1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Coupe

This Ferrari 250 GT SWB is the eighth of around forty-five aluminum-bodied competition 250GT SWB Berlinettas constructed for that year. It was built by the factory in March of 1960 and was constructed to competition specifications fitted with aluminum bodywork and a factory roll bar. Features not found on the car were side vent windows, fender vents, rain gutters over the doors, side indicators on the front fenders, an indentation for the trunk on the license plate, a vent over the rearview window, and finally, a glove compartment.

The car was completed by the factory on March 16, 1960, and nine days later it had made its way to Florida, where it was preparing to compete at the ninth annual 12 Hours of Sebring. The car was delivered through Luigi Chinetti to George Arents, who entered it in the race, along with driver Bill Kimberly as co-driver, under the banner of Cinett's North American Racing Team. Arents and Kimberly finished Sebring in 7th place overall and 5th in class. This would be the sole occasion that Arents raced his 250 SWB.

A month later, it was sold to Robert M. Grossman of Nyack, New Jersey. Grossman's first race was the SCCA National GT race at Bridgehampton, New York, on May 30 and 31, and he took 1st overall. It appeared on the cover of the October 1960 issue of Sports Cars Illustrated magazine before its next series of races at the Bahamas Speed Week.

In his first race at Nassau in the Nassau Tourist Trophy, Grossman finished 2nd overall. Grossman returned for the Governor's Trophy on December 3, finishing 11th overall and 4th in class. The following day, Grossman placed 11th overall and 1st in Class in the open race of the Nassau Trophy.

Bob Hathaway of Rhode Island purchased the car in early 1961. Hathaway found similar success as Arents. The car raced at a handful of SCCA events in the U.S. Northeast and even in a race at Mosport in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, placing 1st overall. In 1961, it returned to Nassau, placing 4th overall and 3rd in Class in the over 1,500-cubic centimeter GT class race on December 3 and 3rd overall and 3rd in class at the Nassau Tourist Trophy the same day. In the Governor's Trophy on December 8, Hathaway placed 7th overall and 5th in class.

Walter Luftman, of Rye, New York became the car's next owner in 1962. Ownership later passed to Jim Hunt, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1966, Adrian Pothus, of Ann Arbor, Michigan became its next caretaker, remaining in his care for the next decade before it was acquired by Joseph William Moch, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March of 1979. Anthony Mudd became its next owner in 1983, before it was exported overseas to Jean-Jacques Bally, of Vence, France, and later Rinnie Van Der Velden, of Holland, in June 1987.

Mr. Van Der Velden had a new front clip installed. In February of 1994, the car was sold to Tony Smith in the United Kingdom, who commissioned David Cottingham's DK Engineering to perform a full restoration, with engine work being performed by Bob Houghton. After the work was completed, it was sold to Andre Ahrle, of Bonn, Germany, in 1996. It was then acquired in 1999 by a collector in the Pacific Northwest.

In 2003, the car was displayed at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Four years later, it was purchased by John Romano, of Connecticut. In June 2007, it was driven at the Ferrari Historic Challenge Series at Mont Tremblant and later shown at the Cavallino Classic in 2010.

It was later purchased by its current caretaker who gave it a complete restoration back to its 1960 Sebring livery. It was given new yellow paintwork and a new green interior, as per its original specifications.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2015