1957 Ferrari 250 GT TdF

The Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta helped establish the marque's GT-class racing dominance during the late 1950s. The 1956 Tour de France was won by Alfonso de Portago, followed by Oliver Gendebien winning over the next three years. These successes earned the 'Tour de France' moniker and were among Ferrari's most successful 250 GT, having garnered more outright victories than the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, second only to the revered GTO.

The Tour de France (TdF) rested on Ferrari's 2,600-millimeter-wheelbase steel tubular chassis and was powered by a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine. The Tipo 128 C with triple Weber 36 DCL/3 carburetors delivered 253 horsepower at 7,200 RPM. Its Pinin Farina-designed coachwork was hand-built by Scaglietti in aluminum, featuring a long hood and covered headlights. Most of the 78 bodies built between 1956 and 1959 were created by Scaglietti. Zagato built five lightweight, 'no-louvre' examples.

The 2,600mm wheelbase chassis was the same as the former 250 Europa GT and competition Mille Miglia models. Apart from a front anti-roll bar, the suspension remained unchanged. Enzo Ferrari stubbornly clung to his drum brakes while most of the competition favored discs.

The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'TdF' was built in four distinct body styles including no-louver, 14-louvre, three-louvre, and single-louvre. Fifteen examples of the Series II cars were built with cover headlights and three louvres. Twenty-nine examples were Series III cars with covered headlights and a single louvre. An additional eight examples were single louvre cars with open headlights that were built in 1959 in compliance with a new requirement in Italian law. Thirty-six examples of the Series IV were single-louvre, covered-headlight examples.

A 250 GT Berlinetta won Tour de France Automobile three times in 1956, 1957 and 1958. They took the top three places at the 1957 event. The company's winning tradition at the event continued with the 250 GT Berlinetta 'Interim.' Seven examples were built and they rested on the long-wheelbase chassis and wore the new Pinin Farina coachwork of the upcoming Short Wheelbase (SWB) Berlinettas. While the Succeeding 'Passo Corto' Berlinettas were devoid of rear quarter windows, this feature could be found on the Interim vehicles. The all-aluminum 'Interim' Berlinetta won the Tour de France Automobile in 1959.

The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB rested on a 94.5-inch wheelbase platform and 176 examples were built. The road-going versions (Lusso) often received steel bodies while those destined for racing were given bodies formed from aluminum. Engine output ranged from 237 horsepower to nearly 280 horsepower. A total of 176 examples were constructed.

The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB won the GT class of the 1961 Constructor's Championship and was victorious at the 1960, 1961 and 1962 Tour de France Automobile. Next came the Ferrari 250 GTO, built from 1962 to 1964 with 36 examples created during that time. With the 250 GTO, Ferrari won the over 2000cc class of the FIA's International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963, and 1964. They also won the 1963 and 1964 Tour de France Automobile, earning Ferrari nine consecutive victories at the event.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2009