In the second half of the 1950s, Ferrari moved away from the radically sporty models for which it is still famous, and began to produce more "standardized" prestige automobiles.

[3][4] Presented to the public at the Geneva International Motor Show, it wasn't until the following year and a final prototype, assembled by Pinin Farina on the chassis of a 250 GT, also presented at Geneva, that this series of exhibition models came to an end,[3][4] giving birth to the first-series Pinin Farina 250 GT Cabriolet.

[5] In October of the same year, the second-series 250 GT Cabriolet Pinin Farina was unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show, as Ferrari had long been accustomed to presenting its new models there.

More surprisingly, however, he also entrusted Farina with the bodywork, a task usually assigned to Carrozzeria Scaglietti at the time: Ferrari wanted to increase the production rate of its cars, and consequently its sales.

[8] In contrast to the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, produced the following year exclusively for the American market and with a sportier vocation, the emphasis was on comfort, refinement and interior luxury.

[11][12] Inside, behind the wooden Nardi steering wheel with three aluminum spokes, the instrument panel features seven circular dials, including the tachometer and rev counter, informing the driver of engine operation.

[10] Among the 200 or so second-series models produced, aesthetic differences were not uncommon; for example, some cars had large chrome-plated air vents behind the front wheel arches, while others did not.

Equipped with a four-speed gearbox featuring overdrive, the 250 Cabriolet reaches a top speed of 240 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in around 7.1 s.[2] As with the engine, the technologies used for the chassis and suspension are now well known to Ferrari.

[3] While the 250 GT Cabriolet marked a real turning point in Ferrari's history, becoming the first of the manufacturer's models whose manufacturing process most closely resembled that of mass production, it was ultimately eclipsed in memory[14] by another Ferrari, produced in parallel and yet aesthetically quite similar, but with a very different intended "personality":[12] the 250 GT California Spyder.