There is a seemingly endless desire for bespoke cars inspired by classic designs. Such ‘restomods’ are in almost constant demand, whether based on stripped-down and rebuilt originals or starting from scratch using some direct inspiration (see Nardone Automotive’s Porsche-inspired 928).
(Image credit: Forge Design)
This is the Competizione Ventidue: a high-performance, hydrogen-powered Ferrari restomod concept created by London-based design studio Forge Design. Right now, it’s just a concept, inspired in part by a bit of creative reinvention and alternate history making.
“We wanted to re-imagine the car that Miles Davis might have bought right after his album was released,” says Kieran Singleton, CEO of Forge Design. “He was a huge Ferrari fan and loved to drive fast in beautiful cars; this is imagined as the car he bought, enjoyed, improved and maybe even raced.’
(Image credit: Forge Design)
The source material, apart from Davis’ music, is the 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB, particularly the highly refined ‘SEFAC Hot Rod’ variant, with ultra-light aluminum bodywork and a boosted engine. The car was a class winner at Le Mans in 1961, helping to cement the 250’s status as the ultimate classic car investment (examples sell at auction for over $8 million).
Perhaps aware of the heavy investment required to get his business off the ground, Forge Design has gone all out for technologies that have yet to make it to the mainstream. These include a hydrogen combustion engine and a composite body.
(Image credit: Forge Design)
Ventidue (’22’ in Italian) is more in tune with the last days of the 1950s, with designers citing 1959 as the year of greatest inspiration. It was then that the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show (the ‘spiritual ancestor’ of the racing car), the year that Frank Lloyd Wright’s posthumous masterpiece, the Guggenheim in New York, opened its doors. York, and the year that Davis kind of blue was released.
(Image credit: Forge Design)
“We’ve always liked the classic lines of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and, after seeing a growth in the number of restoration projects recently, we really wanted to try our own,” says Forge design director David Seesing. The studio is using the concept to further its skills in conceptual design, rendering and modeling.
The Ventidue is a flashy calling card, but it’s not the only 250 GT SWB restomod out there: specialist British manufacturer RML can build a bespoke ‘Short Wheelbase’ right now, for around £1.6m.
(Image credit: Forge Design)
WeForge.design (opens in a new tab)
CompVentidue.com (opens in a new tab)
RMLGroup.com (opens in a new tab)