Transmission: 5 gears, Manual gearbox
Number of cylinders: 8
Engine capacity: 3.185 cc
Upholstery: Velours
General condition: good
Technical condition: good
Visual appearance: good
Number of keys: 2

This rare and bespoke Ferrari 196/246 SP (sport prototype) evocation was ordered by non other then rock legend Chris Rea 30 years ago! Since many years he admired racing legends like Wolfgang Von Trips and Phil Hill, just to mention a few. Chris adored the famous ‘shark nose’ race cars and had two other recreations made for his movie La Passione: a single seater F1 156 and a Ferrari 330 TRI/LM. This particular Ferrari has been recreated, based on Phil Hills Fantuzzi bodied 196 SP from 1961. The donor car was a Ferrari 328 GTS. It was the chosen because it is rear-engined and could easily be modified the accept a low replica body of the iconic Ferrari typo 196/246 SP six cylinder sports racer of the early 1960s. Furthermore the wheelbase is nearly the same as the genuine 196 SP.
The alloy body has been hand crafted from thin sheet alloy panels just as they were built in period. Repeating this today would cost a fortune indeed. Some minor adaptations were made on the space frame structure in order to allow the mounting of this sleek and voluptuous work of art to the original Ferrari 328 GTS chassis. The low front section covers both radiators and a custom-built alloy cover with dzus fasteners gives access to the small racing battery and brake fluid reservoirs. The cockpit is based on the original car but with some adaptations to make it more comfortable compared to the 1961 race spider. The beautiful blue hand built racing seats have four point safety harnesses. The handsome alloy dashboard is low and based on the original layout of the 1961 sports racers.
Combining the V8 performance of the ‘modern’ Ferrari 328 GTS with this beautiful and exciting lightweight body promises an exhilarating drive, just like the modern Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, but at a fraction of the price.
This gorgeous street-legal evocation of one of the sexiest sports racers ever built will put you in the seat of Phill Hill, Von Trips or Olivier Gendebien and bring you right back to those glorious days, without the complexities and technical problems of the period technical layout. The car is on the button and has recent Belgian registration documents. Also present is the old V5 registered on Chris Rea’s wife!