At the Paris Salon in October 1959, Ferrari introduced its second-series cabriolet built on the 250 GT platform.

Pinin Farina’s new coachwork was a breathtaking revision in formalism, using more conservative proportions and fewer finishing details to result in a model that was more easily distinguishable from the concurrent 250 GT California Spider.

Despite the outward guise of a staid luxury grand touring automobile, the new 250 GT Cabriolet still delivered characteristic Ferrari performance, with disc brakes at all four corners, and the latest iteration of the Colombo-designed three-litre V-12 engine.

This motor, designated as the 128F, featured individual cylinder porting and “outside-V” spark plugs, developments undertaken with the Testa Rossa racecars that contributed to advanced performance, greater reliability, and improved convenience.

Just 200 examples of the Series II cabriolet were built, and in more recent decades they have evolved into one of the most collectible 250 G...