Ferrari 340 America, 1951 340 America Pictures, News, Reviews, and Info | Conceptcarz.com - Pictures, Wallpaper, Pricing, Information, History

Overview

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Coupe
Designer: Ghia
Chassis Num: 0150/A
Engine Num: 0150/A

Ferrari's very first automobiles were V12 engines designed by Colombo in 1946. Within a few years their engines were insufficient to keep pace with competition so Enzo Ferrari commissioned Ing. Lampredi to create a new engine for both their sports racing and F1 series. The Colombo engine were known as 'short blocks' since the distance between the center lines of the adjacent cylinder bores were just 90 mm. Lampredi's wanted a larger bore size which required an enlarged cylinder block. By increasing the dimensions to 108mm the 'long block' had been created. Other advanced features were the engines' wet liners screwed into the cylinder head which aided in the possibility of a blown head gasket. Finger type followers were replaced with Roller cams. The result was an engine that had been intended for competition cars. The 4.5 liter Tipo 375 engine was used for their F1 racing endeavors while a smaller 4.1 liter engine was developed for Sports and GT cars. The first of which was the 340 America and introduced at the 1950 Paris Auto Salon. The name 'America' was used since the vehicle had been constructed for the competitive and profitable American market.

The Lampredi designed 4.1-liter V12 engine created between 220 and 230 horsepower. The engine was matted to a five-speed manual non-synchromesh gearbox which sent the power to the rear wheels. The chassis was constructed of a twin-oval parallel tube chassis with unequal length parallel wishbones and transverse leaf spring suspension in the front. Located in the rear was a solid axle with semi-elliptic longitudinal leaf springs, parallel trailing arms, and shock absorbers.

Ferrari handled the construction of the rolling chassis while the bodywork was outsourced to Vignale, Touring, and Ghia. 23 examples were created by Vignale; 8 by Touring, and four were created by Ghia.

The 340 America series had been created with the intention of being raced, however, only a few ever saw track time. The ones that did were often rewarded for their efforts. In 1951, chassis number 0150/A was raced in the Mille Miglia where it emerged victorious.

This 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe with chassis and engine number 0150/A finished in red and bearing the number 17 was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, Ca. It carries coachwork by Ghia. The car features an aerodynamic body and pushbutton, flush mounted door handles. The long hood carefully conceals the potent Lampredi powerplant.

The engine was completed in July of 1951 and the chassis was completed near the close of the that year. The rolling chassis was sent to Ghia where it was given this two-seater, two-door coupe configuration. Its first owner was Antonio Parravano of Inglewood, California.

The vehicle was raced during its early existence. One of the more memorable outings was the 1952 running of the Carrera Panamericana Mexico race. The Panamericana race is gruling and very demanding for both driver and car. Many modifications were required to prepare the vehicle for the race. The vehicle was outfitted with Halibrand wheels, magneto ignition, larger drilled and vented brake drums, special scoops and ducts, and more. It was given the number 17 and was accompanied by three 340 Mexico's. One of the 340 Mexico's crashed and another suffered a gearbox failure. The third, driven by Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas, finished in third. The Ferrari 340 America driven by Ernie McAfees finished in fifth.

The vehicle went on to compete in various other racing endeavors. Throughout the years it passed through a number of owners before making its way to the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey CA where it was estimated to sell between $900,000-$1,200,000. It retains many of its original components, including the body, chassis, and drive-train. It is one of only four 340 America's bodied by Ghia and the only one with such a prestigious racing career. On auction day the vehicle found a new owner selling for $852,500.

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Coupe
Designer: Ghia
Chassis Num: 0148 A

This 4.1-liter Ferrari Ghia Berlinetta (serial number 0148 A) was built for Ferrari board member and industrialist Michel Paul-Cavalier of Pont-a-Mousson, France, who owned several exceptional Ferraris from new. This is the only 340 Berlinetta built with a lightweight aluminum alloy body. It is equipped with the famous Lampredi V-12, which would go on to contribute to Ferrari's first victories in F1 in Ferrari's 375 F1 model. In the 340 model, the 4,101cc engine develops 250 hp at 6500 RPM. It was a legendary motor that was several steps above the standard 250 production unit, and it went on to spawn both the 375 MM and 410 Sport of fearsome reputation for their power. This car has just had a fresh and full restoration.

The 340 America was debuted at the 1950 Paris Auto Show and was the first road car to be powered by the Lampredi engine. It was a 4102cc V-12 producing 220 bhp.
Ferrari's were custom built cars. They were not mass-produced. Ferrari provided the engine and chassis while Italian coach builders provided the body. This meant the specifications varied. The bodies of the 340 America were built by Ghia, Touring, Pinin Farina and Vignale.

The 340 America was replaced by the 340 Mexico. It had different carburettors, three 40DCFs, and a higher compression ratio. The result was an increase in horsepower by 60. The weight of the vehicle was also decreased bringing about significantly improved performance.

Gioacchino Colombo started out being the primary builder of Ferrari's engines in the late in 1940's and a major contributor to the success of Ferrari. Aurelio Lambredi became his assistant in 1947. Lambredi soon became convinced that a large engine that was naturally aspirated would have better fuel economy and provide more power. Colombo was of the belief that smaller engine compiled with a supercharger would produce the better results. Ferrari tested Lambredi's idea and proved it to be successful. Lambredi was promoted to chief design engineer and Colombo returned to Alfa Romeo. The Lambredi engines were used in the ladder part of the 1950's.

It was in 1948 when the newly formed Italian automobile company named Ferrari began selling a promising sports car named the 166. The two seater sports car featured a 12-cylinder engine mounted in the front and supplying over 100 horsepower to the rear wheels. The engine was just under two-liters in size and had a unitary displacement of 166 cc, thus, the evolution of the model name. Production would last until 1953 with only 38 examples being produced. Even though production was low, its accomplishments are large, with wins at LeMans, Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio.

The 166 was a continuation of the 125, introduced a year earlier. The 125's size of 1497 cc was later enlarged to 1902cc, bringing about the Tipo 159. In 1948, it was enlarged to 1995 cc and became the 166.

Engineer Gioachino Colombo had been tasked with creating the engine to power the first Ferrari automobile. Both Enzo and Colombo had a history with working at Alfa Romeo, and were well versed on the rules and regulations of Grand Prix racing. Rules dictated that displacement size was limited to just 1.5-liters in forced induction engines, and 4.5-liters in naturally aspirated units. Colombo opted for the forced induction route, just as he had done while at Alfa Romeo, and designed for Ferrari their first V12 engine, as well as their first chassis. The engine was very different to the units Colombo had created while at Alfa Romeo, though sharing the same displacement size. Before the engine or chassis were ever created, Colombo left. Aurelio Lampredi was brought in to pick-up where Colombo had left off. Lampredi was a former Fiat employee who was a very talented and gifted engineer. He created the Colombo designed supercharged V12 engine, which would quickly grow in size to three liters.

The engine was potent, but still lacking. Lampredi was tasked with creating a new engine, larger in size, and aimed at propelling Ferrari's next generation of Grand Prix racing machines. Lampredi's goal was to create a powerful, yet fuel efficient engine that could keep with the competition. The Alfa Romeo engines were providing serious competition, and Lampredi questioned if the horsepower output could reach the figures Alfa Romeo was producing. Better fuel-efficiency, along with better tire wear, were two ways Lampredi was hoping to best the Alfa's.

The Lampredi designed 3.3-liter engine was ready by early 1950. Due to its size and configuration, it would eventually become known as the 'long-block' engine. It was constructed from a light-alloy metal, two valves per cylinder, single overhead camshaft and drew design inspiration from the prior Colombo engine.

Touring was tasked with creating the first two vehicles to house the Lampredi engines. They were entered in the 1950 Mille Miglia and carried the designation, 275 S, keeping with the traditional Ferrari naming scheme based on unitary displacement. The cars debut were less than stellar, as both were forced to retire prematurely due to tire and gearbox issues. As the year progressed, the issues were resolved and development continued on the engine, ultimately reaching 4.5-liters.

Other than being a very successful race car builder that enjoyed profound racing success, he was also a great business man and able to capitalize on racing success. Many of the road going cars Ferrari produced were derived from their racing program. Using the Lampredi engine, displacing 4.1 liters and producing 220 horsepower, the engine was mounted in a enlarged versions of the 275 S chassis, and the vehicle was named the 340 America. The 340 America's first public debut was at the Paris Auto Show where it was displayed wearing a Touring Barchetta body. a total of 23 examples would eventually be produced, with bodies supplied by Vignale, Touring and Ghia. As is popular with Ferrari automobiles, many of the 340 America's were used by privateers in racing competition.

Though rule changes at the close of hte 1951 season left the Lampredi engine obsolete, development continued. A total of six examples of the Ferrari 342 America were created. These were very exclusive machines catered to Ferrari's wealthiest clients. The 340 Mexico cars were true Ferrari racing bred machines. Four examples were specifically created to compete in the 1952 running of the Carrera Panamericana race. They were powered by a 280 horsepower version of the Lampredi engine and given a longer wheelbase to better traverse the rough and changing terrain.

In 1953, Ferrari introduced the 340 MM, which was a replacement for the 340 America. Under the bonnet was a 300 horsepower Lampredi engine.

Carrera Panamericana

The Carrera Panamericana was raced from 1950 through 1954. It was held on open roads in Mexico that ran from a southern Mexican west-coast city towards Texas. The race was formed to celebrate the competition of the Panamerican Highway. It was a multi-staged race across the country that counted towards the World Sportscar Championship. The race saw entrants from factory teams, privateers, and amateurs. On average, only one-third of the entrants were able to finish the race.
The race was canceled after the 1955 LeMans fatal disaster, where a car went into the crowd killing over 80 spectators. The fatal accident by Bill Vukovick at Indianapolis secured the decision to no longer run the race.

The first cars to run the race had top speeds of around 100 mph. By 1954, the cars were easily running at 170 mph. The vehicles were not adequately designed to protect the drivers at speeds this great. Being run on open roads meant that many areas of the course could not be managed; live stock, people, obstacles, and a number of other scenarios could make their ways into the road and cause disaster. The decision to cancel the race was sad, but necessary.

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58th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance	Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance	Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction	2005 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic

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