1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico

The Carrera Panamericana race was held from 1950 to 1954 and regarded by many contemporaries as the most dangerous race of any type in the world. It was a border-to-border racing event held on open roads in Mexico at a distance of 2,178 miles. Its debut in 1950 coincided with the competition of the Pan-American Highway and was organized by the national government to celebrate this monumental achievement.

This was an attractive adventure for many manufacturers including Ferrari, whose first foray at the event was in 1951 when two Ferrari 212 coupes finished in 1st and 2nd place. Fueled by this amazing accomplishment, four specific vehicles were built to contest the race. The four-liter, Lampredi-designed V12 engine of the 340 America which had won the 1951 Mille Miglia was tuned to produce around 280 horsepower at 6,600 RPM. The 4,101cc SOHC V12 engine had three Weber 40 mm DCF/3 carburetors and was backed by a five-speed manual transmission. The front suspension was independent by double wishbones and transverse leaf springs. IN the back was a live axle setup with semi-elliptic leaf springs and trailing arms. Stopping power was provided by hydraulic drums at all four corners. The 2,600 mm (102.4 inches) wheelbase was clothed with lightweight aluminum Berlinetta (coupe) coachwork (3 examples) along with a single Barchetta (spyder). All four were designed by Giovanni Michelotti and built by Vignale.

Of the 92 starters of the 1952 Carrera Panamericana, only 39 were able to finish. Previous editions of the race had a single class, but for the 1952 event, racers were divided into Sports Car and Stock Car entries so the large and heavy American sedans would not have to compete directly with the smaller and agile European sports cars.

One of the Berlinettas (chassis 0222 AT) was piloted by Luigi Volloresi and Franco Cornacchi in 1952 but failed to finish. Albert Ascari and Giuseppi Scotuzzi started in 14th place in a Berlinetta (chassis 0226 AT) and were in the sixth position by mile marker 50. The aggressive pace of Ascari and the dangerous road conditions eventually led to a 'DNF' when he lost control over loose stones, causing him to collide with a rocky ledge. The Berlinetta (chassis 0224 AT) driven by Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas finished third, edged out by two Mercedes-Benz 300 SL prototypes. Karl Kling and Herman Lang finished first and second, and the 300 SL driven by John Fitch may have finished third had he not been disqualified for permitting a mechanic to touch his car on the second to last day.

The Barchetta (chassis 0228AT) was built for Bill Spear and although it arrived at the race, it never started. Instead, its first race was the 6 Hour Collier Memorial race at MacDill Air Force Base, where Spear and Hill finished second overall and first in class. The Spyder was later driven by Spear in the Pebble Beach Road Racers, placing first in class and second overall in the Del Monte Trophy behind a Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder driven by Phil Hill.

1954 was the final year for the Carrera Panamericana, due to safety concerns following the tragic accident at the 1955 Le Mans race, along with the expense to the government. President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines announced that the original goal of the event was to publicize the highway, and this had been accomplished through the previous events.

During the five years of the race, vehicle speeds had nearly doubled, but safety for both the driver and spectators had not followed at a similar pace. 27 people lost their lives, making it one of the highest mortality rates per race in the history of motor sports.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021