Craziest shooting brake racer reborn?

When it comes to unmistakable race cars (unmistakable for their design that is, rather than their livery), you might be thinking the remarkable sixwheel Tyrell P34 is just about the wackiest racer devised.

In terms of open wheel racing, it possibly still is. But when it comes to sports cars, Ferrari’s 1960s-era 250 GT SWB “Breadvan” racers cut a unique silhouette on the circuit. These things were long and low, with a snub “Kamm” tail at the back, designed to help separate air flowing from the roof at speed without creating drag. The fastest shooting brakes in the West, in other words.

Now a London-based designer has drawn inspiration from the Breadvan Fezzas and plans to revive the design, albeit with a 1990s Ferrari 550 Maranello as the base.

Niels van Roij Design has revealed preliminary sketches for what it calls its Breadvan Hommage. Why a 550 Maranello? Van Roij says that the 550 is the “logical starting point” because it was the first Ferrari since the Daytona that was built using the same basic blueprint as the 250 GT; a V12 engine out front, stirred along with a manual gearbox.

The Breadvan Hommage is an echo of the original 250 GT SWB. In fact, only the windscreen from the 550 donor car will remain untouched.

Van Roij’s project will be formed from aluminium and work has already begun to separate the 550’s rear end from its chassis. We should hopefully see the results of this reinterpretation of race car weirdness mid-year.