BUYER’S GUIDE

Classic Ferrari 250 SWB review

The perfect overlap of Ferrari’s racing legacy and road car heritage, at a price…

What Is It?

Debates will rage from the golf lawns of Pebble Beach to any country pub where classic car fans gather over what qualifies as ‘peak Ferrari’, but anything with 250 in the name and a Colombo V12 under the bonnet has to be in with a shout. The GTO is an obvious bet, but perhaps too obvious. So, step up 250 SWB, or 250 GT Berlinetta Passo Corto to give it the full, and cooler, mother tongue moniker. The ideal intersection of Ferrari road car and Ferrari racer, the SWB has it all.

Beautiful looks that blend sensuous curves with purposeful muscularity. A soulful V12. Victories in period at Le Mans, Nürburgring 1000km and Goodwood Tourist Trophy in the hands of some of the most legendary drivers of the age. No wonder they’re up there with some of the most valuable classics in the world in value terms. But, perhaps, worth every single penny.

Corrosive Areas

Inspect tubular steel chassis with care

Check usual spots like boot floors and sills on steel-bodied cars

Look carefully for signs of crash damage

Checklist

Sprawling 250 family encompassed everything from luxurious Gran Turismos and cabriolets to homologation racers and prototypes – it all overlaps in the SWB
250 GT Berlinetta – aka Tour de France – from which it was derived was offered in two wheelbase lengths, the SWB based on the shorter of the two options
Tubular frame chassis with aluminium or steel bodywork and a V12 up front driving a live rear axle followed the classic 60s Ferrari format
SWB was the first road Ferrari with disc brakes all round
Launched in 1959, the 250 SWB was initially available as a racer in aluminium-bodied Competizione trim, with approximately 45 built
Around 100 steel-bodied Lusso models followed, with bumpers, additional trim and a few more creature comforts, but still has the heart of a racing car – 100 or so were built, making this the most numerous, all things relative
Styling evolved over the short production run, the cabin vent moving from the rear window to the roof, post-1961 cars getting a straighter edge to the top of the windows and numerous other detail changes along with one-off coachbuilt specials or rebodies
Upgraded Competizione/61 – also known as the SEFAC (Scuderia Enzo Ferrari Automobili) Hot Rod – got additional weight saving and more power; just 20 or so built
Exclusivity was assured from the start, buyers apparently selected from Enzo Ferrari’s private list of favoured clients
Many were raced in period and through to the modern day, with many owners using them as intended
At this level, conventional classic car buying considerations of condition and suchlike play second fiddle to provenance, originality and ownership history
While coveted multi-million pound investments now, many 250 SWBs will have led hard lives at some point in the preceding decades, most going through multiple resprays, restorations, crash repairs and other work, so ensure it’s been done to sufficient standard
As such, make absolutely sure of the history before committing – most will have well-documented records and be well-known within classic circles, but don’t skimp on the due diligence
Replicas – some based on ‘lesser’ 250s – can flatter to deceive, or even fool the unwary depending on the quality of the work
Mechanical parts relatively simple, if built with a competition car mindset – documented care in hands of a respected specialist is a must
Cars of this type thrive on proper use, so one that has been driven may be a safer bet if you intend to use it than another which has lived its recent life under a cover in a collection

How does it drive?

If a GTO is pure racing car, the SWB combines the best of this with the (relatively) more easy-going nature of more road-oriented 250s. Taken to its logical extremes this is, therefore, a red-blooded competition car in which you could, theoretically, drive to the circuit, change into your overalls, bag a podium, and then drive home smelling of champagne.

If not blazingly fast by modern standards, any well-sorted SWB should deliver a sensory overload of sound, smell, mechanical symphony and excitement, the V12 sniffing in air and fuel from the rank of carbs between the cylinder banks and splitting the air with that charismatic Ferrari howl as you step on it. If apparently a little snappy on the absolute limit, any SWB should reward at all speeds with its balance, adjustability and the gusto of its power delivery.

What’s good?

With its blend of unadorned racer’s aesthetic with classic Ferrari GT beauty, the 250 SWB has to be up there with the most stunning sports cars of the 60s, if not any age. There simply isn’t an angle from which it looks anything less than breathtaking and, seemingly, the driving experience lives up to the looks. Setting the value aside, it’s also a relatively usable car, the size, performance and handling all as exploitable at road speeds as they are at the head of the pack at the Revival. And while the days of reaping huge returns are probably now past if you have the funds available, it’s hard to see the 250 SWB ever getting any cheaper, so worst case you’ll at least break even when you come to sell.

What’s bad?

While the 250 SWB deserves every single plaudit for its looks, performance and racing pedigree, there’s no escaping it’s possibly a little too ‘obvious’ for true cognoscenti, for whom rarity and exclusivity are all. That doesn’t hurt the values, though, which are now very much in the upper echelons and into the realms of abstract when you see how many zeroes there will be on the price. While many previous owners will have rationalised that and enjoyed them properly, those putting that much money into them these days will more likely park them up as trinkets to be traded as market trends dictate. Which feels like a crying shame for a car built to be driven, and driven hard.

Which model to choose?

A sympathetic replica, or a no-expense-spared modern recreation like those built by GTO Engineering might be the pragmatic choice for an SWB fan who wants a car to drive and enjoy, even if it doesn’t have the cachet of originality. Beyond that, any real 250 SWB is going to be a thing of wonder, and with a production run of around 165 cars (give or take) exclusivity will be assured even if you go for one of the relatively more numerous and civilised Lusso version.

Race-ready Competiziones will always be more desirable for their rarity, race history and aluminium bodies, while a true, documented SEFAC Hot Rod will be the holy grail for any serious collector. And priced accordingly. Never did the phrase ‘pays your money, takes your choice’ ring truer.

Specifications – Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Passo Corto

Engine

3.0-litre V12, petrol

Power

280PS (206kW) @ 7,000rpm

Torque

N/A

Transmission

Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Kerb weight

960kg (dry)

0-62mph

c. 5.5 seconds

Top speed

166mph

Production dates

1960-1962 (all versions)