The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan is a one-off Ferrari based on a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB with chassis number 2819 GT. It was designed to compete against the new 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO at events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other FIA World Sportscar Championship races.

The development of the Breadvan began after a dispute between Enzo Ferrari and his top executives.This dispute, between Enzo’s wife and several key employees, forced many workers, including engineers Giotto Bizzarrini and Carlo Chiti, to find work elsewhere. So, they defected to Scuderia Serenissima, a race team run by Count Giovanni Volpi of Misurata.

Not resting on their laurels, the Scuderia Serenissima team went out on a limb to create an even better version of Ferrari’s 250 GTO. Bizzarrini & Chiti were the same engineers that created the original GTO, so they easily had the necessary talents to develop an even better one for Count Volpi.

Scuderia Serenissima started work upon chassis 2819GT, one of the few competition SWB 250s built to contest LeMans which was also the direct predecessor to the GTO. Bizzarrini then added all the features of the GTO that made it successful. This included dry sump lubrication, a lower, more centered engine position and a radical body that was executed by Piero Drogo’s coachworks.

Debuting at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Carlo Maria Abate (IT) and Colin Davis (UK), the Breadvan faced organizational pressure that placed it in the prototype class instead of the GT class, where the 250 GTOs competed. Despite utilizing a four-speed gearbox instead of the more contemporary five-speed at the time, the Breadvan swiftly outpaced the Ferrari 250 GTOs and achieved a speed 7 kph (4.3 mph) faster on the Mulsanne Straight. Unfortunately, after four hours, a drive shaft failure forced the car to retire.

See the Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan’ in action as it attacks the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

Source: 19Bozzy92