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1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF

Although reluctant at first, road car production would become vitally important to the stability of the Ferrari marque. The 250 series would become their first volume-production model, beginning with the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to 1954 with less than 20 examples built. Before the Europa, Ferrari had built road-going convertibles and coupes in small numbers and was typically constructed to special customer orders atop sports-racing chassis as the basis. Many of the bodies were built by Ghia, Vignale, and Touring. No attempts were made at standardization for series production, and no two cars were alike.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF photo
Berlinetta by Scaglietti
Chassis #: 0905 GT
Engine #: 0905 GT
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Auction entries : 1
The 250 Europa was fitted with the modified version of the 340 Amercia's Lampredi-designed 'long-block' engine. In 1954, with the introduction of the 250 Europa GT, Colombo's more compact and lighter short-stroke engine was installed. The 2,600mm chassis in which it was installed was 200mm shorter in the wheelbase than that of the Europa. It followed Ferrari's traditional building practices of a multi-tubular frame with oval main tubes, however, the independent front suspension was given coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. In the back was a semi-elliptically sprung live rear axle. The engine was mated to a four-speed, all-synchromesh gearbox, and hydraulic drums at all four corners provided the stopping power.

After World War II, cars and technology advanced quickly, leading to a disastrous accident at Le Mans in 1955. In response, FIA regulations reclassified sports car racing with new limits on displacement classes. Ferrari found itself in a favorable position with the tried-and-true 3-liter short-block engine developed by Gioacchino Colombo. It was installed in their dual-purpose road-racing model based on the 250 GT chassis and clothed in lightweight aluminum coachwork by Scaglietti. The 250 GT Berlinetta quickly proved to be a potent force in sports car racing, particularly in the multi-stage Tour de France Automobile, which it won four consecutive years from 1956–1959. Marquis de Portago's Ferrari, a long-wheelbase version, won it in 1956. A year later, Oliver Gendebien won the race in another LWB Berlinetta, and he managed to repeat this feat in 1957 and 1958. The 250 GT TdF would go on to become the most successful competition 250 GT Ferrari model, with more victories than any other model, including the 250 GTO.

The 250 GT TdF Competizione model had evolved from the preceding 250 Europa GT and competition Mille Miglia models, built atop the same 2,600mm wheelbase as the former. The suspension assembly remained nearly unchanged, apart from a front anti-roll bar was included, for the first time in a Ferrari. Unlike some of its competition, Ferrari continued to use drum brakes instead of discs. Scaglietti bodied the majority of the models built between 1956 and 1959, to a Pininfarina design.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF photo
Berlinetta by Scaglietti
Chassis #: 0933
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The engine was an evolution of the water-cooled, carbureted, 60-degree V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo first used in 1947. Through numerous iterations, this engine would power Ferrari vehicles through 1988, far outlasting its linear successor - the Lampredi-designed V12 produced between 1950 and 1959. The Tipo 128C SOHC alloy V-12 engine powering the 250 GT Tour de France displaced 2,953cc and used three Weber 36 DCL/3 carburetors to produce 240 bhp at 7,000 RPM. With three Weber 40 DCL3 carburetors, the engine produced approximately 260 horsepower. The engines were backed by a four-speed all-synchromesh transmission derived from the 342 America.

78 examples of the 250 GT Berlinetta were built in four distinct body styles, including no-louver, 14-louver, three-louver, and single-louver. They were also given the nickname the Tour de France (TdF). Fifteen were series II cars with three louvers and covered headlights. Twenty-nine Series III cars were built with the covered headlights but a single louvre. Eight single louvre cars were built in 1959 with open headlights, a new requirement in Italian law. Thirty-six examples were the single-louvre, covered-headlight examples. Five superlight cars were also made with coachwork by Zagato.

The 250 GT Berlinetta would win more races than either of its successors, the 250 GT SWB and the GTO.


by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019

Related Reading : Ferrari 250 GT History

Production of the 250 Series began in 1954 and continued on through the early part of the 1960s. There were numerous variations of the 250 and would ultimately become Ferraris 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 1950s. Also, the 250 was the first four-seater. Ferraris....
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