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

Original Ford Escort returning in 2025 as reborn classic
Boreham Motorworks Ford Escort tease
News

Original Ford Escort returning in 2025 as reborn classic

No it won't be an electric SUV. The new Ford Escort for 2025 is a manual, petrol recreation of a classic.
3 Dec 2024
TWR Supercat is a 660bhp supercharged V12 XJS restomod
TWR Supercat Jaguar XJS front
News

TWR Supercat is a 660bhp supercharged V12 XJS restomod

Singer and Alfaholics a bit too weedy? A 660bhp supercharged, manual V12 Jaguar XJS could be for you
20 Nov 2024
Thornley Kelham Porsche 911 European RS restomod review – worth £650k?
Thornley Kelham Porsche 911 European RS front
Reviews

Thornley Kelham Porsche 911 European RS restomod review – worth £650k?

The Thornley Kelham Porsche 911 European RS attempts to mix the character of a 997 4.0 RS with the visual brawn of a 2.8 RSR
19 Nov 2024
Best Ferraris – evo’s favourite road cars from Maranello
Best Ferraris
Best cars

Best Ferraris – evo’s favourite road cars from Maranello

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
12 Nov 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best Jaguars – big cats that defined the breed
The best Jaguars
Best cars

Best Jaguars – big cats that defined the breed

As Jaguar stares down the barrel of a polarising new era, it’d do well not to forget some of the brilliance from its past. We list Jag’s modern greats…
6 Dec 2024
BMW M135 xDrive 2025 review – all-wheel drive hot hatch eyes Audi S3
BMW M135
Reviews

BMW M135 xDrive 2025 review – all-wheel drive hot hatch eyes Audi S3

The M135 has lost an ‘i’ and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
30 Nov 2024
2024’s best performance cars battle it out – car pictures of the week
evo Car of the Year 2024 lineup
Features

2024’s best performance cars battle it out – car pictures of the week

A little taste of eCoty 2024 to whet the pallet is the subject of this week’s car pictures
8 Dec 2024