To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION
Estimate:
$120,000 - $130,000
- Powered by the 4.3-liter F136 V-8 engine
- Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission
- Finished in striking Blu Tour de France over Crema leather with
Daytona-style seats
- Driven just 3,579 miles from new
- Please note that this lot will need to be collected from Long
Island, NY
Ferrari is quintessentially Italian, but the automaker certainly
has California to thank for much of its success. The sunny west
coast's predictable weather and its terrific driving roads have
long fostered the strongest automotive culture in America, if not
in the world. At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari recognized the
Golden State's impact on its lineup with a model decidedly designed
for California driving. The California revived a name not used
since the 1960s, and it pushed the automaker's lineup in a new
direction.
Underhood sat a 4.3-liter V-8 cribbed from the F430, rated here at
454 horsepower and 358 pound-feet of torque, and making use of
direct injection and wet-sump lubrication. A six-speed manual was
standard fare, but most buyers opted for the rapid-fire shifts
provided by the seven-speed dual-clutch, which featured paddles
affixed to the steering wheel.
Even though it is almost always sunny in California, it does
occasionally rain. As such, Ferrari fitted its first ever folding
metal hardtop to the California. Since the car was envisioned as a
daily driver for many of its users, a pair of plus-two seats could
be specified, though admittedly their utility is limited to
children or handbags.
Sold new by Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale, this 2012 Ferrari
California has covered barely 3,579 miles from new. It is finished
in Blu Tour de France with a matching folding metal hardtop. Brembo
carbon ceramic brakes with yellow calipers peer out from behind the
wide-open spokes of the 20-inch wheels, which are shod with Pirelli
P-Zero tires. The sumptuous Crema leather interior features the
optional Daytona-style leather seats with contrasting dark blue
accents and embroidered prancing horse headrests. Blue carpets and
seat belts, plus optional carbon fiber trim fitted to the steering
wheel, give the interior a remarkably cohesive feel.
Ferrari did not leave out convenience with the California, which at
its release was arguably its most luxurious car to date. Equipment
includes a touchscreen navigation system as well as an effective
dual-zone automatic climate control system. The original list price
of nearly $250,000 brought with it a well-equipped car.To view this
car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit
the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0120.