The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan is a one-off Ferrari primarily based on a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB with chassis quantity 2819 GT. It was designed to compete in opposition to the brand new 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO at occasions such because the 24 Hours of Le Mans and different FIA World Sportscar Championship races.

The event of the Breadvan started after a dispute between Enzo Ferrari and his prime executives.This dispute, between Enzo’s spouse and several other key workers, compelled many employees, together with engineers Giotto Bizzarrini and Carlo Chiti, to seek out work elsewhere. So, they defected to Scuderia Serenissima, a race staff run by Rely Giovanni Volpi of Misurata.

Not resting on their laurels, the Scuderia Serenissima staff went out on a limb to create a good higher model of Ferrari’s 250 GTO. Bizzarrini & Chiti had been the identical engineers that created the unique GTO, in order that they simply had the mandatory abilities to develop a good higher one for Rely Volpi.

Scuderia Serenissima began work upon chassis 2819GT, one of many few competitors SWB 250s constructed to contest LeMans which was additionally the direct predecessor to the GTO. Bizzarrini then added all of the options of the GTO that made it profitable. This included dry sump lubrication, a decrease, extra centered engine place and a radical physique that was executed by Piero Drogo’s coachworks.

Debuting on the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, pushed by Carlo Maria Abate (IT) and Colin Davis (UK), the Breadvan confronted organizational strain that positioned it within the prototype class as an alternative of the GT class, the place the 250 GTOs competed. Regardless of using a four-speed gearbox as an alternative of the extra modern five-speed on the time, the Breadvan swiftly outpaced the Ferrari 250 GTOs and achieved a pace 7 kph (4.3 mph) quicker on the Mulsanne Straight. Sadly, after 4 hours, a drive shaft failure compelled the automobile to retire.

See the Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan’ in motion because it assaults the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

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