STORY OF THE DAY: NART’s Berlinetta Finishes Seventh

Ed Hugus and Augie Pabst finished seventh overall at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans in the number 19 North American Racing Team Ferrari 250 GT SWB. They completed 299 laps and placed among a strong group of Ferrari grand tourers behind the winning works Testa Rossa. Their finish contributed to Ferrari’s commanding presence throughout the classification.

The number 19 car’s defining achievement was consistency. Hugus and Pabst lacked the outright pace of the sports prototypes, but they kept the closed GT moving through the night and avoided prolonged repairs. In a race where several faster factory Ferraris retired, the private NART entry converted mechanical durability and disciplined driver changes into a top-ten finish.

The 250 GT SWB shortened the earlier 250 GT wheelbase from 2.60 to 2.40 metres, improving agility and reducing weight. A tubular chassis, Scaglietti berlinetta body and front-mounted three-litre Colombo V12 formed the core package. Competition versions used lightweight materials and tuned engines, while disc brakes gave the model a significant advantage over earlier drum-braked Ferrari GTs.

Hugus and Pabst were American sports-car racers. Hugus was a dealer, entrant and regular Le Mans competitor closely associated with imported European machinery. Pabst came from a Milwaukee brewing family and became one of the leading American road racers of his generation. Their NART appearance represented Luigi Chinetti’s growing role in bringing capable American crews and customer Ferraris to Le Mans.