Take a 1960s Ferrari 250 GTO SWB strip it down to a kit of parts and then make it more better, meet the Ferrari 250 SWB Revival.
UK company GTO Engineering has been working on Ferraris for ages but with restomods all the rage now, it decided to get in on the game, only it prefers the term ‘revival’. Indeed, it’s calling its series the Ferrari 250 SWB Revival and its based on the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione.
Each donor vehicle is stripped down to a pile of parts and then either “enhanced, improved or rebuilt”. Everything is faithful to the original car but crafted a standard the original makers could never have imagined and the body is hand-beaten aluminium.
“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 aluminium 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.
The 250 SWB can be had as either a road or track car with GTO Engineering able to sort out necessary paperwork, cages, door bars and more if you fancy racing the thing. The team can also provide a competition-inspired gearbox, too, as a bespoke build, as well as bug screens – to keep it all period and authentic.
In terms of the engine, there are three to choose from, a 3.0-litre, 3.5-litre or 4.0-litre Colombo V12. And it can be mated to either a four- or optional five-speed gearbox, a bespoke clutch can be fitted too. In terms of brakes, GTO Engineering sticks with the original disc brake setup, but can fit cost optional lightweight aluminium calipers.
On the inside, you get fully leather-trimmed seats and you can specify either lap belts or harnesses. The headlining is trimmed in the original perforated material that would have been on the original 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione.
Air-conditioning is available as a cost option extra, with the fans fitted behind the driver to ensure the originality of the dashboard set-up. Customers can also specify an under-dash USB charger to be fitted.
“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 customisable,” said Mark Lyon.
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