The first short-chassis 250 GT California Spyder was presented at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. In many respects, this model followed in the footsteps of the Berlinetta that had appeared at the 1959 Paris Motor Show. The Spyder, in turn, was based on the shorter, more dynamic chassis, reduced from 2.60 m to 2.40 m. By opting for the Tipo 539 chassis, the California definitively marked its difference from the 250 GT Cabriolet. The twenty-centimetre reduction in wheelbase gave the California more compact proportions and a more muscular silhouette.