1957 Ferrari 315 S

Enzo Ferrari powered many of his early racing vehicles with V-12 engines placed into small and sturdy chassis. Aluminum bodies were a favorite, due to its rigidity and light weight characteristics. Mounted in the front and powering the rear wheels, this satisfied Enzo's basic philosophy that the 'horse came before the cart.'

After losing out to Mercedes-Benz in the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, Ferrari recognized that it needed a more powerful car for 1956 and, at the suggestion of engineer Vittorio Jano, returned to its tried-and-trusted 320 horsepower, 3490cc V12 engine to power his new sports car. Jano was aided by designers Vittorio Bellentani, Alberto Massimino and Andrea Fraschetti.

Ferrari offered a wide variety of racing cars to drivers in 1956, including the 500 Mondial 2-liter four-cylinder, a 750 Monza 3-liter four-cylinder, an 860 Monza 3.4-liter four-cylinder, a 500 Testa Rossa 2-liter four-cylinder, a 625 LM 2.5-liter four-cylinder, a 410 Sport 5-liter 12-cylinder or a 290 MM 3.5-liter 12-cylinder. At the time, Ferraris were largely the same chassis (aside from their engines and gearboxes). The chassis was comprised of a strong twin oval tube affair that supplied the underpinnings for everything, and Ferrari running gear proved very dependable, even when abused by over-enthusiastic or under-talented drivers. The factory team cars mostly employed de Dion rear axles wîth 4-speed transaxles. It was during this period that Ferrari's competitor bodies began to be built by Scaglietti wîth design influence from Pininfarina.

In 1956, Ferrari won both the Sports Car Constructors' Championship and the F1 Drivers' Championship for Juan Manuel Fangio in the Ferrari-Lancia D50.

For the 1957 season, the 290 MM was replaced by the 290 S, which retained the 3.5-liter displacement of the Type 130 V12, but was given new heads with twin camshafts. It had six twin-choke weber carburetors and offered 330 horsepower. However, it was still underpowered when compared to Maserati's 450S, which developed an impressive 400 horsepower.

The Ferrari 290 S had a traditional tubular ladder frame with independent front suspension, a DeDion rear axle setup, and drum brakes. It was clothed in a two-seater body by Scaglietti. Two examples were entered in the season opener at Buenos Aires in January, but neither car finished the race.

Following Buenos Aires, the next world championship round was at Sebring in March. Ferrari entered a new machine called the 315 S which featured a 3.8-liter engine which had a unitary displacement of 315 cc. Three examples were entered (one example was a 290 S which had been upgraded with the latest 360 BHP engine) at Sebring with the best result being a fourth place finish, behind Juan Manuel Fangio in a Maserati 450S. The other two Ferrari 315 S cars finished sixth and seventh.

By the start of the Mille Miglia, another 315 S had been built. The 290 / 315 S had been further developed with its engine size again increasing, this time to just over 4 liters, and its designation was now the 335 S. Two of the 3.8-liter cars finished first and second, with Piero Taruffi finishing first followed by Wolfgang von Trips. Tragically, the Ferrari 335 S driven by Alphonso de Portago blew a tire resulting in several fatalities.

At LeMans, a 315 S was the only Ferrari to complete the race, finishing fifth. Ferrari would go on to win the 1957 World Championship for Sports Cars.

For the 1958 season new rules were implemented which limited the displacement size to three liters, making the Maserati 450S and many of the Ferrari's obsolete. Many of these sports cars were then sold to the United States which did not have the same restrictions.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2017