Photo: RM Sotheby's
Over the course of seven decades, Ferrari produced countless iconic models. The 250 Series is arguably the most celebrated, with the 250 GTO up there at the top of the food chain. Still, the achingly good-looking 250 GT Berlinetta SWB is no soccer mom-mobile either.
Introduced in 1959 as a replacement for the 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France LWB, the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB is gifted with a 200-millimeter shorter wheelbase than its predecessor. This car here, chassis no. 2639, is one of 176 examples ever built. Designed by the same trio that gave birth to the 250 GTO (Giotto Bizzarrini, Mauro Forghieri, Carlo Chiti), the 250 GT Berlinetta “Passo Corto” proved its worthiness by becoming an accomplished racecar as well.
As per RM Sotheby’s, who hopes to fetch $9.5 million at auction on this road-going “Lusso” variant, the 250 GT SWB is “one of the most successful racing Berlinettas in Ferrari history.” Motorsport accolades include nearly 250 wins, of which the most relevant are a couple of 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins and two overall wins in the grueling but exciting Tour de France.
Chassis 2639 was completed in Maranello in 1961, and boasts a handful of race-ready features that include the steel body with aluminum hood and deck lid, roll-up windows, fender vents, and roof vents. Originally sold to a certain Marion Dall’Orso of Genoa, Italy, the Prancing Horse eventually found its way to the U.S. On American ground, the Fezza spent most of its time in California and Texas. In the 1980s, it made the trip back to Europe. As for the current owner, RM Sotheby's tells that he acquired the red-painted exotica in 2011.
Following a comprehensive restoration completed in 2015, this example of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB breed is looking for a new owner to cherish its drop-dead gorgeous body and the Colombo Tipo 125 3.0-liter V12 tower-of-power. Connected to a good old manual transmission (no gated shifter, sorry), the three-carb engine is good for at least 240 PS (237 horsepower).
As per RM Sotheby’s, who hopes to fetch $9.5 million at auction on this road-going “Lusso” variant, the 250 GT SWB is “one of the most successful racing Berlinettas in Ferrari history.” Motorsport accolades include nearly 250 wins, of which the most relevant are a couple of 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins and two overall wins in the grueling but exciting Tour de France.
Chassis 2639 was completed in Maranello in 1961, and boasts a handful of race-ready features that include the steel body with aluminum hood and deck lid, roll-up windows, fender vents, and roof vents. Originally sold to a certain Marion Dall’Orso of Genoa, Italy, the Prancing Horse eventually found its way to the U.S. On American ground, the Fezza spent most of its time in California and Texas. In the 1980s, it made the trip back to Europe. As for the current owner, RM Sotheby's tells that he acquired the red-painted exotica in 2011.
Following a comprehensive restoration completed in 2015, this example of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB breed is looking for a new owner to cherish its drop-dead gorgeous body and the Colombo Tipo 125 3.0-liter V12 tower-of-power. Connected to a good old manual transmission (no gated shifter, sorry), the three-carb engine is good for at least 240 PS (237 horsepower).
Google News