Steve Cropley: MY WEEK IN CARS

摘要

MONDAY: When Enzo Ferrari launched the 250 Short Wheelbase in 1959, he can't have known what legendary status it would have achieved 62 years later. Nowadays, apart from the originals worth ￡8 million, there are three other cars inspired by the 250 SWB, all made in this country. Berkshire-based GTO Engineering does two, the 250 SWB Revival, which has a lesser 250 model underneath, and the all-new Squalo that uses GTO's own bits, albeit Ferrari inspired. Now Northants engineering consultancy RML has moved into the 250 SWB arena, too, planning 30 lookalikes based on the 550 Maranello at ￡1 million-plus each. These and the profusion of 'continuation' or 'nut and bolt' models that currently reprise icons from Alvis, Aston Martin, AC, Healey, Porsche and Jaguar suddenly look to me like a desperate reaction to the onrush of electrification. I was thinking the other day that they must also cause distress to modern car designers, for whom the task of doing something to match the magnificently unconstrained icons of yesteryear must be tough.