1956 Ferrari 500 TR

The Ferrari 500 Mondial was a four-cylinder model developed by the company's chief engineer, Aurelio Lampredi, and it offered better low-end torque than Ferrari's V12, resulting in better acceleration out of corners, and its lightweight characteristics were rewarded with better handling. The four-cylinder Mondial would play an integral role in winning Ferrari's second Sports Car World Championship in 1954. Additionally, Ferrari's first two manufacturer's Grand Prix World Championships (in 1952 and 1953) were won by the four-cylinder engined 500 F2.

World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship began in 1953 and continued through 1992. During its early years, memorable events include the Mille Miglia, Carrera Panamericana, Targa Florio (beginning in 1955), and 1000 km Buenos Aires. The 24 Hours of Le Mans was part of the schedule for every season except 1956, 1975 to 1979, and 1989 to 1990 season. The 24 Hours of Daytona had near-continuous inclusion throughout the championship's existence.

The field was filled with entries from marques such as Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Nardis, Bandinis, and Ferrari. Mercedes-Benz's work team ceased its competition effort following the tragedy at Le Mans in 1955 that killed 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh. Aston Martin had difficult seasons in 1957 and 1958 but won the championship in 1959. The Maserati and Ferrari Works teams were very successful throughout much of the decade, although Maserati never managed to win the World title. During the 1950s, Ferrari won in 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, and 1958, followed by numerous victories during the 1960s.

The early years of the World Sportscar Championship were sometimes contested by professional racing drivers who had competed in Formula One, but the majority were gentleman drivers.

The Lampredi 'Four'
Aurelio Lampredi was an Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer who enjoyed a very successful career at Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, and Fiat. He worked briefly with Ferrari and left, but returned after Giuseppe Busso left for Alfa Romeo, and Gioacchino Colombo moved to an advisory role. The lack of success by Colombo's supercharged Formula One engines gave way to Lampredi's naturally aspirated alternatives. His first engine for Ferrari was a V12 with a 3.3, 4.1 and 4.5-liter displacement which powered the 275 S, 275 F1, 340 F1 and 375 F1 race cars. Lampredi's engine earned Ferrari its first Formula One victory when José Froilán González won the British Grand Prix in Silverstone in 1951. Alberto Ascari won back-to-back Formula One World Championships in 1952 and 1953 with the twin-cam four-cylinder Lampredi engine.

The Lampredi engine was very successful in Formula One, Formula Two, and sports racing. Even after Lampredi was replaced in 1955 by engine designer Vittorio Jano, his engines would continue to be used in Ferrari road cars. Among the accolades achieved by the Lampredi engine was a victory in the 1956 Sebring 12 Hours with the 3.4-liter 860 Monza.

Ferrari 500 Mondial
The two-liter sports car category was extremely competitive during the mid-1950s, with the 500 Mondial producing early success for Ferrari. (The 500 Mondial was named to celebrate the world 'Mondial' championships won by Alberto Ascari.) The two-liter engine was installed in a traditional steel tubular frame with double wishbones at the front and a DeDion setup on the rear. Finned drum brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power.

Pinin Farina created a total of 15 examples with Spider coachwork; the first five examples are 'Series I' featuring covered headlights. Carrozzeria Scaglietti later created a series of barchettas and Pinin Farina built a pair of berlinettas. Between 1953 and 1955, a total of 29 examples of the 500 Mondial were built.

Ferrari 500 TR
The 500 Mondial was replaced by another two-liter car dubbed the 500 TR. Lampredi's four-cylinder Tipo 131 engine had red cylinder heads, earning it the name 'Testa Rossa' (TR), translating to 'red head.' This was the first Ferrari to ear the 'Testa Rossa' name.

The 500 Mondial and TR had many similarities but also numerous differences. The previous DeDion suspension was replaced by a live rear axle, and the front suspension was now by wishbones and coil springs. The complicated transaxle of the 500 Mondial was dropped in favor of an engine-mounted gearbox. The synchronized unit had a two-disc clutch. The updated chassis allowed it to sit significantly lower than the 500 Mondial, and the coachwork designed by Scaglietti was equally improved with modern and aerodynamic designs.

The engine shared the basic internal dimensions with its predecessor but incorporated a revised cylinder head, improved connecting rods, and a strengthened bottom end. It had a pair of Weber carburetors, twin-spark ignition, a dry-sump lubrication system, and produced approximately 180 horsepower.

Motorsport Competition
The factory campaigned the 500 TR throughout the 1956 season, and its strong results led to Ferrari earning the Manufacturers' Championship. Among its most significant victories was at the 000 Km Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix at Monza, where Scuderia Ferrari entered three works 500 TRs, which ran alongside ten privately entered 500 TRs and 500 Mondials. At the conclusion of the race, Scuderia Ferrari drivers finished 1st, 3rd, and 4th. The 500 TR would go on to capture class victories at Dakar, Sebring, Montlhéry, and Reims. Franco Cortese even won the Italian Championship in the two-liter class with his privately entered Scaglietti Spider. Even in the United States, the 500 TR was successful, often outpacing larger and more powerful machines.

625 LM
A 2.5-liter version, known as the 625 LM, was prepared specifically for Le Mans. The engine was a modified version of the 625 F1 engine with compression reduced to 9:1, and it was fitted with a pair of Weber 42DCO/A carburetors. A total of three examples competed in the race with the fastest (driven by Gendebien/Trintignant) achieving a third-place finish. These examples wore coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring and were later sold by Ferrari with two-liter engines.

500 TRC
To comply with the new 'Appendix C' racing regulations for international racing in 1957, Ferrari developed the 500 TRC. Full-width windscreens and two doors were now required, which Pinin Farina accommodated with updated styling. A total of nineteen examples of the 500 TRC were built with the updated bodywork, an improved chassis, and a slightly more potent engine. Two of these were equipped with the 625 engine.

The 500 Mondial, 500 TR, and 500 TRC served Ferrari admirably through the 1950s, but by the end of the 1957 season, its competitiveness had waned and it was replaced by various V6 engine models. The 500, in its various configurations, was effective and sophisticated but not complicated, powerful and reliable, and clothed with coachwork that followed form and function.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024