this is a one off that really intriges me. i'll post the few pics and info that i have here. if you have additional info, i'd be glad to see it. thanks stijn Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
car is designed by Chris Hampson (a freelance industrial designer) and Chris Major and built by Brian Wingfield (DRL Engineering, Jaguar D-type replicas) and built for Anthony Bamford (1st owner) based on a 400i, now supposedly owned by a dutch collector The styling is the result of some very specific requests by the first owner,picking out some particular design cues from his favourite 60's berlinettas with some low drag E- Type thrown in for good measure. A particular problem at the time was to source a contemporary yet sympathetic windscreen, ( one that would meet safety standards,) & we settled on a Toyota Celica screen.The rest of the car is pure Ferrari- a well used 400i donor vehicle which after a great 3 weeks spent 'waking it up' from a long period of inertia was delivered to Bryan Wingfield, (of Gulf GT40 fame,) who is responsible for engineering & project managing the unique car you see in the pictures.It also drives & sounds even better than it looks. I had no idea that the car was now abroad, & I urge the new owner to write to Classic & Sportscar magazine in the UK to get hold of the April 1995 back issue for an article on the car.Whilst the content of the article has some inaccuracies the pics are blinding.
This was at the FOC of GB's concours about 2 years ago, a fantastic looking conversion, there was an article on it in the club news letter, if I can find it I'll scan it in
I agree it is a superb looking car, although the headlight covers don't quite look aligned correctly, it looks from the images that they are pointing slightly outwards (the opposite of cross-eyed?). It amuses me that no-one has said "sacrilege, destroying an irreplaceable original Ferrari/it is a kit car!" but of course the donor vehicle was 'only' a 400i. I love the concept of creating bespoke automobiles that suit the customer - that is how it all started.
Interesting car.....looks like a bit 250 GT SWB, a bit 275 GTB, a bit E-Type, and little bits of lots of other cars. Certainly looks nothing a 400i!
I think the headlight cover alignment is purely down to the wide camera lens angle. With regard to the destruction of a 400i my personal opinion is that this car is part of a long tradition of custom-bodied Ferraris; creating something unique and interesting. That, IMHO, is completely different from cutting up a 250 GTE or 330 GT and slapping on a fake 250 GTO body to try to convince the world that it is something it isn't. Jonathan
I'm not sure you are correct about the wide angle lens, the covers look a bit wrong on all the shots. I'm glad you think like that about rebodying with a new and interesting body, however, what if they threw away the body from a GTO instead of a 400i? I am rebodying my Ferrari with a unique, new and interesting shape and I will be ditching the old shell.
i have to admit that the images aren't their original size, i had to resize and convert them to be able to post them. the original size pictures do look better, and so do the dimensions of the car i'm glad you people aren't regarding this as a kitcar, but as a true coachbuild. i can only hope that with todays mega-marketing and bland imaging everywhere, more people will start using coachbuilders again... greetings, stijn
I doubt anyone would be doing that these days!!!! Personally, I don't have any problem with genuine re-bodies on a small number of Ferraris of each type. There are enough 400s around to allow for a few to have interesting things done to them. I would be of a completely different opinion if it got out of hand and suddenly there were no original 400s left. I also hate the fakes and rebodies that are trying to make one car look like another and that encompasses MR2s rebodied to try to look like F355s as well as 250 GTEs pretending to be GTOs. The Breadvan, for example, is interesting (though not, it must be said, stunningly beautiful) because of its unique history and unique styling even if it does mean there is one less standard 250 SWB in existence.
I'm with you on this, just had to find out how far you would go. The amount of physical effort needed to make an exact (or nearly exact) copy is huge, far more than is needed to create an original design, although the reverse is true of creative effort. I am following this philosophy by gently (OK, maybe not so gently) massaging the Mondial into a new shape.
i would like to thank you for taking these pics and sharing them on the net. i hope you take no offense that i post these from time to time. it's just because this car intrigues me, i love the idea of modern coachbuilding and would love to get to know more about this car. greetings stijn
To those who are going down the "isn't it a pity" line,re the original body,with great respect,you don't know the condition of the original body. Could well,particularly in Pommyland,have been quite rusty. Reading into the OP's first post:"well used,taking 3 weeks to wake up".should give an amount of insite as to the general condition of the original car. As most of you are aware,Aussie's late,great,David Levy made silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is a thread containing that one on here.
This "concept" car is unique and intriguing but I for one am glad the 365, 400,412 series was built as is. It is a timeless, exquisite, and dignified touring car. Not something to careen around race circuits. It speaks to something different in us from the over the top and garish designs being produced currently. If that's your cup of tea, you would probably be more content with a current design than to modify a 400.
For anyone wondering, this is 37647. Does anyone know why it was converted? Did Bamford simply request something that was totally different at the time? Or if there more to the story?
