Ferrari GTO Engineering 250 SWB (1960)
Ferrari GTO Engineering 250 SWB
With over half a million miles under their belt driving some of the most special Ferraris of all time, and over 200 years’ combined experience working on Ferraris, the team at GTO Engineering has created what they believe to be the ultimate interpretation of a legendary Sixties, Ferrari. Named the 250 SWB Revival, based upon the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, GTO Engineering has revived a legend with its modern experience and given it ultimate road and track customization opportunities.
From the chassis to the cockpit, every element of the 250 SWB Revival has been strictly enhanced, improved, or rebuilt at the GTO Engineering UK headquarters, using the team’s extensive knowledge, know-how, historical technical drawings, and industry insight. The result is a visceral experience of a high-revving Columbo V12, enjoyable chassis, lightweight aluminum body with a classic exterior and interior design, plus some modern touches to make it a pleasure to drive daily, on track, or save for Sunday best.
Inspired by the legendary 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, which is one of the most successful Ferrari race cars of the period, the GTO Engineering team offers the 250 SWB Revival as a more usable, customizable, and bespoke variant of the highly collectible original Competition car. Driven in period by the likes of Sir Stirling Moss who hailed it as “the greatest GT car in the world” as it took wins at Le Mans (1960 class win), Tourist Trophy (1960), and Spa GP (1960), today it’s regarded one of the most notable, collectible and appreciating cars of its type, this is rarely seen on the road and occasionally at historic race meetings.
“The 1960 Competition car is the one to have – not only is it the shorter chassis, improving drivability and handling, it has disc brakes [the 250 SWB was the first to have them on a Ferrari GT car], and an aluminum body rather than steel. But it has one major drawback. Because it was made in so few numbers, it’s not really a car you can take to the shops or drive on the lock-stops without fearing damaging the body or destroying originality. The 250 SWB Revival is a ‘best of’, based on original drawings and knowledge, with an added usability, driveability and the option to make it as road or race-focused as you’d like,” explains GTO Engineering Managing Director Mark Lyon.
Utilizing original drawings, measurements, and knowledge, the GTO Engineering 250 SWB Revival uses a hand-built tubular frame underneath a hand-beaten aluminum body. It’s based on the shorter format of the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione specifications, which is eight inches shorter than the 250 GT. Each GTO Engineering 250 SWB Revival is created as a bespoke build, with a plethora of options designed for enjoying the car on the road, used for rallying, touring, sprinting, and racing.
“It’s hard to beat perfection [the 250 SWB], but you can make it more drivable, liveable, and easier to use on a daily basis. You can also provide drivers the option for different V12 engines and gearboxes, which you can’t with an original. We wanted to give flexibility to owners who either want a grand tourer, a faster set-up road car, or full race car that you can drive to and from events. The 250 SWB Revival was designed to be versatile, usable but also completely customizable,” further comments GTO Engineering Managing Director Mark Lyon.