The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB from Sir Stirling Moss

If a random driver tells you « This is the best GT car I’ve ever driven!”. You might give a quick glance to it but it’s not sure that you’ll immediately have a specific interest in this model.

Sir Stirling Moss

If Sir Stirling Moss expresses the same opinion, you should listen to him as a good schoolchild you were.

Poster from the 1961 24h of Le Mans

This 81 years old driving legend would certainly tell you that it’s the car he won the most race in; which is quite a lot; even if he is frequently called “the greatest driver … never to win the World Championship”. This right-driven Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB took part to the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1961 with certainly one of the most of the most famous drivers of its time (Stirling Moss and Graham Hill). Only eight SWBs were built to SEFAC specification (Ferraris factory name at the time). These cars were specifically intended to race at Le Mans alongside the 250 Testa Rossa (who ended first and second this year).

 

Stirling Moss nowadays with his favorite GT

Indeed under the number 18, the car was ranked 3rd overall (ahead of the prototypes) at the 9th hour (after 121 laps) just before a fan blade broke loose and hit the water pump. The British driver was luckier with this Ferrari in 4 other major events (such as the Silverstone International Trophy, the Brand Hatch Peco Trophy, the Goodwood Tourist Trophy and the Nassau Tourist Trophy). This car (chassis n°2735) was afterward raced under different paintings and even crashed into John Surtees’ GTO and Jim Clark Aston Martin DB4 Zagato during the 1962 Goodwood Tourist Trophy.

Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB

But don’t lose hope for a car with such a noble background, former owners and more recently the Ferrari Classiche carried out complete repair and fine tuning operations. As you can see, this gorgeous design from Carrozzeria Scaglietti doesn’t show a single styling mistake. On a technical point of view, this four gears, 2953 cc V12 powered Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB was able to reach 260 km/h with its 290 hp. Its best lap on the Le Mans racetrack was 4:08.600 (at an average speed of 194 km/h).

Finally, if you’re looking for one of the eight produced model, you should better have not suffered from the recent economical downturn. During the last Monterey sports car auction, even with bid of $1 450 000 USD no one did meet the reserve price for the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB chassis n°2701.

Olivier Pourchet