The Ferrari 250 GT SWB replaced the popular LWB series and was first shown at the 1959 Paris Motorshow. The 250 GT SWB was a race car in addition to being a production car and was hugely successful on the track as it won the 1960 LeMans 24 hour race, beating out such competitors as Aston Martin.

The Ferrari 250 GT SWB featured an improved V12 engine that was located in the front, mounted longitudinally. It was 280.2 cubic inches (2.953 liters) and had two valves per cylinder and a single overhead cam. The car had a four-speed manual transmission and was rear-wheel drive. The engine produced 280 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and had a top speed of 167 miles per hour (268 kilometers per hour)

The Ferrari 250 GT SWB had a short front end, which made its top speed disintegrate and was its only design flaw in relation to its racing career. Other than this one flaw, it easily dominated other racing manufacturer’s cars that had a much larger displacement due to its keen handling and quick acceleration. It is because of the design-flawed front end that the Ferrari 250 GT SWB would be replaced by the very successful line of 250 GTOs

Since Ferraris were custom-manufactured cars, specifically in the 1950s and 1960s, the exact parameters of the 250 GT SWB cannot be disclosed because they varied with each vehicle. Several designers and aftermarket automobile specialists worked with racing teams to tweak the 250 GT SWBs to give them additional horsepower, better handling, and increased racing capabilities. Only 55 were manufactured by Ferrari and a recent auction showcased the car’s value today as a $650,000 bid was turned down by the seller because it did not meet the reserve price