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| FERRARI 365 Spyder California: | | | 
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| | | Year: | 1967 | | Mileage: | 11,967 | | Interior Color: | Nero black leather | | Exterior Color: | azzurro blue metallic | | Serial Number: | 9889 | | Sales Price: | $650,000 |
| | Description: | | The 365 California was Ferrari’s last super-luxurious limited edition model of the 1960’s. These huge convertibles were the successors to the 410 Superamerica, 400 Superamerica and 500 Superfast – all of which had been very limited production models intended for the famous and super rich of the world.
Only fourteen 365 Californias were built between 1966 and 1967. One of them was s/n 9889GT, delivered new in striking ”azzurro metallizzato” (light metallic blue) with ”nero” (black) leather interior. Pininfarina’s records indicate that s/n 9889GT had been intended for a customer named ”Joffolini”, but this name should actually read ”Toffolini” – the birth name of Carla Sacchi, the wife of Signore Sacchi, an industrialist from Milan.
It is unknown whether she gave this car to her husband as a present or for whichever reason the car was ordered in her name, but at least it’s a fact that s/n 9889GT was Signore Sacchi’s car between 1967 and 1980. The car was not kept at his Milan home, but at the family’s summer residence in Santa Margherita Ligure on the most beautiful part of the Italian Riviera, very close to the mondane village of Portofino. S/n 9889GT is for sure one of a very few Ferrari ever to have been chauffeur-driven! Salvatore Paletta used to be the family’s chauffeur when the 365 California was bought new, and he still serves the Sacchi family nowadays. Signore Sacchi died in 1980 or 1981, and s/n 9889GT was inherited by his widow, Carla Sacchi-Toffolini.
The last public appearance of s/n 9889GT took place in the early 1980’s at the Ferrari
Days in Modena – chauffeur Salvatore Paletta took the car there. After that, it was stored in the garage at the summer residence and remained undriven since. With only 20.000 or so kilometers on the clock, s/n 9889GT was preserved totally original and unaltered – only a sporting stop-watch had been installed on the instrument
panel on the tunnel. Even among Ferrari historians, 9889GT’s trace was lost.
During the spring of 1999 a hobby car-dealer met the son of Signore Sacchi in a bar in New York City. During their conversation, 9889GT was mentioned and since then, the dealer kept trying to buy the car. A friend and business partner inspected the car in Italy, and finally, in April of 2001, Carla Sacchi-Toffolini sold her ”one-family-owner” 365 California to the two Americans. Salvatore Paletta prepared the car for shipping, and the old chauffeur reportedly cried when the dealer drove away in the car. S/n 9889GT was shipped to the USA.
THE CAR JUST WON THE NATIONAL PRESERVATION AWARD IN SEBRING. IT ALSO PLACED 2ND IN ITS CLASS AGAINST GROUND UP RESTORED CARS AND IT COMES WITH BOTH TROPHYS!
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