 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |
1958 Ferrari 412 Sport news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Chassis Num: 0744 Engine Num: 0744 |
| Sold for $5,610,000 at 2006 RM Auctions. | |||
In 1955 the Championship was won by Mercedes with drivers such as Fangio and Stirling Moss. After a tragic and deadly accident at the 1955 LeMans race, Mercedes Factory Racing canceled its racing endeavors.
The first race of the 1956 season was won by Stirling Moss driving a Maserati 300 S at the Buenos Aires 1000km. At the 12 Hours of Sebring it a pair of Ferrari 860 Monza's beating Maserati. At the Mille Miglia it was two Ferrari 290 MM model's and two Ferrari 860 Monzas in the top four positions. The Maserati 300 S was the quicker car at the 1000 KMs of Nurburgring. At Le Mans Ferrari came in third behind a Jaguar D-Type and an Aston Martin DB3S. Next was the Swedish GP which a pair of Ferrari 290 MMs dominated, capturing the first and second place. At the close of the season, Ferrari had twice as many points as Maserati and easily won the World Title.
In 1957, Phil Hill, Eugenio Castellotti, Oliver Gendebien, Peter Collins, Luigi Musso, Alfonso de Portago, and Wolfgang von Trips signed with Ferrari as their drivers. The brilliant engineer Aurelio Lampredi left Ferrari for Fiat. This meant a comeback for the V-12 engine, though the tipo 130 engine, or 290 MM, retained some Lampredi characteristics but with a shorter block and a new design. With Lampredi's departure, this left Vittorio Jano, Luigi Bazzi, Alberto Massimino, Vittorio Bellantani and Adrea Fraschetti responsible for the Ferrari engineering and chassis development.
The Ferrari vehicles had twelve cylinders engines, including the 290 S, 315 S, 335 S and the 412 S. The tipo 130 engine produced 320 horsepower and was powerful enough to combat the Maserati 300 S. It was not enough to battle the Maserati 450 S which was powered by an eight-cylinder 4.5 liter engine that produced 400 horsepower.
Maserati was determined to have a better season in 1957 and their hopes lay with the potent 450 S. The inaugural race for the 450 S in 1957 was at the Argentinean 1000 km race where it was piloted by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. The 450S immediately proved to be the top contender and easily lead the race for many laps. Unfortunately, due to a clutch problem the transmission seized and the 450 S was forced to retire from the race. Shortly thereafter, the 450 S made an appearance at Sebring where it was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Jean Behra. In the hands of these capable drivers, the Maserati 450 S easily captured its first victory. The 450S was the quickest vehicle on the track. Its shortcomings that would continue to plaque the 450S would prove to be its mechanical failures and poor luck.
At the mille Miglia, Ferrari swept the first three positions with a 315 S (0684) piloted by Piero Taruffi in first place. In second was a Ferrari 335 S (0674) driven by Wolfgang von Trips and in third was a Tour de France Berlinetta (0677) driven by Olivier Gendebien.
Jaguar took top honors with their DBR1 at the 1000 km of Nurburgring and at Le mans. Ferrari 315 S (0684) finished in fifth place. At the Swedish Grand Prix Behra and Moss piloted their Maserati 450 S to a first place finished and put Maserati back in the running for the Championship. At Venezuela, Maserati's endeavors were halted due to a string of bad luck and a series of accidents. Ferrari 335 S s/n 0700 and 0674 captured the first two places. At the conclusion of the season, Ferrari had won the World Constructors' Championship and Maserati retired from racing.
New regulations for the 1958 season left the 450 S and the Ferrari 335 S obsolete.
Ferrari 412 S
This Ferrari 412 S was assembled at the request of John von Neumann. It carries chassis number 0744 and was originally a 312 Sport. His goal was to have a vehicle that could compete on the American racing circuit and defeat Lance Reventlow's Scarabs. At a reported $20,000, von Neumann was presented with a 4-liter, 12-cylinder ex-Spa tipo 524 racer that had over 440 horsepower.
At its inaugural debut, von Neumann placed the Ferrari 412 S in the capable hands of the legendary driver, Phil Hill. After mechanical difficulties and handling problems, specifically faulty shock absorbers, the car suffered a DNF. Phil Hill was again behind the wheel for the cars second racing appearance, the well advertised Rigerside GP. The car quickly proved its potential and proved to be a worthy contender for the American racing league. Unfortunately, a vapor lock cancelled Hills attempts at a first place finish. Instead, it was retired prematurely from the race.
It made a second appearance at the Riverside Times GP, this time piloted by Richie Ginther. At the drop of the checkered flag, it was #0744 in first place. At the conclusion of the race, the car returned back to the factory where it was fitted with disc brakes, making it one of the first Ferrari's to have this feature.
It was sent back to the US in time to compete in the Nassau Speed Week. It was later sold to Jack Nethercutt and then to Fred Knoop. The Ferrari 412 S later passed to Bill Harrah who had Skip hudson drive it in competition. It was later sold to Charles Pinkham. When Mr. Pinkham passed away it became the property of his widow. By 1973 it was in the ownership of Steve Earl who used it as a promotional tool for the first Monterey Historic Races. Since that time it has passed through several owners.
Ferrari 412 S with chassis number 0744 has since won its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2007
| 1951 Italian Grand Prix: Promising Result Left Unfilfilled | |
 | In 1957, at the Italian Grand Prix, Andre Simon, almost as usual, would share a drive with Ottorino Volonterio and would finish his final Formula One grand prix in 11th place. And while the fact Simon would have to share his drive with another would not be all that surprising to many, it would be a far cry from what many believed would be the case after the 1951 Italian Grand Prix. Andre Simon had made an impressive debut at the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans, which gained the attention of Amedee G...[Read more...] |
| 1958 German Grand Prix: So Close Never Felt So Good! | |
 | On the 19th of July, at the 11th RAC British Grand Prix, Roy Salvadori would climb to the 3rd step on the podium. It would be the greatest result of his career in Formula One and it would be a most exuberant moment for the man from Dovercourt joining two other Brits on the podium of their home grand prix. However, it would be the race just two weeks later that would provide Salvadori with one of his greatest, and most disappointing, moments in Formula One. Salvadori's World Championship debut...[Read more...] |
| 1957 Italian Grand Prix: A True Nobleman Stands Amongst Two of F1's Most Noble | |
 | The sea of spectators overwhelming the circuit would be a truly awe-inspiring sight to behold. The vast majority of this horde was there to celebrate the car adorned in red finishing in the top three. The car's driver, a true royal, would stand amongst the crowd as if standing amongst adoring and loving subjects. For the first time in his career, Wolfgang von Trips would be able to count himself amongst the elite of Formula One. Wolfgang von Trips had been born into a noble German family in ...[Read more...] |
| 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix: British All the Way | |
 | After years of frustration, and well past his life-expectancy, Mike Hawthorn would be on the verge of his first World Championship. This was more than likely Hawthorn's last and best hope at a World Championship title. Just one last race, and a fellow Brit, would separate Hawthorn from his World Championship. Emotionally, Hawthorn was done. The last few seasons had seen Hawthorn fail to experience anywhere near the level of success he had even in his rookie year of 1952. In 1952, with an unde...[Read more...] |
| 1952 Belgian Grand Prix: Youth Reigned Down | |
 | On a rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps Circuit a tall, blonde-haired Brit by the name of Mike Hawthorn would stun the crowd and would make many within grand prix racing take notice of the 23 year old. Mike Hawthorn had started out racing motorbikes. In his first-ever event in a BSA trial bike, Hawthorn would take the victory. Michael's father, Leslie, recognized his son's skills as a racer and would invest in his talent by using his Tourist Trophy garage to help prepare racing cars for his son. ...[Read more...] |
1958| Similar Vehicles | |
 | 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Aston Martin | Bentley |
| Bugatti | Devon |
| GTA | Koenigsegg |
| Lamborghini | Lotus |
| Maserati | Maybach |
| McLaren | Porsche |
| Rolls-Royce | Spyker |
| Tesla | |
| Ferrari: 1951-1960 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Other models by Ferrari |
© 1998-2012. All rights reserved. The material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
