Skip advert
Advertisement

Watch - evo drives Ferrari 250 SWB at RM Sotheby's

What's it like to drive a €10 million Ferrari from 1960? Jethro Bovingdon finds out, thanks to RM Sotheby's

evo, as Jethro Bovingdon explains to Max Girado from RM Sotheby’s, is more about the driving experience than it is polished cars and upscale locations.

But even seen with a cynical eye, it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of a lineup of Ferraris stretching from the 1950s through to the modern day.

Advertisement - Article continues below

So, in the run-up to hosting a livestream from the auctioneers’ event at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on May 23, we decided to take a closer look at the appeal behind such vehicles.

As it transpires, many of the priceless cars do indeed get driven, whether on-track at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival or daily driven.

In the case of the Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta that Jethro has the pleasure of driving in our video, its first owner was a Florentine doctor who used the car every day.

That means the stunning yellow example doesn’t have the racing pedigree of some, but it has since taken part in events at the Goodwood Revival and is eligible for other historic events, too.

With a live rear axle, ladder chassis and four-speed gearbox it seems rudimentary on paper. But its 3-litre V12, developing somewhere between 260-280bhp, is as beautiful to listen to as the Pininfarina coachwork is to view, and its disc brakes were relatively sophisticated for the age.

Is it worth €10 million? That’s more difficult to answer, but the ownership experience would surely be priceless.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best Ferraris – Maranello’s masterpieces from 458 Speciale to F80
Best Ferraris
Best cars

Best Ferraris – Maranello’s masterpieces from 458 Speciale to F80

Ferrari is a brand with more than its fair share of illustrious highlights, so we’ve recapped some of the best Ferrari road cars we’ve driven
11 Jul 2025
Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes
Ferrari manual
News

Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes

Ferrari reckons if you want a manual, you should buy a classic, and has no plans to bring back the stick
1 Jul 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025
Can Ferrari really sell a €407k supercar with a V6?
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
Opinion

Can Ferrari really sell a €407k supercar with a V6?

The new 296 Speciale has arrived, but is a V6 the right choice for what is meant to be Ferrari’s most thrilling road car yet? The team discusses this …
13 May 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Gordon Murray has built two new supercars, and one of them looks just like a McLaren F1
GMSV S1 LM and Le Mans GTR
News

Gordon Murray has built two new supercars, and one of them looks just like a McLaren F1

Gordon Murray has announced the Le Mans GTR and S1 LM – a pair of track-oriented spin-off supercars from a new Special Vehicles division
15 Aug 2025
This Aston Martin Restomod is named after a Skoda for some reason
Aston Martin DBS Ringbrothers Octavia – front
News

This Aston Martin Restomod is named after a Skoda for some reason

The Ringbrothers Octavia might sound like a Skoda saloon that’s received a V8 heart transplant in time for SEMA, but it’s actually an Aston Martin…
15 Aug 2025
Ferrari Roma Spider v Aston Martin Vantage Roadster – car pictures of the week
Ferrari Roma Spider v Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
Features

Ferrari Roma Spider v Aston Martin Vantage Roadster – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo magazine, we pit Aston Martin’s new Vantage Roadster against its chief rival from Maranello – these are our favourite shots
16 Aug 2025