Now for something completely different…
Thomas Jackermeier
Member, Administrator
Who doesn’t love a V12? We’re fans of real and virtual cars...
Fanatec has proudly supported the ‘Breadvan Hommage’ project, a one-off design exercise by Niels van Roij that references the legendary Breadvan of the 1960s. I’ve always loved unique car design, and that carries into our own products. We want to surprise and innovate, rather than following expected trends.
As a lifelong race fan, I have always been fascinated by the history of racing, particularly the 1960s, where the rules were far less restrictive, and aerodynamics was barely understood.
The original ‘Breadvan’ is a great example of the crazy ideas being thrown around during this era. Giovanni Volpi ran Scuderia Serenissima, a racing team and customer of Ferrari. After a falling-out between Enzo Ferrari and his lead engineers, Scuderia Serenissima employed several of Ferrari’s key staff. Ferrari then refused to sell any of the latest 250 GTOs to Volpi, and as a result, Volpi decided to create a competitor to the 250 GTO, based on a 250 GT SWB. As Giotto Bizzarrini was the lead designer on the GTO, now working for Volpi he was able to employ all the same technology, developing further improvements, including using the Kammback aero principle, which resulted in the iconic shape that became widely known as the ‘breadvan’. Because of its superior aero, it blasted past Ferrari’s own 250 GTOs in its first outing at Le Mans, but was forced to retire after mechanical issues. It went on to win other GT races the following year.
The tribute car uses a 550 Maranello as a base, but much like the original Breadvan, after its extensive modifications it is no longer badged a Ferrari. We think it is a fitting tribute to one of the most interesting race cars of all time.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/retro/revealed-one-ferrari-550-based-breadvan-hommage
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/niels-van-roij-design-unveils-tribute-ferrari-breadvan
Niels has designed some remarkable vehicles over the years, you can follow his coachbuilding projects on the Niels van Roij Design website.
https://twitter.com/NielsvanRoij