Mystery Car Revealed- Veloce e Bello

By Robert Emslie Nov 17, 2009

IMG_5250
And there it is. As you can see, had this entire shot been used, there would have been little mystery to today’s mystery car.
IMG_5251The answer, obviously, is a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Competition. But you already knew that as Syrax and Gokarter laid it out, and Tanshanomi nailed it down in the original post. Good work guys!  This particular car has been making the rounds at the west coast shows for the past year or so, and is an excellent example of the breed.
The Pininfarina-styled two seater is the black-sheep brother to the Berlinetta Lusso, and shares that car’s Columbo V12 and 280-bhp. The engine is a little different in the competition, with a higher compression ratio and heads similar to the TR. The original 102.3″ wheelbase of the interim cars is the same as the precedent 250 TdF and the GT shares much of its mechanicals with that car.
IMG_5360At 94.5″ the final SWB cars didn’t look too different from the interims, only lacking the quarter windows in the back that the longer cars had. Out of a total production of 166, 75 were the hard-core racing cars, and those racked up victories at storied venues such as Goodwood, Sebring, and Le Man, while piloted by drivers like Moss, Hill and Parkes.
By the end of the 50s, the 3-litre 12 had become a powerful and reliable engine for Ferrari, on both street and track. Likewise, the 250 GT was a solid performer, taking 3 of the top ten spots at its debut at Sebring, and sweeping the top five positions at the 1961 1,000-kilometer race at Montlhery.
The 250 GT, while successful in stock trim, was also the basis for a number of modified cars whose owners sought to do the factory one better. One of those was Count Volpi’s Bizzarini-designed Breadvan 250.
IMG_5249

0 thoughts on “Mystery Car Revealed- Veloce e Bello”
      1. It's possible that was done so that the exhaust wouldn't get sucked into the cabin through that window scoop. The factory exhaust on Kamm-tail Alfa Spiders bends down toward the road for the same reason.

      2. I feel like the pipes stick out because the guys at the factory just didn't shorten the exhaust system from its original length on the TdF. Typical Ferrari "design" quirk. I know that on my parents' 308 GT4, even after years of Fiat ownership at that point, there are still parts of the car where the mechanics at the factory just said "Screw it, let's send it out like that…"

  1. I'm really digging that color combo. It's not the Ferrari red that at a show will make your car blend in. This really stands out and looks really sharp.

  2. A black Ferrari 250 California is on the list of cars I'd buy if I were *that* rich.
    Classy, personified.

  3. What a truly stunning vehicle! I agree with the comments about the color scheme, it is such a welcome change from the normal red Ferrari colors and really makes the car stand out.
    I really like this style of car and it reminds me a little bit of the Aston Martin used in some of the early James Bond movies. They certainly don’t make cars like they used to!

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