EQ. Magazine Summer Issue 2019
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COVER STORY<br />
“We’re making the perfect copy.”<br />
added it’s preferable if the model whose I.D. they<br />
are working with is older but not essential. “We<br />
don’t need any parts; we’ve got all the parts…We<br />
like to have something physical if we can — so, a<br />
bit of chassis, or some parts, if possible. But we<br />
basically make the car.”<br />
For that reason, Marcel Massini, the Ferrari<br />
expert, estimates that while there were only 165<br />
SWB Berlinettas created from 1959 to 1962, as<br />
many as 300 or more additional versions with<br />
Ferrari I.D.s could have been built by companies<br />
similar to GTO Engineering, who operate in a<br />
market that includes those working on replica<br />
Jaguar E-Types and vintage Porsches.<br />
This has split opinions in the car collecting<br />
world. Massini, a purist, has called the use of I.D.<br />
numbers tied to perhaps more mass-produced<br />
Ferraris “sacrilege” and says it’s a shame that<br />
“other Ferraris are being butchered and basically<br />
killed to use their identities or their remnants<br />
to build a 250 SWB replica.” Others see it as a<br />
cheaper alternative to have access to a design<br />
of Ferrari that otherwise remains out of reach<br />
— like a classic painting purchased for an exorbitant<br />
fee and then locked away in a private collection,<br />
and not shared with the public.<br />
Miles Miller, the chief operating officer<br />
of Manhattan Motorcars, while sympathetic<br />
towards the views of Massini and others, said<br />
the focus should simply be on the craftsmanship<br />
itself. Miller was not intending to commission<br />
such a car when he visited GTO Engineering<br />
around two years ago, but having been<br />
impressed by the performance and build quality,<br />
he and his father, Brian, who owns the business,<br />
saw a car that they believe could offer a weekend<br />
drive for those who cannot get their hands on<br />
the original — or even a daily drive for someone<br />
who does not want to damage their own rare<br />
Berlinetta itself.<br />
“There’s always going to be people who poo<br />
poo it a little bit because it’s not original and<br />
everything like that. It’s still a beautiful piece of<br />
engineering; it’s stunning to look at; it sounds<br />
great — so don’t over complicate it.”<br />
Lyon, naturally, agrees. “There are some people<br />
who don’t like it, but most people say, ‘I can<br />
see why they’re doing that — that does make<br />
a lot of sense,” he said. “You don’t want to use<br />
something that’s very unique and irreplaceable;<br />
you want something you can use and have fun in.<br />
Not many people use the original cars anymore<br />
— which is very sad, but it’s true.” Lyon hopes to<br />
hear the sound and see the sight of a new GTO<br />
out and about soon.” ■<br />
equicapmag.com<br />
SUMMER <strong>2019</strong> ISSUE<br />
<strong>EQ</strong>.<br />
15