1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Competition

Ferrari replaced the 250 GT Series with the 275, introduced in the fall of 1964 in Paris as the 275 GTB coupe and the 275 GTS spyder. It wore an elegant yet aggressive shark-like profile with carefully concealed modern components and machinery, utilizing Ferrari's first use of an independent rear suspension and the first to utilize a transaxle that moved the gearbox into a unit with the rear axle. The 3.3-liter V-12 engine produced around 275 to 280 horsepower in standard guise (9.2:1 compression ratio), plus an additional 20 horsepower with the optional six Weber carburetors. The race-proven Colombo overhead cam V-12 engine had a 58.8mm stroke, an increased bore of 77m, and a total displacement of 3,285.7 cc. The single-cylinder displacement was 275 cc, hence the model's designation.

The Ferrari 250 GTO had brought the FIA GT championship to Ferrari in 1963 and 1964, but the increasing competition from Shelby's Cobras made it clear that something even greater than the GTO was needed to defend the championship in 1965. Ferrari's entry for the 1965 season was the mid-engine 250 LM (designed for Le Mans), however, the FIA rejected Ferrari's proposal, arguing that the 250 LM was clearly designed as a sports prototype racer. Thus, Ferrari was left without a competitive entry.

Four special lightweight 275 GTB 'specials' were built, but they were also rejected by the FIA. Enzo Ferrari's options for a prosperous 1965 racing season were quickly diminishing, so he authorized construction of an alloy-bodied competition version of the 275 GTB that was closer to the production car. Visually, these cars were distinguished by a racing-style fuel filler mounted on the right side of the car and three additional cooling slots in the rear quarters. A total of ten examples were built and were sold primarily to private teams, who would ultimately race the cars with significant success in 1965, including the Targa Florio, the Nurburgring, Le Mans, and Nassau in the Bahamas. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one Clienti placed 3rd overall and 1st in the GT category.

The Ferrari 275 GTB factory competition versions are often divided into three phases, beginning with the minor modifications of chassis 06003 and 06021. These were followed by the three ultra-lightweight, tube frame specials equipped with six-carburetor dry sump engines and bodywork that retains origins of the 275 GTB, but with a 330 LM Berlinetta-style nose and Lusso-style air intake atop the bonnet. These were followed by an additional ten special Berlinetta, dubbed 'Competizione Clienti' and built for customers as dual-purpose sports cars. These short-nose cars had a large 140-liter gas tank (replacing the 94-liter unit) which necessitated the relocation of the spare tire to sit vertically behind the fuel tank. Additionally, the rear shelf of these cars is slightly higher in appearance. Power was sourced from the wet-sump V-12 engine equipped with six Weber 40 DCN3 carburetors. Most were built with lightweight alloy bodywork.

The final versions of 'competition specials' were officially referred to by the factory as 275 GTB/C; the other cars were not. These 900 series chassis number vehicles used dry sump three-carburetor engines employing magnesium, special lightweight frame, and lightweight long-nose alloy bodywork. These were the final competition GT cars built by Mauro Forghieri and Ferrari's racing department as the racing iterations of the later 365 GTB/4 were modified in Modena.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021