Designed for export to North America, the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider was Scaglietti's interpretation of an open-top 250 GT. Aluminium was used for the hood, doors, and trunk lid, with steel elsewhere for most models. Several aluminium-bodied racing versions were also built. Built between late 1957 and 1959, a total of fifty LWBs were made before the SWB version superseded them in 1960.