This list includes both Ferrari Shooting Brakes from factory and coach builders.
Which one is your favourite Ferrari shooting brake? Join the conversation in the comments below.
The first automotive shooting brakes started to appear in the early 1900s, but became more popular from the 1920s onwards. The 1960s and ‘70s saw a lot of experimenting with converting two-door coupes or sports cars into a shooting brake body style. The definition of a shooting brake would thus be: a handmade car with a continuous roofline based on a car that is not a station wagon.
Below is a list of 11 Ferrari shooting brakes we were able to find. Which one is your favourite?
1952 Ferrari 212 Export Shooting Brake by Fontana
The first known Ferrari shooting brake is based on the 212 Export Spyder. It was converted into a shooting brake in 1952 and served as a support car during the 1952 Carrera Panamericana. Unfortunately, it was converted back into a Spyder soon after. The conversions were done by the Italian coachbuilder Paolo Fontana.
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan might be one of the best-known Ferrari shooting brakes. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini for the Scuderia Serenissima racing team, the Breadvan takes its origins from a 250 GT Short Wheelbase (s/n 2819 GT). Scuderia Serenissima entered the car in races from 1962 through 1965 and its first race as Breadvan was the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, resulting in a DNF.
Read the full story on the Breadvan, including its inception and full race history here.
1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Shooting Brake by Vignale
Delivered new to Luigi Chinetti in Rosso Corsa with a Beige interior, this one started life as a regular 1965 Ferrari 330 GT Series II. The new owner, a certain Mr. Desy, returned the car to Chinetti just two years after his initial purchase. Chinetti then decided to convert the car in a shooting brake design. The car was sent to Vignale in Turin, Italy, where they turned the beautiful coupe into a one-off station wagon. Once the conversion was complete, Chinetti used it as his personal car for several years.
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Shooting Brake by Panther
This time it was Luigi Chinetti Jr. who was involved in a shooting brake conversion. After Miami homebuilder Bob Gittelman inquired about a shooting brake conversion of the 365 GTB/4, Chinetti Jr. started designing together with Gene Garfinkle. The conversion was done by British coachbuilder Panther Westwinds. The coolest feature they added is undoubtedly the rear-side windows that curve gently into the roof, which opens like a gullwing door to access the luggage compartment.
1976 Ferrari 400 Shooting Brake
And then there was the Ferrari 400 Shooting Brake. This is actually the only picture we could find, so it might very well be a render. Nonetheless, it’s a great looking estate car. The regular Ferrari 400 was produced from 1976 to 1979 and powered by a 4.8-L V12.
1981 Ferrari 365 GT4 Croisette SW by Felber
Willy Felber was a Swiss businessman and Ferrari dealer who often made one-off versions of Ferraris and other cars. This particular shooting brake, ‘The Croisette’, is based on a Ferrari 365 GT4. The 365 series might have been his favourite, as he also turned a Ferrari 365 GTC/4 into a Beach Car.
1995 Ferrari 456 GT Venice
Fast forward a few years and the wedge design language of the 1980s was gone. The first Ferrari to undergo a shooting brake conversion in this new design era was the Ferrari 456. Commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, Pininfarina turned a total of seven 456s into 5-door estates. For some unknown reason, he only took delivery of six. The remaining Venice was sold to a British car collector. Even though it’s a very unique car, it can sporadically be seen driving around London.
2011 Ferrari FF
According to the definition of a shooting brake (a handmade car with a continuous roofline, based on a car that is not a station wagon), both the Ferrari FF and Ferrari GTC4Lusso would normally not be considered in such a list. We included them anyway, because they perfectly show the evolution of the Ferrari shooting brake. The 2011 Ferrari FF (FF meaning Ferrari Four) is powered by a 6.3-L V12 pushing out over 650 bhp. Ferrari won several awards such as the Most Beautiful Super Car 2011 by Car and Driver and Top Gear’s Estate Car of the Year 2011.
2016 Ferrari GTC4Lusso
Photo: Ferrari Kroymans
As the successor to the Ferrari FF, the 2016 GTC4Lusso and 2017 GTC4Lusso T packed even more technologic improvements, such as the four-wheel drive system (4RM-S). The turbocharged version (distinguished by the ‘T’) was unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It was the first time Ferrari started to offer two different engines in the same car. Pictured is a Ferrari GTC4Lusso T in Rosso California.
2019 Ferrari 612 Shooting Brake
Photo: Ansho Bijlmakers
Dutch coachbuilders Vandenbrink Design converted a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti into a shooting brake while maintaining the original windows, which seems like a unique thing to do regarding this body style. The ideas for a shooting brake based on the 612 Scaglietti started in 2008, but it took the company well over 10 years to create it.
2020 Breadvan Hommage
Photo: Niels van Roij Design
Another Dutch coachbuilder, Niels van Roij Design, built this Breadvan Hommage based on a Ferrari 550 Maranello. The inspiration of the car is the 1962 250 GT SWB Breadvan we mentioned earlier. The car remained the same, technically speaking, but in terms of design received a complete transformation.
Which one is your favourite Ferrari shooting brake? Join the conversation in the comments below.
In reply to Pen Pendleton, he forgets the 1980 Ferrari Pinin, The first four door Ferrari by many years.
Isn’t one the criterions of a Shooting Brake that it be a 2-door? Thus excluding the Venice?
Funny, I’ve seen photos of those before and I never even noticed they were 4-door cars. So the Venice and the Purosangue are the only 4-door “Ferraris” ever made? (Remember, the Venice was designed by Pininfarina and built by Ferrari as opposed to the others here being one-off “Specials”). The one detail that made the shockingly functional FF and Lusso so cool – and kept Ferrari’s heart beating stronger than Porsche’s – was that they were 2-door cars.
I love the flip-top car. Was at Pebble one year. The most innovative, for sure.
Does the 550 Break really exist? I own a model 1/43 by ministar (art.021), but I can’t find anything about it on the internet…
Best One is the one built from the 1962 SWB 250 Ferrari
I have the LussoT and I love it. I think it is unique looking and not seen everywhere.
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