Photo: Motorsport.tv via Twitter
The Breadvan has a fascinating history, not least for the race crashes it endured. The hardest one might have happened last weekend during the Le Mans Classic race, where the historic Ferrari smashed into the tire barrier. With a valuation of more than $30 million, it’s safe to assume the Breadvan will be rebuilt.
The Breadvan (the name was coined by the British motorist media) was the unlikely result of a clash between Enzo Ferrari and Count Giovanni Volpi after the former refused to sell Volpi the latest 250 GTO. Unfazed, the Count commissioned a souped-up 250 GT SWB from Giotto Bizzarrini, built with a lightweight body styled as a shooting brake. The efforts into this project paid out, as the Breadvan turned out faster than Ferrari GTO at the time. Despite less than a spotless racing career, it also earned its place in history.
The veteran classic took another hit over the weekend at the Le Mans Classic vintage race. This is the kind of race where modern-day drivers get to taste what it felt like to race back in the days when car electronics did not control everything. And because the race involves classic vehicles, you can picture big piles of money running around the track, in danger of being swept away at any moment, with a lousy steering wheel turn. The Breadvan alone is estimated at more than $30 million, and it just so narrowly missed its utter demise at Le Mans Classic.
In the video below, you can briefly see the Breadvan sliding backward into the tire wall, with its front right fender already damaged. It’s unclear how the crash occurred, but we can take it from the displaced tire wall in the background that the driver missed the corner, and the Breadvan hit the wall with the right wheel first. The shock sent it spinning, and that’s why the car hit the barriers with the rear. The right door is on the ground next to the car, but fortunately, the driver walked away unscathed.
This is far more severe than the hit the Breadvan took in 2015 at Goodwood. At the time, the classic sportscar got a brutal jab on the track but was able to continue the race. It’s not clear from the video how severe the damage was this time. Considering its value and uniqueness, it’s guaranteed the Breadvan will live to see another race.
The veteran classic took another hit over the weekend at the Le Mans Classic vintage race. This is the kind of race where modern-day drivers get to taste what it felt like to race back in the days when car electronics did not control everything. And because the race involves classic vehicles, you can picture big piles of money running around the track, in danger of being swept away at any moment, with a lousy steering wheel turn. The Breadvan alone is estimated at more than $30 million, and it just so narrowly missed its utter demise at Le Mans Classic.
In the video below, you can briefly see the Breadvan sliding backward into the tire wall, with its front right fender already damaged. It’s unclear how the crash occurred, but we can take it from the displaced tire wall in the background that the driver missed the corner, and the Breadvan hit the wall with the right wheel first. The shock sent it spinning, and that’s why the car hit the barriers with the rear. The right door is on the ground next to the car, but fortunately, the driver walked away unscathed.
This is far more severe than the hit the Breadvan took in 2015 at Goodwood. At the time, the classic sportscar got a brutal jab on the track but was able to continue the race. It’s not clear from the video how severe the damage was this time. Considering its value and uniqueness, it’s guaranteed the Breadvan will live to see another race.
Disaster for the Breadvan! ???? The one-off modified Ferrari has been crashed at #LeMansClassic. Luckily, Le Mans Classic isn't finished yet, watch it here ? https://t.co/xpSvqgdqpc#LMC #LeMans #LeMans24 #Ferrari #Motorsport pic.twitter.com/R29fosVotO
— Motorsport.tv (@MotorsportTV_UK) July 3, 2022
Google News