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Image Left 1957 250 GT Ellena
 

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena news, pictures, and information

Coupe
Chassis Num: 0875GT
 
At the 1956 Geneva Auto Show, Pinin Farina (which became Pininfarina in 1961) presented a prototype Ferrari 250GT coupe, while Mario Boano displayed a 250GT cabriolet prototype. The production coupe was built by Boano, although to Pinin Farina's design. When Boano left his company in 1957 to work for Fiat, a revised version of the coupe was introduced by his son-in-law, Ezio Ellena. The Boano/Ellena cars had a wheelbase of 102 inches, and the engine was a Colombo-designed three-liter V12. The transmission was a four-speed all-synchromesh unit. The 1958 Ellena version eliminated the vent windows of the Boano and raised the roof about two inches for more headroom.
The production of the 250 GT began in 1954 and continued into the early 1960's. A variety of body styles, engines, and coachbuilders were used. Keeping with the tradition of Ferrari, the coachbuilders were Italian. Ferrari provided the chassis and the engines, the coachbuilders provided the body and the styling. Most of the production of these vehicles were done by Pinin Farina. In 1957, however, production was taken over by Scaglietti.

The construction for the 250 GT bodywork was at the facility located in Grugliasco. In 1957 the firms name was changed to Ellena. This transpired because of Mario Boano's move to FIAT where he became the head of their styling department. Since Ferrari supplied the chassis and engine, the Ellena version did not change in those areas. The body work, however, saw a higher roofline which provided more headroom for the passenger and driver. This change is hardly noticeable. Production of the Ellena versions ended in middle of 1958 to make room for the 250 GT Pinin Farina 'Notchback.' During the 'Ellena era' which lasted a little over 11 months, about 47 versions were produced.

Many of the early models of the 250 GT were 2+2 styled. They had tiny back seats which double as luggage space. The later versions were 2 seaters with a luggage shelf behind the seats.

The Ferrari 250 GT used a 60-degree single-overhead-cam, 'vee' type 12-cylinder. The engine had aluminum alloy block and heads with cast-iron cylinder liners. Colombo was the producer of this engine. The horsepower produced was in the neighborhood of 220-260.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
Coupe
Chassis Num: 0857 GT
 
Sold for $475,000 at 2008 RM Auctions.
In January of 1958, Sports Cars Illustrated called the 250 Ellena Coupe, 'a Grand Touring masterpiece without comparables' and went on to say that it had, 'racing car performance with the manners and appointments of a true luxury automobile.' Designed by Pinin Farina, these simple but elegant cars are generally considered to be Ferrari's first series production cars although only 49 were built. This particular car (s/n 0857 GT) was the 39th in the series, and its coachwork was made at Carrozzeria Ellena due to the fact that Pinin Farina's new factory was not yet completed.
Coupe
Chassis Num: 0861 GT
 
High bid of $400,000 at 2012 RM Auctions. (did not sell)
The 'Boano' and 'Ellena' Berlinettas are generally considered to be Ferrari's first series-built grand touring cars. Pinin Farina had designed their first Ferrari as early as 1952 and by the mid-1950s, had established the Ferrari design, as exemplified by the Boano and Ellena GT series. Design traits included the long, low hood and the oval radiator opening.

Pinin Farina created the designs and Carrozzeria Boano built eight-two cars in the first series. At the close of 1957, Mario Boano left the company to work in Fiat's styling department. Ezio Ellena, Boano's son-in-law, took over with partner Luciano Pollo. The renamed Carrozzeria Ellena built an additional run of 50 Ferrari 250 GTs, now referred to as 'Ellena' coupes. Design changes included a two-inch raised roofline offering more head room and better body proportions. Other changes included a four-speed gearbox shift pattern, larger brakes, a ZF steering system and the fitment of a single distributor to the engine. The passenger comfort and the luggage accommodation were much improved from the previous Europa GT model.

Mounted under the bonnet was a Colombo-designed v-12, three-liter engine offering 240 and 290 horsepower depending on its specification. Top speed was listed at 127 to 157 mph depending on the final drive gear ratio. Cars fitted with the 4.57 gears could race from zero-to-60 mph in just 5.9 seconds.

This construction of this vehicle, Ferrari number 0861 GT, commenced on January 7th of 1958 with the testing procedure being signed-off on April 14th of 1958. The original owner was an individual from Modena, Italy. It was later imported by Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York. On January 3rd of 1970, it was purchased by Bradley Balles of Dallas, Texas and would remain in his care for 32 years. Late in the Balles ownership, the car was given a full body and interior restoration. In the spring of 2002, it was given a total mechanical restoration. In April of 2004, it was entered in the North Carolina 500 mile Highlands Classic Rally. On July 9th and 10th, it was accepted to race in the drum brake class of the Shell Ferrari Historic Races held at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut. It finished first in class and was given 'The Special Achievement Award.'

On January 2005, the car was raced at Moroso Motorsports Park in Florida in another Shell Historic event. Later that year, it earned another two '1st in Class' trophies at the Lime Rock Park in the same series. In the years that followed, it continued to race in vintage races. In 2008, it completed the Colorado Grand, at one time being clocked at 130 mph.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at RM Auction's Scottsdale, Arizona auction. It was estimated to sell for $450,000 - $525,000. Bidding reached $400,000 but was not enough to satisfy the vehicle's reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012
Production of the 250 Series began in 1954 and continued on through the early part of the 1960's. There were numerous variations of the 250 and would ultimately become Ferrari's most successful line of vehicles to date. The 250 is also recognized as the first Ferrari to ever receive disc brakes. This did not take place until the end of the 1950's. Also, the 250 was the first four-seater.

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. Engines also varied in horsepower rating, torque, and displacement. This was no different for the 250 GT which saw many different variations in body style and body types.

Ferrari built the road-going Ferrari's to fuel his passion for racing. Many of the vehicles he built for the road had a competition model. That is, a modified version of the road-going model. An example of this was the 1959 short-wheel base (SWB) Berlinetta (Berlinetta which means coupe) and given an aluminum body. It was debuted in October 1959 at the Paris Salon. GT cars were road-legal vehicles that could also be taken to the track and compete without the need for modifications. Although this was their purpose, Ferrari realized that many customers would not race their vehicle, but rather wanted the power and performance that sports cars offered. To comply, Ferrari built these cars to be powerful and luxurious. The vehicles could still be run on the track, mostly on requiring the adoption of stickers and complying with any safety requirements.

The 250 road-going vehicles mostly shared two wheelbase sizes, a 2400 mm and 2600 mm. The 2400 wheelbase were referred to as the SWB (Short wheel base) while the other was the LWB (long wheel base).

The base engine was a Colombo 60-degree, single-over-head cam, 'vee' type 12-cylinder, with aluminum alloy block and heads, and cast-iron cylinder liners. The displacement was 180 cubic inch (2953 cc). Horsepower production was around 220-260. The front suspension was independent with double wishbones and coil springs. The rear suspension was a live axle.

The first 250 introduced was the 250S and available in either berlinetta or spider configuration. Introduced in 1952, they were powered by a 3-liter Colombo engine producing about 230 horsepower.

At the 1953 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari introduced the 250 Europa and Export. These were the only models in the series that were powered by a Lampredi v-12 engine also seen in Formula 1. The 250 Export had a 2400 MM wheelbase, similar tot he 250 MM. The 250 Europa had a larger, 2800 mm wheelbase which allowed more interior room. During their short production lifespan, only 18 examples were produced. Pininfarina and Vignale were tasked with creating the coachwork.

In 1954 four specialty built 250 Monza were built for racing. They shared many similarities with the 750 Monza's, but were equipped with the 3-liter Colombo engine.

At the 1957 Geneva auto show, Ferrari displayed their 250 GT Cabriolet. Coachwork was courtesy of Pininfarina; the wheelbase was 2600 mm in size. In 1959 the second in the 250 GT Cabriolet series production began after only 36 examples being produced.

From 1957 through 1959 Ferrari produced the 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF). The name had been given for the 10-day automobile race. Originally the engine produced 240 horsepower but was later modified to 260 horsepower. Carrozzeria Scaglietti was responsible for creating the bodies based on Pinin Farina's design.

Scaglietti was responsible for constructing the 1957 250 GT California Spyder. These sat atop a long, 2600 mm chassis and aluminum was used throughout the body in efforts to reduce the overall weight. In total, around 45 examples were created before they were replaced by the SWB version in 1960.

There were 250 examples of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB produced. Production began in 1959 and used the shortened, sportier wheelbase. Giotto Bizzarrini, Carlo Chiti, and Mauro Forghieri were responsible for the development. Some were built for racing while others were meant for daily transportation. Horsepower ranged from 240 to 280. Steel or aluminum bodies were used. The steel bodies were suited for the road-going vehicles, also known as Lusso. The racing trim vehicles were powerful and had low weight. They were vary competitive and are regarded as the most important GT racers of its time. In 1961 the SWB Berlinetta captured the GT class of the Constructor's Championship.

In 1960 a Scaglietti 250 GT Spyder California SWB was shown at the Geneva Motor Show. Built as a replacement for the LWB and based on the 250 GT SWB, around 55 examples were produced.

The Ferrari 250TR was produced from 1957 through 1958 during which only 19 examples were created. The 'pontoon' fender body was designed by Scaglietti and the power was supplied through a Colombo 12-cylinder engine mounted at a sixty-degree angle and outfitted with six Weber 38 DCN carburetors. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. With 300 horsepower, the 800 kg vehicle was able to achieve a 168 mph top speed. From 1958 through 1961, the 250 TR was entered in 19 championship races where they emerged victorious ten times.

The 250 in 250 TR represented the unitary displacement while the TR was an acronym meaning Testa Rossa. Testa Rossa translates to 'red head' which referred to the color of the engine's cylinder head.

The 250 TR series was built to capture the world championship which was experience questionable times. During the 1955 24 Hours of Lemans a fatal accident occurred and the Commissione Sportiva Internazionale (CSI) began investigating ways to make the sport safer for the drivers and the spectators. Their efforts were escalated in 1967 when another fatal accident occurred at the 1957 Mille Miglia. The committee decided upon a displacement limit but they were in disagreement on the size; the proposed figures ranged from 3 to around 3.5 liters.

1958 was the introductory year for the new regulations, which had been announced during the later part of 1957. Ferrari had been building, testing, and racing the 250 GT which had performed well during the 1957 Mille Miglia. The Colombo V12 260 horsepower engine received a larger bore, camshaft, and other improvements resulting in a 3.1 liter displacement and 320 horsepower. Testing continued throughout the 1957 season in both body configuration and mechanical components.

Ferrari had anticipated the new engine size regulations and thus had been sufficiently prepared to capture the world championship. Due to the potential of negative publicity caused by the fatal accidents, other manufacturers, such as Aston Martin, Lotus, Cooper and Jaguar, were hesitant to continue racing. Ferrari believed their closest competitor would be the powerful and technologically advanced Maserati 450 S which featured a quad-cam eight-cylinder engine.

Ferrari quickly began capturing victories during the 1958 season. The 250 TR was a solid vehicle thanks to the preparation and testing. The steel tubular ladder frame was of traditional Ferrari construction; a DeDion rear axle was used on the works racers. Customer cars were outfitted with a live axle. Drum brakes were placed on all four corners of the car. The engine had been modified to comply with regulations and to fit in the engine bay. In reality, the vehicle was an outdated car having only the benefit of proper planning and proven technology. Most cars featured disc brakes which provided superior stopping power. The Colombo engine dated back to the beginning of Ferrari and was antiquated in comparison to the modern power-plants.

Nearing the close of the 1958 season, the competition began to rise. Aston Martin had a lethal combination, a 3 liter DBR1 racer and Stirling Moss as the driver. Even though the Aston Martins did score a victory at Nurburgring 1000 KM, Ferrari was able to capture the World Championship. The legendary Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien easily capture a third victory for Ferrari at the grueling 24 Hours of Lemans. The 250 TR works cars were referred to as TR58, to distinguish them from the customer TRs.

For the 1959 season, the vehicles received slight modifications which made the vehicle lighter and more powerful. The big news was the use of Dunlop disc brakes. The engine received coil valve springs and the horsepower increased slightly to 306. A Colotti designed five speed gearbox replaced the four-speed unit. Pininfarina was tasked with designing a new body and the construction was handled by Fantuzzi. As a result of the improvements, the name was changed to TR59. At their inaugural race, the TR59 finished first and second. This streak did not last and at the end of the season, it was Aston Martin who emerged as the world champion. The TR59 was plagued with reliability issues mostly due to the gearbox. The vehicles were forced to retire early from races, including Le Mans.

For the 1960 season, the TR was modified slightly to comply with new regulations and to rectify the transmission issues. These vehicles are commonly referred to as the TR59/60. Aston Martin had withdrawn from the championship which left no factory opposition for Ferrari. Porsche and Maserati provided competition, especially at Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000 km where they scored victories. At Le Mans, Ferrari finished first and second and captured the word championship, beating Porsche by only four points.

For the 1961 season, Ferrari introduced the mid-engined 246 SP. The TRI61 was given a new spaceframe chassis and was able to capture victories at Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans. With victories between the 246 SP and the TRI61, Ferrari once again captured the world championship.

The CSI implemented stricter rules for the 1962 season which meant the TR was unable to score points for the factory. It was still allowed to race for the overall victory.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2007
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156
166
166 F2
195
196
212
246
250 GT
250 Monza
250 Testarossa
275
288
308
312
328
330
333 SP
335
342 America
348
360
365
375
400
410
410 S
456
458
500 F2
500 Superfast
500 TR
512
512 BB/LM
550
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575
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612 Scaglietti
625
California
Dino
Enzo
F12berlinetta
F355
F40
F430
F430 GTC
F50
FF
LaFerrari
Mondial
Mondial 500
Testarossa
Type 340

Image Left 1957 250 GT Ellena
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