Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 by Pininfarina
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Car producer : |
Ferrari |
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Model: |
250 GT Series 1 by Pininfarina |
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Year: |
1958-1961 |
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Type: |
Coupe |
Needing series production to stabilize his company's finances, Enzo Ferrari asked Pininfarina to design a simple and classic 250 GT coupé. After the 250 GT Boano/Ellena, Pininfarina's Grugliasco plant expanded and now had the capacity to produce the new 250 GT Coupé Pininfarina. It was introduced at Milan in 1958, and 335 near-identical examples were built by 1960. Buyers included Prince Bertil of Sweden. The GT Coupé eschewed the fender vents for simple, clean lines and a notchback look with panoramic rear window. The oval grille was replaced by a more traditional long narrow look with protruding headlights. Telescopic shock absorbers were also fitted instead of the Houdailles on previous 250s, and disc brakes were added in 1960. The original 165R400 Pirelli Cinturato tyres (CA67) were later changed to 185VR16. The final 250 GT Coupé had a Superfast tail and was shown at the 1961 London Motor Show.
The 250 GT SWB was an automobile that could be driven to the race track, easily decimate the competition, and then be driven home with ease at breakneck speed, while the driver was swaddled in fine Italian leather. By this time, Pininfarina bodies had become the norm for Ferrari, and the SWB was regarded by many as the finest Ferrari built to date. Although there were detail differences from car to car, the 250 GT SWB was fundamentally a standardized design. However, that did not stop the demand for custom coachwork. Six chassis utilized custom bodies, with four of those being designed by Pininfarina and the other two being built by Carrozzeria Bertone.
