conceptcarz.com

1953 Ferrari 375 MM

Italy was home to an open-road motorsport endurance race called the Mille Miglia, which occurred between 1927 and 1957 (taking time off during the Second World War). From 1953 through 1957, it was a round of the World Sports Car Championship. In the years preceding the war, the sport was dominated by Alfa Romeo, winning ten out of eleven times. After the war, they quickly re-established their dominance with a victory by Clemente Biondetti and Emilio Romano in an 8C 2900 B Berlinetta Touring. The euphoria was short-lived, as Enzo Ferrari who had worked in the racing department of Alfa Romeo from 1920 through the late 1930s, mounted an assault resulting in eight victories over the next decade and through the final race in 1957. A Ferrari 166 S with coachwork by Allemano won in 1948 followed by a 166 MM Barchetta wearing coachwork by Touring in 1949. In both years the car was piloted by Clemente Biondetti, joined by Giuseppe Navone in 1948 and Ettore Salani in 1949. A Touring bodied 195 S won in 1950 followed by Vignale-bodied Berlinetta's in 1951 and 1952. An open-bodied Vignale 340 MM Spyder won in 1953.

1953 Ferrari 375 MM photo
Spyder by Scaglietti
Chassis #: 0366AM
Engine #: 0366 AM
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
The Mille Miglia was a grueling race of approximately 1,000 miles that traversed the Italian countryside in a figure-eight shaped course that went from Brescia to Rome and back. Later races followed other routes of varying total lengths. It was a testament to the manufacturer to have a car compete and finish the race, proving the durability of the automobile and the skill of the driver. Winning the race meant the car was truly the best - best engineered, best built, and most durable. No other manufacturer did it better than Ferrari in the post-War era, winning nearly every time they 'toed' the line.

The demand for Ferrari's sports racers was plentiful and Enzo could have ramped up production to satisfy each request, however, he remained selective. His cars were sold to those with the innate ability and skill to drive in spirited competition that would compliment the car's technical prowess and performance. As such, a mere twenty-six examples of the 375 'MM', short for Mille Miglia, were built (including four converted from the 340 MM). The first prototype example was a Vignale Spyder, followed by three Pinin Farina Berlinettas, all converted from the 340 MM. Most examples received spyder coachwork by Pinin Farina, with 15 (as many as 16) wearing spyder configuration (chassis 0360 AM to 0460 AM). Scaglietti bodied a 375 MM in late 1954, having bodied his Ferrari, a 166MM, in 1952 and would soon become Ferrari's competition coachbuilder of choice. In the years that followed, Scaglietti would frequently work from Pinin Farina designs, adapting their own style and design cues during the implementation. The 375 MM bodied by Scaglietti (chassis 0366AM), however, was wholly Scaglietti in design.

Gioacchino Colombo had been hired as chief engineer when the Ferrari Company was formed in 1947. Colombo and Enzo had worked together while at Alfa Romeo, and Colombo was the right individual to design and build the engine that would surpass the mighty 8-cylinder Grand Prix engine he had designed for Alfa Romeo prior to the War. Racing regulations at the time allowed for a maximum displacement of 1.5-liters for supercharged engines and 4.5-liters for naturally aspirated versions. Colombo settled on the 1.5-liter V12 engine design and it would be used to power every Ferrari (of varying displacement sizes) up to 1950. 1950 was the first year of Formula One which Alfa Romeo dominated by winning every single race of the championship. Having failed at building an engine that was superior to the one he built for Alfa Romeo, Colombo was fired and replaced by Aurelio Lampredi, who designed a new engine for 1951.

1953 Ferrari 375 MM photo
Spyder
Chassis #: 0286AM
View info and history
Unlike Colombo, Lampredi chose the larger displacement size, and to counteract the additional weight, the cylinder block and heads were built from light alloy. It used seven main bearings and single overhead camshafts with roller followers and hairpin valve springs and dual magneto ignition. The all-aluminum 60-degree V12 engine would be produced from 1950 through 1959, spawning inline-4 and inline-6 variants along the way. The Lampredi SOHC engine made its debut in the 275 S, as a testbed, with a trio of Weber 40DCF carburetors producing nearly 270 horsepower. It was soon upgraded with 42DCF Webers which brought horsepower to nearly 300 bhp for the F1 car. The four-choke carburetor design allowed a single carburetor choke to each cylinder. The four-speed fully synchronized gearbox was mounted to the engine, driven by a multi-plate clutch. Everything was built for strength and reliability.

The 375 MM used a conventional Ferrari chassis based on two parallel oval tubes in a welded ladder structure. In the front was an independent suspension using parallel unequal length A-arms with a transverse leaf spring. In the back was a sway bar and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers. The solid rear axle with semi-elliptic springs, Houdaille shocks and parallel trailing arms was a tried-and-true Ferrari setup which accommodates both braking and acceleration loads.

The engine powering the 375 F1 for the 1951 season produced approximately 350 horsepower, which was less than the Alfa Romeo, but its fuel efficiency made it a contender. Alfa Romeo and Ferrari battled the entire season, with the championship being decided in the final race. Ferrari came close, but the championship would go to Alfa Romeo. With another championship title, Alfa Romeo withdrew from competition, perhaps not wanting to compete against Ferrari or perhaps they had nothing left to prove. With their departure and the prospects of an unrivaled season, the sport's governing body announced that the 1952 and 1953 championship would be run under Formula Two regulations.

1953 Ferrari 375 MM photo
Spyder
Chassis #: 0286AM
View info and history
The new racing regulations for Grand Prix competition made the Lampredi engine obsolete, however, new uses were found in other racing series and applications. Between 1953 and 1954, it was used to power the 375 MMs, with the early example using the Tipo 102 engine of the Grand Prix cars. Most examples were equipped with the Tipo 108 engine which had a slightly different bore and stroke for improved reliability. The penultimate displacement could be found in the 375 Plus of 1954 which reached nearly 5 liters and had the same stroke as the 375 F1 engines. Except for the later 375 Plus and 410 S, all early Ferrari Sport racers with V12 engines used wet-sump lubrication, while the F1 cars used dry-sump lubrication. All Lampredi V12 engines, except the 375 F1 and 375 Plus engines, shared the same stroke of 68 mm.

The 375 MM never won the race for which it was named, however it was a frequent winner in 1953. It came in fourth at the 1953 Carrera Panamericana and second the following year. Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn won at Spa 24 Hours in 1953, and Umberto Maglioli won at the 12 Hours of Pescara. Farina and Piero won the 12 Hours of Casablanca in 1953. Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi contested the 1953 24 Hours of LeMans but were prematurely sidelined due to a clutch problem. Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari won the 1953 1000 km Nurburgring race.

The Nurburgring race and the Spa 24 Hours counted towards the 1953 World Sportscar Championship which Ferrari won due in part to the accomplishments of the 375 MM.

1953 Ferrari 375 MM photo
Spyder
Chassis #: 0286AM
View info and history
Giuseppe Farina with Umberto Maglioli won in 1954 at the 1000 km Buenos Aires championship race in Argentina. Piero Scotti won at the Coppa della Toscana. The greatest achievement for the 375 MM was in 1954 when a 4.9-liter 375 Plus won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 375 MM competed in races in South and North Americas, and in Europe, with many victories.


by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020

Related Reading : Ferrari 375 MM History

Ferrari is the most successful constructor in Formula Ones history, but it all started rather humbly. Despite being an elite, high-profile automaker and racing team, Ferrari performed rather unobtrusively in Formula Ones first season. Success rarely comes overnight, but the waiting period is dramatically shortened when you have already designed a dominant product in which to take and build off.....
Continue Reading >>

Related Reading : Ferrari 375 History

The Ferrari 375 was introduced at the Paris Salon in 1953 and production lasted until May of 1954. The car was constructed for Ferraris clientele who had the means to afford one of these beautiful creations. Since they were produced in limited numbers, the production took far longer than volume models. Gioacchino Colombo started out being the primary builder of Ferraris engines in the late 1940s....
Continue Reading >>

1953 Ferrari 375 MM Vehicle Profiles

1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Coachwork: Scaglietti
Chassis #: 0366AM
Engine #: 0366 AM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Alfredo Vignale
Chassis #: 0286AM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 0382AM
Engine #: 0382AM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 0370 AM
Engine #: 0370 AM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 0372 MM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 0362 AM / 0374 AM
1953 Ferrari 375 MM vehicle information
Spyder

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 0364AM

Recent Vehicle Additions

Related Automotive News

1954 Ferrari 375 MM Spider To Be Offered At Auction By Mecum In Monterey

1954 Ferrari 375 MM Spider To Be Offered At Auction By Mecum In Monterey

0362AM Comes to Market Aug. 16 for the First Time in 46 Years Walworth, WI - July 3, 2014 -- A remarkable lineup of headliners including world-class vintage racers, European sports cars and more is set to rock the Mecum auction block...
1954 Carrera Panamericana: Courage to Go On

1954 Carrera Panamericana: Courage to Go On

Suddenly the Ferrari 340 Mexico would break loose on Hill. Careening down over the ledge, the car would be battered and bruised, coming to a rest finally with its occupants none the worse for wear. It would be a scary moment and the mangled bodywork...
1953 FERRARI 375 MM SPIDER LEADS LATEST HIGHLIGHTS FOR RM'S MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR MONTEREY SALE

1953 FERRARI 375 MM SPIDER LEADS LATEST HIGHLIGHTS FOR RM'S MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR MONTEREY SALE

RM Auctions secures a championship-winning 1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider competition car for its flagship Monterey, California, sale, August 16–17, after single ownership for 45 years Also announced are a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, a...
1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier Named Best of Show at the 70th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier Named Best of Show at the 70th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Long recognized as a superlative showcase of automotive history, the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance made history of its own at the culmination of its 70th celebration a total of 38 former Best of Show cars were on hand to welcome a new winner to their...
Driven by the Greats: 1956 Ferrari 290 MM Leads RM Sotheby's Los Angeles Auction

Driven by the Greats: 1956 Ferrari 290 MM Leads RM Sotheby's Los Angeles Auction

FERRARI HEADLINES 40 ECLECTIC CARS OFFERED AT THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM RM Sothebys announces headline Ferrari entry for Petersen Automotive Museum Auction on 8 December Ferrari 290 MM was campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari for 1956 and...
Ferrari: Under The Skin

Ferrari: Under The Skin

15 November 2017 - 15 April 2018 Major exhibition announced by the Design Museum in London to mark the 70th anniversary of Ferrari £140M worth of Ferraris featured in exhibition displaying cars driven by racing drivers Peter Collins and Stir...
2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show

2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 17, 2015) -- An Italian Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet that once turned heads and garnered top prizes in the classic era glided to victory at the 65th Pebble Beach Concours dElegance on Sunday. The competition...

Postwar Ferrari Named Best of Show at 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe Named Best of Show PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 17, 2014) -- Excited cheers echoed across the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links Sunday when a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe was named Best of...