‘Don’t call it a restomod’, say GTO Engineering, ‘it’s a Revival’. Before you roll your eyes, it does have a point. Anything remotely old-looking gets lumped under the restomod umbrella these days, because surely a car that’s been put through a nut-and-bolt restoration and lightly improved with a sprinkling of modern bits and pieces is a restomod in the truest sense of the word. But unlike a Singer 911 or Kimera Evo 037, GTO’s 250 SWB was designed to be a near-complete match to the car from the 1950s - to the extent where original Ferrari drawings were used to ensure parity.
Even the donor car had to be period correct. The Revival isn’t a re-bodied 550 Maranello or 456 (which would probably give you more trouble than an old SWB), with GTO instead requiring an existing 250 (!) chassis or, at the very least, a 330 GT. Thankfully, the donor cars used were said to be beyond economical repair; all that was really needed was the chassis number so that it could be road registered. Without it, the 250 SWB would be another one of the recreations, like Aston Martin’s DB4 GT Zagato, that can only be driven around the grounds of your stately home.
With that in mind, a few modern upgrades were available as optional extras for those who intended to actually use their 250 SWB Revival, including air con and a USB charger. Then there’s the way it’s put together. The original bodywork would have been beaten into shape by hand, and it’s unlikely the word ‘durability’ came up all that often in the Ferrari design room some 65 years ago. GTO Engineering, however, used cutting-edge production methods to piece the Revival together. Think 3D printing and laser scanning, rather than hammers and fists. Granted, it kills the illusion somewhat, but so too does blowing up five minutes after setting off - something you wouldn’t have to worry about with the Revival.
Those fortunate enough to buy one new back in 2020 could choose between three engine options: a 3.0-, 3.5- or 4.0-litre V12 with a choice of either four- or five-speed manual gearboxes. You’ll need to give the seller a call to find out which was chosen for the car we have here and how the original owner had the car configured. GTO would quiz buyers on how they intended to use their cars, whether it be for road, cruising or race use, and adjusted the engine mapping to suit the owner’s driving style. What we do know, however, is that this car was based on a 250 GTE imported from the US and took three years to build. Conveniently, the steering wheel is on the right and proper side of the cockpit.
Unless you were a diehard Ferrari fan who knows 250 GT Berlinetta SWB chassis numbers better than the back of their hand, it’s almost impossible to tell the Revival apart from the original. Not least because you’ll be too dazzled by this Rosso Chiaro over Nero Leather interior spec to care. And while there’s obviously huge amounts of charm in an old car’s wonky and rattly interior, the immaculate Veglia Benzina dials, sparkling switch gear and pristine leather offers a rare glimpse into what a 250 SWB would have looked like fresh out of the factory. If anything, the originals probably didn’t look nearly as good as what GTO Engineering has put together.
The price? You’ll need to cover that when you give the seller a bell, but Revivals were somewhere in the region of £850,000 when new a few years ago. Not cheap at all, but if you’d rather the real thing then you’d be forking out at least ten times that amount, and wouldn’t you be too afraid to use it on the road? Or, if you already own a 250 SWB base, you can keep it tucked away and use this one instead for historic racing; it has all the necessary FIA papers to do so. The Revival relishes being stretched beyond its 6,000rpm redline - can't imagine doing the same in a 'proper' classic Ferrari, can you? At least not repeatedly.
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