The 1960 Ferrari 250 PF Cabriolet brought classic styling to Jay Leno's garage.
This 1960 Ferrari 250 PF Cabriolet is a rare gem from Maranello's golden era. Recently restored by Black Horse Motors of Los Angeles, owner Carl Steuer showed it off at Jay Leno's Garage.
While mid-engine supercars are Ferrari's most celebrated today, Ferrari was once known for V-12 front-engine sports cars like this car. only 200 of the PF Cabriolet were built, but the "250" badge and aluminum and 250" badge and an aluminum block Colombo V-12 engine.
As today, Ferraris in the 1960s were targeted at affluent buyers. Leno said the price of a new car here was about the same as his parents' house. But that did not make it any less special: both Lamborghini and Monteverdi, Leno noted, were founded by disgruntled Ferrari customers.
As Steuer explains in the video, the restoration process was grueling. The car was in terrible condition, having been acquired from the widow of a previous owner who had failed to restore it. Large amounts of rust had to be removed as part of a three-year rebuild. The engine also needed a lot of work.
Prior to restoration, the car had approximately 87,000 miles on it. That's quite a lot of miles for a classic Ferrari, Steuer said, partly because of the car's reputation for being fragile. But if properly maintained and exercised regularly, he says, it can handle higher mileage.
The car is extremely rare today, as only about half of the original production run survives, according to Steuer. Still, both Steuer and Leno believe in driving vintage cars regularly, regardless of their value.
Check out the full video to hear these two car guys give the car the exercise it deserves and to hear the 3.0-liter Columbo V-12 engine sing.