<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Ferrari's stronghold on international GT racing continued in 1960; the new SWB Berlinettas being nearly unbeatable. The Tour de France was a complete whitewash, with SWBs filling the first three places at the end of the 5500 km marathon. At Le Mans the domination was even more complete; four SWBs were on the top of the GT-class leaderboard. Overall or class victories were further scored at Monza, Spa, the Nürburgring, Monthlery and in the Tourist Trophy. Determined to continue the dominance, Ferrari refined the SWB for the 1961 season.
Cars produced after 1960 can be easily identified by the removal of the 'kink' in the top edge of the side windows. Other modifications mainly seen from late 1960 cars onward are the relocated fuel filler cap, fatter wheel arches and the ventilation vent in the roof instead of the rear window. Some competition cars used a lighter tubing for the chassis and were equipped with a very powerful engine. These cars are commonly referred to as 'Comp/61' or 'SEFAC Hot Rod'. Fitted with larger valves and rather oversized Carburetors, the Comp/61 engine produces well up to 300 bhp.
Ferrari's dominance in GT-racing was complete in 1961, with GT-class victories all over the world and a clean sweep of the first four places at the Tour de France. Although extremely successful, there was a big drawback of the SWB's design; it shared its aerodynamic characteristics with a rock. After just two years of racing, the SWB was already up for replacement. After a winter's worth of testing the result was the 250 GTO. It was equipped with a more aerodynamic body and a full blown 250 TR engine. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Ferrari's stronghold on international GT racing continued in 1960; the new SWB Berlinettas being nearly unbeatable. The Tour de France was a complete whitewash, with SWBs filling the first three places at the end of the 5500 km marathon. At Le Mans the domination was even more complete; four SWBs were on the top of the GT-class leaderboard. Overall or class victories were further scored at Monza, Spa, the Nürburgring, Monthlery and in the Tourist Trophy. Determined to continue the dominance, Ferrari refined the SWB for the 1961 season.