This 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB Continuation, the highlight of Aguttes’ inaugural auction in collaboration with Peter Auto for the opening of the Tour Auto, would be the ideal vehicle to take on winding back roads and challenging racetracks on a “Tour de France” to remember.
Not only has the Grand Palais in Paris hosted several Ferrari 250 SWBs in the past, but it was also the venue of the car’s 1959 October Salon de l’Automobile unveiling. The automobile was named Passo Corto in Italian, which means Short Wheel Base, because it replaced the interim version and had a shorter chassis (2,400mm). This car was an amazing racing tool and a highly sought-after model with its pure Pininfarina design, low weight, well-tuned suspension, disc brakes, and great power from a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine increased to nearly 300hp.
It wasn’t long before it was competing in two of the most difficult races of the time, Le Mans and the Tour de France. The 250SWB won the Tour de France three times in a succession in 1960, 1961, and 1962. It also won three consecutive class victories at Le Mans.
Although the Tour Auto of today is a little more refined, it is still a difficult five-day rally that alternates track sessions on different circuits with special stages on restricted French public highways. Both the Lusso steel-bodied variant, which is primarily used in the regularity class, and the racing version with an aluminum body, which is featured in the competition class, have long been mainstays on Tour Auto. Furthermore, seeing a large number of 250SWBs back at the location where the car was first presented has always been a visual feast for the eyes, especially since Tour Auto has chosen the Grand Palais its preferred starting point in recent years.
With a few exceptions, this year will be just like the last: Tour Auto will take place in the first week of September rather than in April as it did last year. For the first time in a long time, it will begin at the Grand Palais Ephémère, a sleek, modern temporary building designed by Wilmotte and Associates that is situated on the Champs de Mars close to the Eiffel Tower, rather than the Grand Palais, which has been closed for an extensive renovation program.
Regarding the 250SWB, the upcoming Tour Auto event is anticipated to be unforgettable as it honors the venerable model, with eight competitors anticipated. The organizers have opted to loosen the eligibility requirements, allowing cars that are based on a Ferrari 250 chassis and built to the same standards as the original specimens. As a result, half of them will be authentic cars, and the other half will be referred to as “continuation” cars.
This 250 SWB Continuation is specifically about this. At the beginning of the Tour Auto, it will be the centerpiece of Aguttes’ inaugural auction held in collaboration with Peter Auto. The auction, named “Tour Auto – La Vente Anniversaire,” will feature wines, watches, contemporary artwork by Jon One, and other items in addition to seven extremely unique cars for sale.
Aguttes is selling a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB Continuation, which is an extremely rare vehicle. It is a very authentic replica of one of the 75 250 GT Berlinetta SWB Competiziones with aluminum bodies. The finest craftsmen in Modena painstakingly built the vehicle for a well-known Ferrari specialist, who later sold it to a gentleman driver who has kept it in immaculate condition. The icing on the cake is that Peter Auto has formally acknowledged that this unique vehicle is qualified to compete on racetracks in the Tour Auto and Greatest Trophy series.