Ferrari’s stylish and luxurious 400 series of “2+2” grand tourers seemed like the ideal candidate for the Maranello works to transform into a high-performance convertible.

While there might have been demand from buyers, Ferrari showed no interest in offering an official open-top version.

Undeterred by Maranello’s unwillingness, some buyers opened their checkbooks even further and turned to independent coachbuilders to realize their dreams.

The best and most desirable of these conversions came from the workshop of Richard Straman Coachworks of Costa Mesa, California.

Straman designed and engineered a wide range of open-topped conversions for a multitude of makes, and his efforts often inspired the automakers themselves.

While his work graced everything from Nissans to Mercedes-Benz, he is best known for his work with Ferrari.

Shortly after arriving in the United States, this 1985 400i Automatic headed to Straman for its conversion.

At that time, the owner elected to have the car ...