather interior was retained.
Carried out at the factory very early in the car's life, before delivery or shortly thereafter.
- —Restoration
Comprehensive restoration carried out by Theodore R. Peterson; car emerged in a red exterior with brown leather interior, the scheme it currently wears.
Restoration undertaken during Peterson's ownership between 1982 and 1995; precise year not stated.
- —Service
Ongoing routine servicing carried out as needed over more than two decades of regular use to keep the car in ready-to-drive condition.
An RM Sotheby's specialist who drove the car described it as mechanically correct and very pleasant to use.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.