What the car is and where it came from
The 250 GT Berlinetta SWB is a 1959 Ferrari, one variant of the wider 250 series. Pinin Farina styled its body, and it was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. “SWB” stands for short wheelbase, and the Italian name is “passo corto”. It was one of the most notable GT racers of its time.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
The change that names it is the wheelbase: 2,400 mm, down from the 2,600 mm of the long-wheelbase Berlinetta, chosen for better handling. Power came from the 3.0 L Colombo V12 that defines the 250 series, with output ranging from 240 PS to 280 PS depending on the car. Disc brakes were fitted, the first on a Ferrari GT.
What it gets right
It pairs low weight with high power and well-sorted suspension, and that combination made it competitive from the start. It was selling and racing quickly after its October unveiling. Its results show it: the Tour de France Automobile in 1960, 1961 and 1962, and the GT class of the 1961 Constructors’ Championship.
What it does not
It did not stay on top. After those three Tour de France wins it gave ground to the GTOs. It also is not one fixed thing: of the 176 examples built, some had steel bodies and some aluminium, in road (“lusso”) and racing trims, so output and character vary from car to car.
What it changed
It put disc brakes on a Ferrari GT. It was also the work of Giotto Bizzarrini, Carlo Chiti and the young Mauro Forghieri, the same team that later produced the 250 GTO. On 17 June 1960 it received FIA homologation No. 22 for Group GT, just in time for Le Mans on 25 June. Sports Car International placed it seventh on a 2004 list of the top sports cars of the 1960s, and Motor Trend Classic put it fifth among the greatest Ferraris of all time.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for readers who care about how a road-going Ferrari became a GT racer, and what a shorter wheelbase and disc brakes bought it. It is not for anyone who wants a single clean specification: the 176 cars were built in several states.
Is it worth your time
Yes. The SWB shows what a shorter wheelbase and disc brakes did for a 250 GT, and it carries its engineering team forward to the GTO.
