In concept, this book started life as a Provenance. As such, it set about to verify the date, location and driver history of the sixth 250 Testa Rossa produced, serial number 0718. Many an automotive author has generously given of his time and ink to write about the many limited series competition cars to come from Maranello individually and as a whole. The 250 TR has been often and lovingly included. Much has been scholastic in its veracity, some, adding myth to the legend. After a year's investigation on 0718, and many more on Ferrari's operation, the author has here constructed a family photo album, with interwoven narrative. The narrative is the story that came forward from the author's investigation and richly illustrative interviews conducted into 0718 specifically. To provide a deeper insight into the 250 TR itself we delve into the engineering transformation within Maranello that resulted in the resurrection of the competition V-12 engine, the unique (to the firm at that point) chassis it was placed in, and a body design that gave visual signature to this 1958 customer sports racer. From these elements was composed the publication you now hold. It is the Provenance of a Ferrari, that became the telling of a fifty-year-old mystery, red herrings and all. Table of Contents

PROLOGUE 10 CHAPTER TEN TIME CAPSULE 116

CHAPTER ONE THERE IT WAS AGAIN 14 1959 VACA VALLEY GRAND PRIX 135

CHAPTER TWO TRS & MEXICO AT THE TIME 19 CHAPTER ELEVEN RAPIDLY, THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE 148 1959 RIVERSIDE GP FOR SPORTSCARS 26 1961 SACRAMENTO SPORTS CAR RACES 156 CHAPTER THREE BEFORE THE BEGINNING 34 1961 LAGUNA SECA 174 CHAPTER FOUR THE CHESS PIECES MOVED 39 CHAPTER TWELVE LICENSED IN THE SECOND ACT 192 CHAPTER FIVE TRANSFORMATION & V-12 RESURRECTION 42 CHAPTER FOURTEEN AGED LIKE GOOD WINE 200 CHAPTER SIX LESSONS LEARNED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS EARLIER 49 CHAPTER FIFTEEN NICKEL BITS & RAW ALUMINUM 211 1957-58 BUILD SHEET 59 CHAPTER SIXTEEN BACK ON TRACK 239 CHAPTER SEVEN THROUGH THE LENS, THE SONG OF TWELVE 64 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN RETURNED TO INTENDED PURPOSE 262 1960 LAGUNA SECA 74 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ACROSS THE WORLD RAPIDLY 278 CHAPTER EIGHT CONTACT SOUTH OF THE BORDER 82 CHAPTER NINETEEN HISTORIC CONTEXT, VINTAGE CHAPTER NINE MIGRATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESENT 299 FIRST ACT 102 EPILOGUE 330 1959 RIVERSIDE KIWANIS GRAND PRIX 107 TIMELINE 338 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 342 PHOTO CREDITS 343 "It's a Testa Rossa!" The cry was a uni- worn seats looked to have been polished son echo as Schwinn brakes squealed to a by a lot of track time. The fabulous row halt. Bikes were laid upon asphalt with a of velocity stacks could be spied through little less care then was the norm. the hood's scoop. This was a car that had Squat, wide, aggressive in repose. been used, and used hard. The rock pit- Speaking more clearly of speed than all ted nose and chipped paint at the front, to the pages of the bedside Sport Car the none too fresh tires worn on tarnished Graphics. The gooseflesh rising was not wires and rims, fired the imagination, and from the chilled lake wind, but from the kept the conversation lively. tales of the Mille, LeMans and the Targa, Twilight soon called the boys home. The autumn wind was coming off the Still, there were a few boats bobbing being told by this metal. With the apprehension of pilgrims leaving lake in chilling gusts. Indian summer was beneath blue canvas, rigging chiming Furtive looks were cast about for the a religious monument, they gathered up this day but a memory, as the gold and against the masts. The last voices of the owner. Was it one of the greats buttoning the bikes and headed off through the now red leaves moved in great animate clouds season past. For the most part the boats up a yacht for winter? No, the owner of unnoticed colors of the park. Looks were through the park. School had started, but had been moved to winter moorings, or this would be out sailing in this weather. cast over their shoulders, and at each the four boys on their bicycles clung to dry dock, leaving expansive solace, to The slips before them were inspected for other, to again see if it was real, or merely summer's faded image. Each sprint race make wide arcs through the empty park- movement. The silent appraisal was soon an apparition imagined. Every yard trav- had them atop their Nortons, running ing spaces. As the boys dreamed dreams broken by the chatter of discourse on the eled seem to more clearly define that through the Isle of Man's hedge-lined of the great road races, and they the vic- exploits of the TRs, of Ferrari, of the sport. which was now a memory, to be retold a roads. Heads down, tucked in to cut tors beneath cloudless summer skies, a It was only last year that had hundred and one times, if the reality of wind resistance, peddling with determi- glint of the fading light was seen, almost brought all gathered here the pride by having seen it became less believable. nation and laughter, they headed for the simultaneously by all. Ah, reason to ped- proxy of his World Championship. And Then, from the far lot came a crackling yacht basin of Belmont Harbor. The sun dle further before the ride home, to here before them was the physical expres- explosion. The unrestrained symphony of was angling low behind Lake Shore warmth, dinner, and siblings all assuming sion of the great European racing circuits, twelve gathered volume, gathered Drive's apartment buildings, bringing on the school year pattern. silent, yet not silent. The stories of ground. As it came abreast the boys, the the dusk all too early. Fading light, and "Is that what I think it is?!" Automobile Quarterly, the reports of driver gave them a knowing look, and winds filled with the implication of "Wow, look at it!" Road & Track, all come alive. nailed it. He knew his audience. They all Chicago's coming winter, had cleared the There it sat. All by itself in an empty Like many a retired competition car of sat up on their bikes, applauding and park. The boys rode alone through empty parking lot. Its weathered silver paint the period, this one had found its way to howling silently in the echoing thunder, bike paths, on through the harbor parking glowing in the dimming light, leaves the street. Its Illinois license was quite that receded behind a swirl of autumn lots recently deserted by the warm weath- brushing up against its Englerbert tires securely attached to the round tail, above leaves. er sailors. and wires. the four megaphone exhaust. The well-

There it was again 1

having sidelined Bianchi and painted in the pale Guatemalan blue Mairesse. as Jaroslav Juhan had run it at LeMans The text then tells of a sale to the in '58. There was a provenance cer- Mexican driver Julio Mariscal, an tain. As a look was cast out over the import duty fracas with his govern- rain soaked Berkeley hills, the spec- There it was again. Open right to of desire, with revered histories. ment, and its transfer to John von trum of anecdotal evidence, both sup- the page on David Love's coffee table As the rain ran down the large pic- Neumann's Ferrari Reps operation in portive of Finn's conclusion, and not, in blue gray light, as the afternoon ture windows its descending translu- LA, Pedro Rodriguez' DNF at came to the fore. rain tapped out a rhythmic theme on cent shadow moved across this tale of Riverside in July of '59 and its subse- large picture windows. In recent days 0718. Finn had written that 250 Testa quent resale to Sacramento racer, Jay had gotten me into this most this story of 0718's history has been Rossa, serial number 0718, was initial- Gordon Glyer. engaging automotive mystery. Prior often quoted for my benefit. The pas- ly an Ecurie Belge car, first run in- This all has the ring of logic to it. to receiving, via FedEx, the compre- sage, from Joel Finn's seminal work on anger by Lucien Bianchi at Goodwood Ferrari's latest three liter customer hensive archive on 0718 gathered to 250 TRs published thirty years ago, on 7 April 1958. Wearing the number sports racer being campaigned in date, Jay, in signature skepticism, had has long been accepted as fact. But, 59, Bianchi brought the TR beneath Europe during its premier season, warned against Finn's published con- like so much in Ferrari history, had it checker in 5th place. The debut was then coming west to compete in the clusion. become legend, accepted and repeat- followed by an appearance at then quite active competition calendar 'The numbers don't match,' Jay had ed, by having been carved in stone by Silverstone, were Bianchi again pilot- of Mexico and California. told me in one of our early conversa- ink on the well-thumbed page? ed, achieving a 6th place in the stand- Closing the book I looked over at tions. 'Swaters’ records show his 250 One must certainly respect the ings. Finn goes on to state that 0718 David, who was showing my son TRs were 0724 and 0736. The Bianchi car scholarship represented for standing was then entered in the June festivities Miles a 1/43rd scale model of his TR, being 0724.' up to the onslaught of Ferrari tales at LeMans. Here Bianchi was joined told and retold in the thirty years since by Mairesse for the run of twenty-four publication. During the period of hours in weather much like this wet these decades past we have seen com- afternoon. The yellow Francorchamps petition cars transformed from worth- garage car covered only a tenth of the 14 less obsolete racers to priceless objects distance required to finish, the clutch

15 Anecdotal (web sites and conversa- workshop manual: it was strictly fly by was one of the most sought after and umented actions of others. tional) evidence aside, implied affir- the seat of your pants and telephone time significant ever made. One of Conclusions, Finn rather firmly stat- mative defense of Finn's position with Richie. I was instructed to set the perhaps twenty made. Discussed on ed, were based upon rather wide open could be found on page five of the camshaft/valve timing according to the the printed page more than once, yet access to Maranello's archives in the brief written by Gordon Glyer dis- marks stamped in the flywheel, which I beneath the pedantic microscope that late sixties. The competition histories cussing his ownership of the car, as did very carefully. When I got all fin- had come to be the Ferrari legend, of the cars revealed themselves received in the Fed Ex'ed archives. 'I ished, I had a very sick Ferrari. I was told 0718's early history eluded consensus. through the currently unobtainable think it was on the way back from the that the car had been a DNF at LeMans It was time for a two pronged attack. race records composed for an absent 1960 Vaca Valley race that a float stuck in due to clutch failure…'. An e-mail was sent off to Adolfo Enzo by an attendant team mechanic one of the Webers and allowed the fuel to To further explore the implications Orsi for a bit of archive research at at the races that made up the fill the number eight cylinder. Carelessly, of this passage it was brought up in a Maranello. While this representative European season of '58. In the I attempted to start the engine without phone conversation with Gordon. action was in train, it would only be absence of an available Xerox, photos walking it through a revolution or pulling "When I bought the car from von appropriate to contact Joel Finn. were taken of the documents for later the plugs. Hydraulic lock-locked solid! Neumann's Ferrari Reps, Richie had told After several rings, a recorded greet- reference. And, in a tone that After a lot of thought and some telephone me the car had been at LeMans, busted the ing, assuring that indeed the correct expressed good fortune and foresight, time with Richie (Ginther), we wisely dis- clutch, and had a street 250 flywheel number had been dialed, and another additional insight was gained through mantled the engine. We found a cracked installed. That's why I had the timing of the omnipresent electronic tones of economic benevolence of the time, piston and bent wrist pin and a repairable, mark problem when we rebuilt the this generation, I began speaking into which allowed for multiple ownership slightly tweaked connecting rod. There engine." the telephonic ethers. Mid-way of obsolete pontoon-fendered Ferraris. were some very minor scores in the crank- Replacing the phone to its cradle, through said message a gravely voice Impressive. But still, I pointed out, shaft that .002" cleaned up. Rather than lighting a Camel and leaning back in inquired as to the purpose of the call. “How did 0718, become 0724, the Ecurie waste crankshaft by turning .010", we cut my office chair, I couldn't help but be Following introductions I got right to Belge car of Bianchi?” .002" and silver plated .002" onto the amused. Pre-War cars had been the point, and inquired, “Upon what The story told is worth paraphras- standard bearings. I'm still proud of my traced through every owner, every research were your conclusions drawn as ing. machinist, Nestor Mosca, whose shop was activity, to where they had been hid- regards 250 TR 0718?” What ensued 'It had always been Mariscal's dream to near the Oakland airport. Please under- den to survive the War, and been was a most engaging discussion of drive in Europe. So a test was arranged stand that we had nothing in the way of a ignored and cherished since. Here one man's efforts to interpret the doc- in November '57 at the Modena

16 17 TRs & Mexico at the time 2 Autodromo. The factory reaction to this similarly, it was pointed out, the com- enigma. But industry, no matter how test was that Mariscal was much too wild ments on 0718 were being drawn from artisan in its size and improvisational "Jaroslav knows everybody in Mexico." to be released on the European circuits. A memory of research conducted in method, is man-hours spent, and The voice on the phone was that of deal was worked out to lease the car to decades ago. One could only respect compensated, for a purpose. The pur- Larry Crane, ex-art director of Swaters for the European season. After the clarity of those memories at this pose implied is multiple profit Automobile magazine. He was gra- which it would be shipped to Mariscal in time, and be engaged by the manner through simultaneous sale of a single ciously providing me with contact Mexico. This was told to me by Mariscal's with which the stories were related. product; here the purchase/lease to names and numbers accumulated mechanic, who had accompanied him to Jim Sitz had told me of meeting Finn Swaters after money had already been while composing his book on the for the test. As for the numbers, they during the composition of the TR collected from Mariscal. To what end? Carrera. "He was the distributor in were changed while it was run by Swaters book, and how intense and detailed The car would be clapped out after Guatemala, and the first Porsche distribu- and then changed back when shipped to was his focus on the subject. There Swaters finished the European season, tor in South America." Mariscal. This happened all the time. was no reason to doubt Jim's conclu- and a complete overhaul would be A couple of days after my conversa- Numbers were changed to show the cars sions at conversation's end; but Finn required before shipment to Mexico. tion with Larry I took the opportunity were new when they weren't.' had left more questions in the wake of Money collected, money spent, and to dial the Swiss phone number given Interesting. The conversation went our conversation. Mariscal receives a second hand com- me for Jaroslav Juhan. on for some time. Covering events What, for example, would be the petition car in autumn for new car "Julio Mariscal, yes, I know him per- surrounding the investigation, and benefit of renumbering a car Swaters dollars spent in January (?). sonally, I know he's still alive. He was composition of Finn's book. He had was leasing from Mariscal for the Riddle wrapping in enigma? also in the Carrera Pan-America, driving indeed done his homework. And was summer? And, why would Swaters Perhaps. Or perhaps, the broad brush a C-type, I think it was. C-Type Jaguar, it on the ground during a most interest- arranged to lease an early series TR, of colorful legend applied liberally. was in 1954," Jaroslav began telling ing time in Ferrari's history. when he could obtain a latter series The solution seemed to lie in me after establishing the purpose of When inquiry was made as to the car in time for Bianchi's debut at Mexico. my call. availability of the document photos Goodwood? "I understood this car, 0718, was sold made in Maranello's archives so long Finn had summated Ferrari's opera- to the Ecurie Belge. But I think that's the ago, it was made clear that those files tion during that first decade of opera- car you are talking about because, they are were long buried, and the TR project tion with the old Churchill caricature saying, the Ferrari records are saying was in the past, to remain there. And of the Soviets; A riddle wrapped in an clearly, that the car was sold to Ecurie

18 19 Belge. And was raced by Lucian Bianchi, it, because we been driving very slowly, arrived in Mexico. And was slapped with "No, the car is owned by a gentleman which was a very good friend of mine, just trying to stay out of traffic, it was a (a large) duty…Julio should know that…I up in Montreal." yes? Apparently at Goodwood, and then very wet race. don't know exactly what it was in "You know today, it seems to be ridicu- he raced it at Silverstone. He finished 5th "And just a minute what was the Mexico, but in Argentine I know it, lous. But if I mention a figure I paid for in Goodwood. And he was sixth in story? I can go back and trace what hap- because I sold my Spyder Porsche in 1955, my car, David's car, I paid personally, to Silverstone. And then '58 in LeMans, pened with the car. The Ferrari records I in Argentine, and it was 600% duty…so Ferrari, in his hand, in fact my wife paid with Bianchi and Mairesse, both good have show 718 was that car, and was sold you can imagine. So many Argentiner for me, because she went earlier to Europe, friend(s) of mine. They are not here any- to Julio Mariscal, the car was resprayed get killed in the last Pan Americana, and pay him $7,300 dollars for the car. more to give us some more information." white. And of course Johnny von because Peron said 'who ever will be driv- New. After the race (LeMans), I was at "Swaters’ records show the Bianchi, Neumann is named there. I haven't seen ing on the Pan Americana, he can come the end of very poor automobile racing Mairesse car at LeMans was 0724," I put him for four or five years. Johnny, he must back with a car, to Buenos Aries, get it career, so I didn't know what to do. I was forth. be older than I am now. If he's still with duty free.' So there were something like racing with Francois again in Rheims, the "0724…this can't be, because I was rac- us, I don't know, but maybe yet." 50 Argentiner participants, eight of them twelve hour race, we finished fifth, in his ing in fifty-eight at LeMans. With the car "Yes, I believe he is. You have Ferrari get killed. They purchase some Chevrolet, Berlinetta (0901 GT); because my car was David owns now." records that show 0718 is the Bianchi and the first turn without brakes, they're a little bit damaged in the front from rac- "Really?" Mairesse car?" in a ditch. 600%, I don't know what ing it in LeMans, not that much. But still "Oh yes," Jaroslav continued, "…we "Definitely, quite a good record, you Mexico was, but it must have been simi- we couldn't (race it at Riems), because the didn't finish, we were running in ten see. Of course we are a very, very, very lar. casing of the steering, the steering box position, at the first, with a French driver, long time away now. We are talking '58, "He had it reshipped to , broke during the crash, right? Only one Francois Picard, he died about three years almost half a century. But that was it. " where Johnny von Neumann agreed to headlight, otherwise the car was in perfect ago, good guy, very pleasant to drive with "Can you make a copy of that documen- dispose of it for him." shape. So, we tried to get in the sound him…he smashed the car against a Colin tation?" "Do you actually know when he car, at one o'clock in the afternoon, just Chapman Lotus, under the Dunlop "Yes, I can fax it now." brought it into Mexico?" driving, filling it with petrol, and that's it, (bridge) after six hour of race. But we'd "That would be superb…These are "It says, late in 1958. It was sold to and finishing the race. And be, at one been staying very well in the race. In fact Ferrari records? From the Scuderia?" Julio. I think that's correct. I can make o'clock in the afternoon, with the same we tried to be on the podium. Which "Yes, that's it. Julio Mariscal, and he you a copy of it. brand new car, then for these last three means the first three. And we would do repaint it white, apparently. And it "Do you have the car?" Jaroslav hours be at full speed. In fact we've been asked. traveling, and we were braking only once 20 21 in (the) lap; at the end of the straight. its way back to Maranello, and it was a little bit younger, but they are both not I'm convinced now it was 012. So I don't And that was that day. I was lapping at there. And I didn't know what to do with here any more. We were very, very good know what to say. But I can swear four minutes, fifteen seconds. The fastest the car. So I sent it to Vasek Polack, to friends, especially with Mairesse." enough, because I never looked on the lap was with at 4:01 in Los Angeles, to sell it. I consigned it to "I wonder why the entry records at chassis for the number. And it's a most the factory car, and in fact with a four liter him, and it took two years to get some LeMans show they were driving 0724, funny way, it can't be traced at the facto- engine. It wasn't that bad. And when money back, for it. Can you imagine." rather than 0718 ?" ry. Francois crashed (at LeMans) we were in "How long did you say, Two years?" "724, let's see…You know there are "There is some historical book where my tenth position overall, after six hour of "Two years, yes. Then I had to pay the many, many (stories)…for example with Testa Rossa was owned by Jabby (Gerard) race. Wasn't that bad. duty, which in the United States at the my car in the similar record, they say my Crombac. And this just is not true. He "It was very difficult to sell the (TR). time was six or seven hundred dollars. car was running after LeMans, (that) it never, yeah Ok, his great participation at When I finish at Riems, I said I didn't Enormous money. For twelve hundred was running different races in Europe, that time to me, or better say to Francois want to race anymore. It was stupid to be dollars you could buy the new Chevrolet. I small races, which is not true. After Picard. That is just not true. My car was running round and round, during the totally collect for the car maybe five thou- LeMans, in '58 with Francois Picard, purchased by myself, personally by my night, people is eating and drinking, at sand dollars. never run any race in Europe. After cash money, directly from Enzo, delivered home and at the cinema, and your trying "He (Polack) was renting the car, to (Rheims) I asked Manicotti, who was the by my wife and that's it. And it's a very to go fast, and nothing happens. So I fin- McAfee, and many other drivers. It was sales manager at Ferrari, I said 'Dottore, serious book." ished racing the day, or day before, Fangio very different from today. No million dol- you send it down to Vasek Polak. "What I try to do in my research is finished, following the Grand Prix of lars. "724 was sold to Finland... run 1958 freshly pursue the facts, using what has France. In fact we were racing before the "A dollar was a lot of money. You Nurburgring.. purchased by Kennedy, in been written as clues, while putting aside race (at Riems). know in Panama a gallon of whiskey was late 1958...sold it in '59, Chinetti..." what has been long accepted." "And it was very difficult to sell the car. one dollar." "These are records from the Scuderia "I think you will never find out." In the meantime, when I was at Riems, the "And much needed if you were in that you have?" "Thank you for the optimism." car was repaired at the factory and was Panama." "Yes, but this is a pretty serious record. (laughter) sent by Ferrari to Porto, where I should "Exactly." You know I get bombarded now about "Because you know," Jaroslav contin- race the Grand Prix of Porto, in Portugal. (laughter) whether I drove 005 or 012 Porsche ued, "it's really difficult to remember, and But , in the meantime I decided not to "Bianchi and Mairesse, as they both Spyder in South America. And I don't everyone at that time was fiddling. race, so the car was on the same lorry, on about the same age as myself, maybe even know. I believed all the time it was 005. Somehow, something, to buy the car, even-

22 23 tually find a sponsor, which in fact never on his car'. So they did, for five hundred from Ciudad Juarez. And no money. I "Last time I saw him (Mariscal) was in exists in these times, your sponsors came dollars, the gangsters. But they had so had ten dollars in the pocket. Ten dollars. 1954," Jaroslav continued, "in Puebla from America to Europe. Even my car in much advertising with him because, in the Then a lorry stopped, with about eight Mexico at a race I was racing in. He was the Mexico race, my Porsche wore no ads first place he put the ad on the roof, noth- guys in the lorry. It was a big lorry. And racing a Jaguar C type. I finished just in on it. The Hans Herman car was full of ing happened to Cerezo (the driver), but I said 'Boys where are you going?' And front of him, or just after him. It was a painting for Telefunken. I was so stupid. the car was totally damaged, and the Bull they said 'We are going to Mexico City.’ race on the Puebla airport. It was a nice The people from Bull, they are some com- sign traveled all around the world as a 'Can you take me to Mexico City?' And race. A very funny race. That was in the puter people, they came to me and offered newspaper photograph." he says 'Yes, why not?' 'Because I have very early Porsche 001. Very amusing. me fifteen hundred dollars, if I agree to (Laughter) my racing car with me.’ 'Oh, doesn't mat- We'd been old friends together. It is not paint on the car the Bull sign. I said 'no Jaroslav placed his virgin bodied ter.' 'But' I said, 'I only have ten dollars.' like today. Everyone is enclosed in his my dear, no one touches the car. My car is 550 spyder, number 012, fourth over "The chief of the group, he recalculated motor home. We never had a motor home. virgin and no one touches it.' The car all. how many bottles of Bacardi there are for Some tent somewhere. Or we were sleep- didn't even belong to me, (laughter) it "I never put any advert on my car." ten dollars. And it was twenty five bot- ing in the seats of the car. That was our belonged to Ferry Porsche. Ferry send me Jaroslav continued, "It was always tles, and he said 'That's good. Twenty five comfort. And a common toilet with about, over the car. I was delegated the responsi- naked. I was stupid. Regal Bacardi, let's go.’ And he take me I don't know, about two thousand, three bility to win the race. Not to scratch the "Fifteen hundred dollars. Can you with my car, and my co-pilot to Mexico thousand people." body. Not to break the engine. And send imagine the money at that time. Fifteen City. More than two thousand "Well that's what happens when you the money to Ferry Porsche. So I never Hundred Dollars. A V8 Chevrolet at the Kilometers! For twenty five bottles of turn down those checks from Bull." get my car painted with any advertising. time cost fourteen hundred dollars. Bacardi. Can you imagine." (Laughter) "This is very good…And I say to the "I was driving for my pleasure, not for "Superb." The fax from Switzerland came Bull people, 'Look I have a friend here, money. When I stopped, in the last stage "Good time." (Jaroslav was fourth in through ten minutes after warm with an . I was selling Alfa of the third Pan American (1953), I had the Small Sports class during the 1st adieus completed the call. The famil- Romeos, I sold it to him, and the official some small engine failure, 150 miles from stage; first for the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th; sec- iar passage, faxed from this source, Alfa Romeo team was running their 1900 the end, and I stop on the road. The ond for the 5th & 6th stage and third was again an affirmation of Finn's four door limousines, and I told them 'He Porsche organization didn't exist, and I'm during the 7th stage prior to his park- scholarship in the eyes of those ele- is totally without money, not a penny in on my own, a hundred kilometer from ing the Porsche one hundred and fifty mental to its plot. the pocket, so go to him and put the Bull Chihuahua. And two hundred kilometer miles from the finish of the 1953 race.)

24 25

Gordon leading Johnnie Mantz Mercedes-Corvette up Riverside’s mile long straight, with Chuck Parson’s Lotus 15 following.

32 Before the beginning 3 as a limited series automobile manu- vation became improvisational experi- facturer. mentation on a most demanding level Lampredi's designs had sought to for the Scuderia personnel. Heads, create power through simplification. engines, and chassis where being con- Redirecting the company's Grand Prix stantly reconfigured to combat the engineering from the complexities of Teutonic efficiency of Neubauer's the twelve cylinder engines, to weight- team, hold back the expected advance Does sheet metal have any memory production manufacturer. Though saving in-line fours. Cars destined for from the Trident of Modena, and pos- sitting in the half-light of the garage? built in December and January of Grand Prix, then , evolved sibly bring into balance Maranello's Does it remember all those who have 1957-58, the engineering shadow 0718 from the laureled 500 of front line competition cars. While illus- leaned over its fenders …gripped its casts upon the half-lit smooth cement 1951 to become the stunningly power- trative of the impressive talents and steering wheel with sweat soaked of the Montreal garage floor stretches ful fours' and sixes' of '54 and '55. But capabilities of the personnel inside gloves? Does it recall transmitting its back to the events of 1955 within a paradox had evolved with their Maranello, the mechanical improvisa- response of road and throttle to those Maranello. power. It was almost a reprise of the tions embodied in the 555 Grand Prix who have occupied the left seat? Does The twin cylinder, two and a half engineering dynamics of Grand's Prix car and 118 & 121 sports racers lacked it remember those who have beheld its liter Grand Prix engine left in the engi- early years. A time when engines, the development, some would argue shape from further back? A shape neering department told the tale. This with soup can-sized pistons, produced contemporary engineering, to achieve which held the dreams of so many. abandoned experiment was symbolic copious amounts of power far beyond the success their sweat, at the factory Or is it just the plastic memory of of the direction Lampredi so success- the ability of the chassis into which and on the circuits, may have sheet metal shape held for perpetuity? fully exploited during his tenure as they were mounted. Designed to pro- deserved. The Testa Rossa was emblematic of director of engineering at Maranello. vide substantial torque to launch Ironically, Ferrari's open sports a significant engineering transforma- In the same moment it was exemplary Castellotti and Trintignant out of cor- racer body design of '53, as interpreted tion inside Maranello. Representative of Ferrari's own breadth of engineer- ners, the Scuderia's cars became unsta- and evolved by Scaglietti for the of a timeframe that is arguably the ing principle experimentation during ble entering and exiting said corners. Mondial and 750 , reached its firm's most notable evolutionary step, this period, and of the remarkable Brakes, tires and chassis had become elegant apogee in the 118 and 121. from Scuderia to quintessential race manufacturing capability for a race car eclipsed. Their feline proportion, crispness of car constructor and premier limited constructor, soon to be taken seriously As the '55 season progressed, inno- ovaloid shape and simplicity of line

34 35 gracefully belied the ill-mannered bru- tion the six cylinder 118 (376S), 121 founded by his father, whose competi- post-War budget minister, Luigi tality, and ignominious lack of reliabili- (446S), and the four cylinder 550, 750S, tion bonafides had been established Einaudi, the program miracolosa was ty from their 3.7 and 4.4 liter in-line six 857S Monza and series2 Mondial prior to becoming a manufacturer and initiated to rebuild the economy from cylinder engines. By mid decade "clean served the team and the privateer. Two never committed company money to its pre W.W.I levels, remake a devas- sheet" designs from Mercedes, , twelve cylinder designs had evolved to racing since, Gianni had given free rein tated industrial infrastructure, and and Jaguar, were showing the the customer cars from Grand Prix ori- to his engineers in the development of secure the Lire from rampant inflation; way through hairpin and S-bend. gins. The 4.5 liter long block sat competition hardware, and a blank to state it in its most simple terms. As Change was required inside beneath exotic sheet metal destined for check. By 1955 Lancia had developed Martin Lewis tells us in his seminal Maranello. It was to come about in a the road as the 375 America. some most impressive hardware, and work, Modern Italy 1871-1982, The poli- most unexpected manner. Ferrari's Colombo's short block could be found critically drained capital. A decision cy chosen by Einaudi, and his fellow primary antagonists were the well in 3 liter guise as the 250 GT Europa. was made to turn over controlling economists, was the monetarist funded series manufacturers of Each aptly defining the market target- interest in the company to Carlo squeeze of 1947 - '49. Though initially , Turin and Coventry. Only ed. Add to this industrial mix the six- Pesenti. The industrialist's interest was causing an economic slowing, the Maserati and operated teen plus road races participated in by in providing fresh capital to secure the secured Lire was soon being saved, on the level of Ferrari. The success of the Scuderia and its clients, in locations customer car division, while having no thus expanding the available invest- both the former and the latter firms lay from Dakar to Venezuela, and the interest in the continued expenditures ment capital for industry. The govern- in the strategy of evolving a limited eighteen Formula 1 races. Though this required for Lancia Corse. Thus began ment banks began loaning again, and range of engineering targets. Ferrari, represents a rather impressive array of the mid-summer trilateral negotiations in concert with Marshall plan invest- on the other hand, had taken his indus- mounts, it was all a rather myopic between , Gianni Agnelli, ment, Italy's infrastructure was recon- trial improvisational methods, fired by effort, development costs were exceed- and the Lancia family. structed in the most contemporary the seemingly limitless ingeniousness ing the revenue from ever expanding It is to be appreciated that the moti- manner. Natural gas reserves, discov- of Lampredi, to a level of the very sales. vation for these negotiations ranged far ered in the Po valley in 1944, were nearly counter productive. As exam- Once again the fates stepped in to beyond sport. brought on-line. Together with the ple, in 1955 Maranello was producing a assist Ferrari. 's dramatic This period was marked by the dra- hydroelectric power from the Alps, series of altered and modified Formula foray into competition over the past matic ascendancy of the country's Italy's northern industrial triangle was 1 cars in the guise of the four cylinder four years had yielded stunning economy, recognized internationally as now energy self sufficient. When the 625 and 555. For sports car competi- results. As director of the company the Italian Miracle. Fathered by Italy's dynamic director of Agip, Enrico

36 37 Mattei, had the foresight to sign long- the latter country on this short list that Lire ( £30,000, or 83,000 1955 USD), for the upcoming GP at Monza, were term crude oil contracts in the Middle had made Mercedes' dominance of the a period of three years, would insure loaded up and driven to Maranello. East and Russia, constructing the Italian Marques in 1955 more than a Ferrari's international status as an Besides the hard asset transfer, was the refineries in Sicily, Italy began enjoying sporting concern. The dramatic popu- object of desire. Beneficially reflecting transfer of engineering talent. It was the lowest energy costs in Europe. larity of Motor Sport in the post-war upon Olivetti, Vespa and Alitalia. this latter element of the deal that was These many factors had a dramatic world had bestowed a promotional to transform operations at Maranello. impact on basic industries, like the significance that was national in scope. had a long-stand- rejuvenated steel industry and cement. As such, the failings of Maranello, the ing offer at Fiat. In light of recent To insure the success inherent in the disbanding of Lancia Corse, could events, acceptance now seemed auspi- foundation laid for this export-driven bring ignominy far beyond the factory ciously timed. Ferrari had been the economic growth program an 'ad val- gates for these Ambassadors without beneficiary of much from this man that orem' tariff was imposed, of about portfolio. came to him a young aviation engi- 24%, to protect the home market. The close inter-relation of industry neer. Fiat was to profit handsomely By the mid-fifties cheap energy and and Government meant that problems 4 from this engineer whose talents had raw materials, stable labor costs and of Ferrari and Lancia had to be fully matured at Ferrari. With the export driven sales, resulted in an addressed in a manner that returned The Chess pieces coming to power at Lancia of Professor enviable up swing in industrial growth the laurels to these representatives of are moved Fessia, decided to accept to 8.5 percent per annum. The Miracle Italian industry. Gianni Agnelli the position on offer at Maranello, that was in full swing. These economic stepped forward, not only as an enthu- of consulting director of engineering. policies soon gave birth to entirely new siast and supporter of motor sport, but Beneath a gray sky, on 24 July 1955, With a budget for additional salaries, industrial sectors. Motor-scooters, as representative for the county's in the court of the Lancia works, repre- Ferrari called upon an old collaborator washing machines, refrigerators, very industrial interests in continued inter- sentatives of the Automobile Club of from the period, Albert quickly dominated the markets of national promotion. His agreement to Italy, Fiat, Ferrari and Lancia oversaw Massimino, from cross-town rival much slower growth Western secure acquisition and transfer of the handover of Lancia Corse's assets. Maserati. To oversee a stimulation of economies. The only economies grow- Lancia Corse assets and engineering Six D50 Grand Prix cars, all the spares, customer car production capability, ing at such a rapid rate were Japan and talent to Maranello, in concert with an drawings, tooling, two Lancia trans- Ferrari further drained Maserati's tal- West . It was the presence of annual financial subsidy of 51,900,000 ports, and a streamlined body built for ent pool by attracting away Vittorio

38 39 Bellentani. The latter had become nascent 300S, but once again the Maranello, but the failing of the six- Targa; which with Dunrod had sealed available as a result of Maserati's lack Swabian efficiency afforded Moss and cylinders was but the most obvious the Sports Car Championship, and of commitment to the 150S Grand Fangio exposed Maranello's effort for example that the in-line engines were with Monza, garnered the F1 season Touring car program for the American the slap-and-dash it was. rapidly reaching the end of their life. laurels, for the Three Pointed Star. market. Joining this august group of Thus was marked the perigean orbit Unlike the Formula One based twelve's As this grueling and frenetic season seasoned personnel was 28 year old of the in-line engines from Maranello. of Colombo and Lampredi, the in-line came to a close in December there was Andrea Fraschetti, whose main focus The 118 and 121's were shuffled off to engines weren't successfully migrating a bit of warm wind competition on the would be engine development. Parravano, Edgar, and Kimberly in the to the road cars. And on the track, island of Cuba. Beyond Daiquiris in With all these pieces moved about States with a simple Adio; and the new Maserati's A6GCS never really allowed the Hemingway style, sunglasses and the chessboard, it was still only mid- team got to work. At this stage of the the 500 Mondials much success, and turquoise water was a simple yet summer; the game only half played. season it was to be noted, with a cer- their new 300S definitely had the 750 prophetic victory. Alfonso Cabeza de Before family photos had even been tain sense of irony, that Ferrari was in the cross hairs. At the top level, as Vaca, Marquis de Portago took a 250 placed upon desks of the new employ- actually atop the World Sports Car we have seen, German industrial effi- GT berlinetta Competition coupe to the ees, it was time to marshal the forces, Championship on points; in front of ciency was getting quite the press. laurels on his way to dinner. This was as they were, and head to Kristianstad, Jaguar by two points, and afore tells a story of how at to be a portent of things to come for for the 7 August running of the Maserati by six. The majority of these Kristianstad a rock broke the wind- the Italian manufacturer, and the pro- . Though closer numerical laurels being accumulated screen of the 300SLR; by Dunrod, if a motion of a country's industry. the arctic circle than Modena, and of by the privateers who had lined up rock broke the windscreen, a new no official points value in the Sports and purchased the 500 Mondials and windscreen would rise in place of that Car Championship, it was a competi- 750 Monzas, over the past couple of which had been shattered. It was this tion whose cooler midsummer weather seasons. These cars had proven to be kind of engineering, attention to detail, attracted all of the official teams. With generous of power, simple of construc- and capability to prevail that had the a simple, we have it, send it, the igno- tion, svelte of line, if rather needy British and the Italians wiping their ble 121 was sent north to battle. Its tire when pushed over the top, but basic brow in relief, as Neubauer was wip- melting 360 HP, 4.4-liter engine was all-rounders for the client, and prof- ing the tears from his eyes, in front of a able to impress the natives, better the itable for Ferrari. They had come at a row of cars being covered and taken Astons, and stay ahead of Maserati's time to be of great benefit for off the stage following their win at the

40 41 Transformation & V-12 Resurrection 5 Prior to the 17 September running in gap on the way to explorations of competition at Sarthe' and the Carrera telling of the 5-liter twelve beneath. Ulster of the Tourist Trophy on the power to be obtained from the truly Panamericana in '54. Having learned The crowd-attracting roar upon being Dunrod circuit, a decision was made to balanced and sonorous delivery of the profitable lesson, the rather lit-off at the Modena Autodromo also make the best of what was at hand in forthcoming twelves'. The first was an ungainly racer was soon reconfigured told of the twelve beneath its very Maranello to finish the '55 season. anomaly, more analogous to buyer as the forthcoming 410 Superamerica. "Sportsman's" bodywork. A few blue Though never as smoothly reliable in than company. By mid-summer 1955 the factory had smoke wheel-well laps about the 3-liter form, as it had been in two liter The 375 America had achieved all dedicated production capability to the Autodromo, limited as they were to form, the in-line four of the 750 Monza the goal set forth. It established new road car. Before the first car 5500 in third gear, told that this was was suitably altered to continue the Ferrari's reputation as a limited pro- rolled out of Maranello, Tony indeed a potent car. A couple of days fight. The 3-liter was stroked from duction manufacturer of customer Parravano requested that one be con- later Parravano and Bornigia took the 90mm to 105mm, while the bore was sports racers whose engineering had structed for competition according to car to Castelfusano for more speed tri- slightly reduced from 103 to 102mm. evolved directly from Formula One. his, “only one like it, a special,” als. The resultant replacement for the igno- early on appreciated the requirements. One of the first 410 pro- The tongue-in-cheek appraisal of this minious sixes of last season, was potential of the 4.5 liter racer as formi- duction chassis' was fitted with a mild- blustery California contractor turned to almost a return to the age of the low dable weapon in American competi- ly fiddled with 5-liter motor (magneto looks of serious evaluation when Hans revving stroker engines; it produced tion. Promotion undertaken, availabil- ignition, breathing through three quad Tanner reported to the factory that 280HP at 5800rpm, from its now ity and support provided, sales were Webers), and sent over to Scaglietti's. Mario Bornigia had taken the 345hp 3431.9cc engine. Thus the appellation the inevitable result. Chinetti and Tony Parravano, Italian driver Mario "special" to an electrically timed run of of 857, to become the 860 Monza of Ferrari then carefully orchestrated its Bornigia, and Hans Tanner collected 189.72 MPH on the twenty kilometer 1956. The engines were put into 750 introduction as a very limited avail- the car at Scaglietti's, and proceeded straight between Roma and Ostia. Monza chassis' and fitted with a new ability custom built high-performance directly to the Modena Autodrome. With visions of rapidly covering the Pinin designed body. Gone was the road car. The young Marque was now The bodywork Scaglietti fashioned for long flat asphalt stretches of the Pan lithe, sinuous Dino, via Scaglietti, established as a producer of rapid lux- this anomalous 410 SA chassis looked American Highway, mental notes design. This was a return to the sub- ury cars in the big block demanding almost identical to the 750 Monza became metal. An entirely new chas- stantial musculature of Pinin's pen and American market. Parravano was also taking delivery of, sis was conceived and fabricated. Its hammer. The 4.5 became the 4.9 liter 375 Plus, save for a low full width speed boat design reflected the empirical data The reworked four was but a stop- and victor of the promotionally rich windshield, and a central hood scoop being accumulated, through trial and

42 43 error, on the structural integrity and istic of the twelve's. rigidity resulting from triangulation of The body design reflected the smaller diameter tubes. Theories of engine's layout in the fact that the bon- how to best create lightweight multi- net was a two piece affair. The front tube frames became facts. Though not "hatch" was raised for access to the truly a space frame, these chassis', with radiator; while the engine cover their network of small diameter tub- extended over the crest of the fenders, ing, were a major departure from the that once removed, gave access to the large diameter ovaloid tube designs second row of plugs next to the previously the standard of Maranello. exhaust. The hand of Massimino, Bellentani and The disastrous events at Le Mans Jano, and the experiments at Maserati earlier in the season had laid bare an and Lancia, were well represented unspoken evaluation of the 'fifties rac- The design direction taken by the engineering turning point in the histo- here. ing scene; the cars were too fast for the team at Maranello, in creating the two ry of Ferrari's twelve's. Here was a The engine for the newly designated primitive circuits being raced upon. 410S CMs, was not so purposeless. design that addressed specific horse- 410S, was a 'what if we' set of modifi- Within weeks of the June event a num- The small diameter tube, triangulated power through the contemporarily cations. The 5-liter was equipped with ber of races had been cancelled by gov- chassis design was soon adapted to interpreted tenets of normally aspirat- an ignition system worthy of NASA; ernment dictum, responding to public take the 860 Monza engine. More sig- ed engines; small combustion cham- four magnetos were fitted behind the out cry. In Formula One, the German, nificantly the engineering team ber, off center ignition, high compres- cams in pairs, lighting off 24 plugs. Swiss and Spanish Grand's Prix were focused on creating a new 12 cylinder. sion, advanced porting. Engineering The head used was similar in design to cancelled. During the development The basic construction of the engine criteria that was effectively relegating the '51 375GP engine, with a second cycle of the new 410Ss, the Carrera Pan may have seemed an amalgam of V-12 to the past the supercharged era. row of plugs outside the V. Thus con- Americana had joined the list of non- principles characteristic of Colombo The cylinders would be aligned at figured this power plant, the largest events. Suddenly Maranello's new car, and Lampredi's previous efforts, but the previous 60 degrees, the over- ever placed in one of Maranello's whose serial numbers were followed through the efforts of Jano and square bore and stroke layout would sports racing cars, delivered 380hp in by CM, for Carrera Mexicana, was an Fraschetti, it was to incorporate most be maintained; the stroke being the smoothly linear manner character- orphaned car. contemporary advances, causing an increased to 69.5, from the Lampredi

44 45 68mm, while the bore was that of the on breathing, specifically, attaining Colombo 250 of 73mm, to achieve the strong and balanced vacuum pressure 3.5 liter target, or actual 3490.61cc dis- from front to back of the twelve cylin- placement. Falling, dimensionally, ders through perfect design integra- into neither of the previous molds, a tion between combustion chamber new block was cast that was shorter and porting. To insure a clean, strong than the Lampredi engines, and wider burn, four magnetos fired of two plugs per cylinder. This was to be no derivation of a four year old GP engine, detuned for pump fuel, finding its way to road car via sports racer. Here the dictates of Grand Prix performance levels were freshly brought to the twelve. In fac- tory parlance the new engine was the tipo 130, once again through its indi- vidual cylinder displacement of 290cc would the car be named. The 290MM was a dramatic return to the pre-War Alfa (read Jano) phi- than Colombo's. The construction losophy of designing a competition was the screwed in cylinder, gasket- car as a whole. Contemporary engine less fixed head design of the design to achieve a smooth power Lampredi. But, it was the extensive delivery as an integrated element with evolutionary design work of the fixed chassis, suspension and braking. A single overhead cam heads that was fully balanced racer of 320hp pro- precedent setting. Here the focus was duced at 7300rpm was the result.

46 47 The next car to result from this engi- previously employed leaf springs at to two points on the frame just before debut at the New York auto show on neering quartet was the reworked 2- the rear. the rear wheels. With the feet of the 28 April 1956 its lower profile body liter racer, the Testa Rossa. Here, once The complexities of a differential A-frame pivoting just ahead of the signaled something new, the simpli- again we see the power brought into mounted transmission, to attain posi- wheels, and point attached to the dif- fied drive train surprised, and the balance with the entire car. Here the tive traction and weight balance, was ferential six inches below drive shaft crackle red cam covers were the signa- team of Massimino and Bellentani irrelevant in a car with 190 horsepow- centerline; accelerating torque reaction ture. would incorporate contemporary chas- er. To this end a new transmission was transferred in compression. In sis and engine construction to simplify was designed to be mounted directly concert with pin point coil springs the overall mechanicals of the car. The to the engine, using a solid axle. The reaction to compression, the Lessons faithful 90mm x 78mm four cylinder new transmission employed Porsche Houdailles' handling rebound, and the learned engine was retained, with Massimino patent synchroes on all gears, which short trailing arms covering brake twenty- overseeing modifications to strengthen afforded extremely positive shifting. reaction, this was a most positive live five years 6 the bottom end, and connecting rods. The new chassis design blended the axle setup. Employed in the magne- earlier The 553 head, used on the proceeding Mondial's large diameter twin tube sium center section was a ZF torque- Mondial two, was switched out for a layout with the small diameter trian- biased differential, enabling the out- design quite similar to the original 500 gulated design tenets employed on the side wheel to push if the inside wheel Starting in the late nineteen twenties design, but with a different cam box 290MM. The design also focused were to lift. a competition emerged in the racing design. Power of this unit took the extensively on the rear suspension, to The overall engine was a lower departments of the premier Marques. two liter from 160hp to 190hp. As maintain live axle location for design, and when fitted in the new It saw the dramatic increase in dis- with the 290 project, this car was rean- extremely positive traction. On each lower chassis, Scaglietti was able to placement, hence horsepower. It was alyzed as a whole, in light of poten- end of the live axle one trailing arm construct a lower profile car. As a inspired by the collapse of the 1.5 liter tials afforded through more contem- was attached above the hub center, whole this was an effective weapon, Grand Prix formula of 1926. The porary engineering. The conclusion with the adjustable Houdaille shock with solutions that were advanced in increased popularity of racing after the drawn from this review was to design below. The coil springs were axle their packaging, cost effective for man- First World War resulted in the con- a new chassis employing greater trian- mounted just behind each hub. To ufacture, and economical for the single struction of a number of dedicated rac- gulation of frame construction, and establish roll center, a small diameter car privateer. ing circuits. When few major manu- coil springs all around - replacing the tube A-frame attached the differential When the car made its American facturers built Grand Prix cars to the

48 49 new formula, starting grids were two straight six 1750 Testa Fissas, side World Championship. ation of the new removable heads. thinned dramatically, as were the by side. The results were startling Jano and Ferrari had been here While the twin plugs of the 290MM grandstands. The spectators that did power, in ill-handling packages, with before. They had seen, then as now, it engine were jettisoned for simplicity, attend the 1.5 liter races, having alarming tire use, and many DNFs. was the smaller displacement cars that the single row outside the V remained. grown accustomed to the pinnacle Simultaneously with these leviathans, filled the grids, won the races, gar- This positioned the single plug per hardware of Fiat, Mercedes, Alfa Maserati, Bugatti and Alfa developed nered the Championship points, and cylinder off-center in the high com- Romeo, Bugatti and Delage, were supercharged cars of approximately accounted for the factory supporting pression combustion chamber, thus decidedly unimpressed. As were the two and a half liters. These finely bal- sales. Jano had continuously proven initiating one of the external signature promoters by the paltry ticket sales. anced cars soon developed a consen- throughout his career than his interest elements of the 128 LM engine; pre- Thus was born the Formula Libre sus between the rules makers, the pro- was in lightweight cars, whose saging future twelves. Twenty-four competitions, clearly illustrating a split moters, and the enthusiastic public. engines had been designed for impres- head studs were used to fit around the between the rule makers and the race History was repeating itself as the sive specific horsepower. So, as the six intake ports. The added benefit promoters. The latter wanted to pro- decade of the 'fifties reached its mid- 290MM grew away from its original being to replicate the compression vide an exciting competition with the point. Jaguar had increased the dis- intent, as a replacement for the four containing tight fit of a fixed head. era's premier drivers, piloting dramat- placement of their D-type from 3.4 cylinder 3-liter 750 Monza, plans were Once again, the mechanic's bane, but ic hardware. Soon the grids were liters to 3.8. Ferrari had been running put in motion to create a new 3-liter precise valve alignment, hairpin valve filled with blown Bugatti T-35Bs, run- 4.5 liter, and above, cars of both with the torque band, and smooth springs were employed. ning against 7-liter Mercedes SSKs, twelve and six cylinders. And waiting power delivery, of a twelve. Maserati 2800s and Alfa P2s; piloted in the wings was Maserati's 450S, The first step was to utilize the basic by the likes of Campari, Caracciola, which occasionally ran with 4.9 liters. architecture - steel sleeves and water Varzi, Nuvolari, Borzacchini. The first This acceleration of displacement jacket, removable heads - of the 128 to address the power of the Mercedes had developed beyond the rules of engine series, but the relationship with was Maserati with its sixteen cylinder Grand Prix, in the unregulated world the customer market 250s ended there. V4. Next came Bugatti's 5-liter T-54. of sports prototypes; run at Sebring, All the combustion chamber and port- Jano met the challenge by designing LeMans, Spa, Reims, and the Mille. ing research done on the single cam Alfa's Tipo A, which spread 3500ccs They had become the standard 130 engine of the 290MM was replicat- over twelve cylinders, in the form of weapon of choice for the Sports Car ed, and further evolved for the cre-

50 Like all competition engines, and of profitable, potent, three-liters. This prototype was technically "sold" to car, a great many of the available the cars they powered, it was a birth would involve, to a certain extent, an American privateer Temple Buell. As hours would be spent on course. by degrees. With the first engine pro- amalgam of current engineering prin- many a 250 GT competitor in the Tour Along with Buell's pilots, Masten ducing 240hp on the dyno, it was time ciple within the factory. The two-liter de France, Buell's effort was to benefit Gregory and the young Italian Olinto to start testing it in a chassis, and Testa Rossa, with its direct shifting from the full backing and on-sight Morolli, the factory's Olivier begin the process of constructing Porsche-synchro trans in unit with the support of Maranello. So extensive Gendebien, , Peter about it the mechanicals that would engine, had proven quite effective, so was the assistance provided for the Collins, Mike Hawthorn and Maurice indeed make it the fleet and balanced the new twelve was kitted out in this prototype's first public outing, the Trintignant were all listed officially, competition car desired. The engi- manner. With the transaxle of the 290 May 26th running of the 1957 and put in extensive wheel-time over neering team chose the chassis cur- / 335 series no longer required, the Nürburgring 1000km, that it was listed the 14.174 mile course. The intent of rently used in the 290 based series of cross leaf spring and di Dion rear sus- as a factory entry. The selection of this entry was purely for the purpose cars. The chassis, designated 525, was, pension held a lightweight differential this race was specific as it provided a of an extensive shake down, while as has been previously discussed, the within the factory's altered 525 chassis. competition setting for further evalua- withholding the car from the actual firm's first foray into small diameter After extensive testing at the tion of Ferrari's new three-liter. The competition. Such was not to be. tube triangulated construction. The Modena Autodrome, and modification pre-race testing schedule for the 1957 had entered a 250 GT design had proven to be robust and under the direction of Jano, Bazzi and Nürburgring 1000 kms made the track LWB to be piloted by Olivier effective in handling the power of the Fraschetti, the prototype was showing available to the teams for three days Gendebien and Wolfgang von Trips. last of the big in-line four 860s and the itself to be a well-balanced and potent prior to the race itself. As Janos On one of the latter's test runs through new series of twelves, as they evolved weapon. With power nearing the Wimpffen tells us in his book Time and the Eifel mountains, the LWB was from the single cam 290 into the dual 100hp per liter goal, it was ready for a Two Seats: "Not only is it (testing) held written off, so the torch of privateer cam 315, 335 and 412s. covert debut. over three days, but it goes on from representation of the Marque passed In preparing the prototype for the As the replacement for the profitable early morning until late in the after- to the prototype. new twelve cylinder, Maranello's engi- 750 Monza, Ferrari wanted to promote noon. Altogether the circuit is open At the front of this unusually warm neering team was examining the the new sports racer to the privateer for 26½ hours." and dry competition in the Eifel, large potential of consolidating the expense market. He did this by arranging its From the lineup of drivers the displacement representatives of of producing both large and small dis- first competition to be run beneath the Scuderia had listed on the Maranello and Modena pursued a placement sports racers into one line heraldic of a customer team, so the Nürburgring entrants' list for the new British dentist, while the new 3-liter

52 53 circulated with regularity. In the frontend shape of 801 GP car, while in 'thirties' sports racer style. It was an continued. As 2am foreshadowed half hands of the proto- being, in this initial form, rather wider experiment in shaping sheet metal distance, the prototype's song of type held station in the 6th and 7th then the GP car. The leading edge of volumes to achieve beneficial engi- twelve became the choking of eleven, position. Passed off to the less experi- the front fenders were attached to the neering results. The resultant design dropping to third, then fourth, then enced Morolli positions were given independently shaped and structured was to have an impact far beyond into the garage. up, but a respectable tenth was taken grill center section by small winglets. pragmatic experimentation. Sixty days later the two prototypes at flag fall. The fenders were thus semi- The prototype's driving team of migrated north to the Swedish 6-hour, For LeMans a second three-liter pro- autonomous structures, which served Gendebien and which held particular significance for totype was assembled. Here another to contain the headlights and aerody- set a solid pace amidst the factory's the Championship with the possible exploration was pursued. A complete namically deflect air around the tires; big block 335s of Collins and cancellation of the Venezuelan compe- 525 chassis, with transaxle, was fitted providing an impressive amount of Hawthorn, and the 450 Masers of tition. Mechanical maladies saw both with the new three-liter motor. In the cooling to the front brakes. Moss and Behra; maintaining a consis- parked at half distance. on-going contretemps over brake effi- Appreciating that brake cooling tent third position in the early hours. With the victory of Tony Brooks' ciency, that saw the nascent technolo- was not solely a matter of As the race progressed through twi- DBR1 at the Nürburgring, and the fine gy of aviation disc brakes being introducing substantial vol- light, the competition settled into a showing by the other nimble sports applied to competition cars with irreg- umes of air on the face of three-way battle between the Bueb / racers of mid-range displacement ular results, and superbly powerful the brake, but reduc- Flockhart D-Jag, Gendebien and throughout the season, a formula con- engines over burdening drums, ing the heat of the Trintignant, and the DBR1 of Brooks / sensus was being established beyond Scaglietti explored a solution through entire area Cunningham-Reid. Approaching roar the rules. Much as in the days of air flow. For this second prototype, beneath the in darkness, high beam signature, Formula Libre twenty-five years earlier, 0704, Scaglietti took a most unique bonnet, the reseeding full-chat echo drifting the consensus spoke of a transforma- approach to dynamic cooling of the front end through the drowsy festival marked tion in the character of road racing massive front drums. He created a mechani- the night's chronometeric passage of competitions; the days of the big body that, from the cockpit forward, cals were laps. Beneath a welcoming starlit sky, blocks were numbered. Always emulated the airflow of a Grand Prix exposed the Jag / prototype / Aston battle attuned to such voices of opportunity, car with tire airfoils. The radiator con- to the taining center section presaged the wind,

54 55 especially when the industrially cost array of angled tubes at the tail of the the far sighted choice. Differential effective equaled potential revenue, transmission tunnel which formed the placement and bracing was given spe- Ferrari set about finalizing the engi- basis of the rear enclosure, into which cial attention with a new triangulated neering redirection of his sports rac- was fitted the fuel tank, and from brace which pivoted off of a ball sock- ing effort; to consolidate the new which hung the suspension bits. Like et in an alloy box which was cast into sports racing stable on three-liter cars the 525 chassis, from which it evolved, the lower part of the differential cas- for 1958. The factory would run the the two main tubes were of a smaller ing. The two ends extending out to three-liter in the transaxled 525 chas- diameter than previously employed at the sides of the framework, in front of sis. Meanwhile a new chassis was Maranello. the rear wheels. The result was a dis- developed for the privateers. The design tenets of the chassis creet blending of proven engineering; The chassis, designated the 526, was reflected a new reality for the ten year an effective consolidation of the large a solid evolutionary step on the way old factory, international popularity. and small displacement sports racers, from the multi-tube to space frame. The factory had traditionally resisted producing near Grand Prix specific Its design incorporated three individ- producing service manuals to inspire, horsepower. name, to this body; garnering the ual, yet structurally integrated, load- shall we say, customers to return to Scaglietti's earlier experiment with design appellation of Pontoon fender. bearing sections. The forward frame the factory for service. With the new the second prototype's bodywork vol- As with the Mondial and Monza section was a fully triangulated small three liters, the factory intentionally umes to achieve engineering ends, was designs which proceeded it, the new diameter tube unit, structurally defin- created a design that would be easily chosen for the new car's sheetmetal. car was lithe, yet voluptuously femi- ing the Grand Prix front-end composi- serviced and maintained, far afield, by Its ingenious fusion of sports racer and nine; quite distinct from the male mus- tion. The mid section, with its wide the privateers. The factory cars, GP front-end shape, created an aero- cularity of the Pinin competition flat two seat area, employed the which would have a transaxle, sus- dynamic venturi that drew heat from designs. The shape was a work in tuboscocco bracing, i.e. twin parallel pended by di Dion and cross chassis the brakes, engine and uniquely progress throughout its very limited tubes, vertically woven together by leaf spring, required the journeyman arranged headers, while structurally production cycle. The early models small tube triangles at the interior's mechanical attention of the factory echoing the forward frame section. had a pronounced delicacy of volume Perimeter. The rear section was a mechanics. For the customer cars a The shape of partially independent and shape, which gave way to larger fully triangulated lacework of small new, more easily managed, design, front fenders thus gave signature, and grill shapes, addressing the wind tubes, beginning with a sun-bust with coil springs and a solid axle, was

56 57 almost on the vertical, and a fore shorted rear-end of increased round- ness and height. By the November debut of the customer car, the cam covers had been painted crackle red, thus assuming the mantle and name of the proceeding Testa Rossa. Timing was once again to be The Drake of Modena's ally; initiating the obvious, FIA dictate amended the redoubtable Appendix J to three-liters over the winter, bringing down the curtain on the past four years’ unre- stricted growth of displacement, and its associated expense. Thus did prag- matic engineering and strategic manu- facturing consolidation take on near mythic proportions, in literary hind- sight, as Ferrari found himself ahead of the competition, with a formula specific sports racer. The pontoon fender TR was a design that became a set piece in the enthusi- ast psyche, joining the 250F Maserati, D-Type Jaguar and Mercedes' W196 in its 'stromlinienwagen' configuration.

58 59 60 61 63