1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano

Enzo Ferrari recognized the need to fund his racing efforts with a line of premium performance-oriented road and grand touring cars. Additionally, he understood that the success on the world's racing circuit would lead to more sales of road-going cars. The first foray in the grand touring segment was the 166 Inter, which was essentially a racing car with a coachbuilt, custom-ordered body. The long-wheelbase 250 GT car, however, was the company's first true grand touring car of volume. Wearing a design by Pinin Farina, the Ferrari 250 Europa GT made its debut at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. Nearly all the Ferrari 250s received the lightweight, Gioacchino Colombo-designed V-12 engine, which had begun its life as a racing engine.

Pinin Farina was unable to keep pace with the swept-back Europa GT beyond the first few prototypes, so Ferrari turned to Carrozzeria Boano, founded by Mario Felice Boano and his son, Gian Paolo, after they departed design house Ghia. Boano had purchased Ghia after the death of the firm's founder in 1944. The carrozzeria bearing his own name was founded in 1956 and was co-manged by his son.

After proving their abilities with a one-off 250 GT Cabriolet completed in 1956 and shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1956 (along with a similarly designed 410 Super America and a Pinin Farina built coupe), the job was officially theirs and more than five dozen 250 GTs followed. Boano essentially left the Pinin Farina design intact, except for lowering the wing line. Both steel and aluminum-bodied 250 GT Boano coupes were built.

In 1957, Mario Felice Boano accepted an offer to head up Fiat's design department. Once again, production was transferred, this time it went to Boano employee Ezio Ellena, who formed Carrozzeria Ellena. Five examples were built nearly identical to Boano's designs, while the remaining 45 examples had an elevated roofline.

Boano would build approximately 88 examples of the 250 GT coupe through late 1957.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0589 GT

At the 1956 Geneva Motor Show, Pinin Farina unveiled a prototype built on a 250 Europa GT chassis. The new body made the car look longer than the Europa, with a crisp beltline and only a small notch in front of the rear wing. The grille was lower and smaller, the windshield was more curved, and the trunk capacity was increased. It was known as the Boano. The factory stated it was 'a production car which benefited from the experience in racing.' The Boano coupe was Ferrari's production 250 GT coupe in 1956 and 1957. This car (serial number 0589 GT) has a rare aluminum alloy body with power coming from a three-liter V-12 engine delivering up to 230 horsepower. It has just been restored.

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0549 GT

At the 1956 Geneva Auto Show, The 250 Ferrari GT Coupe with coachwork by Pinin Farina was presented to the public. Carrozzeria Boano built the bodies for Ferrari at their factory in Brescia. The new GT shared the same 2600mm wheelbase and aluminum alloy, Colombo-designed V12 as the 250 Europa GT, the model it replaced. Boano built 74 examples of the 250 GT on the long wheelbase chassis. All but one were coupes. The single convertible with chassis 0461GT was sold to New York collector, Bob Lee off the stand at the 1956 New York Auto Show on the instructions of Enzo Ferrari. Lee is still the owner of the car, making it one of the oldest Ferraris still in the hands of its original purchaser.

This car is chassis number 0549GT and was first sold to an Italian company in 1956 and came to the United States in 1972. It was given a restoration in 2005.

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0435GT
Engine number: 0435GT

The 250 Europea GT was Ferrari's first true production model and made its debut at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. The bodies were built by Pinin Farina who quickly found themselves struggling to keep up with orders. To alleviate the pressure on Pinin Farina, Ferrari looked to Carrozzeria Boano to construct the bodies instead, as they had the larger facilities to series-produced an automobile. Over the next few years, Carrozzeria Boano crafted more than five dozen 250 GTs. The designs were essentially the look that Pinin Farina had already established. Both steel- and aluminum-bodied 250 GT Boanos were produced.

This particular example, chassis number 0435 GT, is a unique Pinin Farina prototype. The coachwork was completed by Pinin Farina. It is the fourth of nine 250 GT prototypes that wore coachwork by Pinin Farina, after which Boano began production and completed the remainder of the series. The car was sold new to its original owner, Loris Cantelli, of Novara, Italy, in April 1956 and was subsequently relocated to Switzerland in 1960. There, the car was owned by Paul Blancpain. It was later sold to Mr. Messerli. Mr. Messerli was later involved in a tragic accident with the car in which a child was killed. It was subsequently rebuilt and sold to a Mr. Oberson, of Bulle, Switzerland, who had the car fully and properly restored, including a new color scheme of red with a black interior.

In April of 1990, the car was displayed by Oberson at the Club Ferrari Suisse's anniversary meeting in Montreux, Switzerland. By the beginning of the 21st century, the car was listed for sale by Tiziano Carugati in Geneva before being sold in 2006 to Daniel Patric Brooks in the United Kingdom. In 2007, it underwent a complete restoration of the body. At this time, the car was refinished in its present sporting livery of Metallic Grey. The body restoration was completed in March 2008, after which the car was driven by Brooks in the 2008 Tour Auto. It was subsequently offered for sale and acquired by its present caretaker.

The car is finished in grey metallic paintwork over a black leather interior.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0429 GT
Engine number: 0429GT

This Ferrari has a type 508 chassis that is shared with a 250 Europa GT. The engine is from the original Colombo series V-12 'inside-plug' engine (tipo 112) that was first installed in the Europa GT model. The engine is essentially a lightly detuned variation of the competition-proven 250 MM and featured two front-mounted distributors. Along with its race-bred engine, it has a type 513 gearbox with Porsche-type synchromesh, making this example, chassis 0429 GT, one of the first Ferrari road cars to benefit from this market improvement. This body possesses a number of distinguishing features and served as the original prototype for the production Boano-built 250 GTs. One of the most prominent details include the use of alloy in the doors, hood and trunk lid. There is an upswept kink in the beltline just behind the door and there is a ridge atop the front fenders. It was originally finished in gray with a red section on the roof, over a green leather interior.

In 1956, the car was put on display as a Pinin Farina show car at the Geneva Motor Show. After the event, it was sold to its first owner, Roberto Federici in Rome, Italy. Sometime later, Giorgio di Sant'Andrea of Milan acquired the Ferrari and, in 1959, it was exported to the US.

When this Berlientta arrived in the US, it was repainted green with the egg crate grille finished in metallic gold. In 1960, George Inouye of Los Angeles, California, purchased the car through the Pacific Finance Company. Two years later, he sold it to the Samson Auto Salvage, an automotive wholesaler. In September of that year, it was acquired by Edwin K. Niles for the sum of $2,700 and registered it on yellow California plates. In June of 1963, it was acquired by Antonio Nuccio. After painting the car red and dying the original upholstery black, Mr. Nuccio ran short of funds and his newly acquired Berlinetta was repossessed and subsequently sold to Samson Auto Salvage. For $200 less than his previous purchase price, Mr. Niles bought the car again. In 1964, the car was advertised in Road & Track and the Los Angeles times before being bought by Dave Sheriff of Altadena in February of 1965.

For the next quarter-of-a-century, the car disappeared. When it finally reappeared, it was in the care of Steve Barney in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1981, it was sold to Paul and Dorre Tavilla of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In 1995, it was purchased by Tokyo resident Mr. Nakao. In 2000, it returned to Southern California and sold to its current caretaker.

The car is a prototype and former Geneva show car, a repeated Platinum Award winner and a four-time Mille Miglia storica veteran. It has been certified by the Ferrari Classiche program with a carefully documented history.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction where it was estimated to sell for $ 650000-$800000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $715000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0625 GT
Engine number: 0625GT

This is a steel-bodied 250 GT Boano, chassis number 0625 GT. It was sold new in 1956 to Ettore Contini in Italy. A year later, ownership was transferred to Swedish Ferrari importer. By the summer of 1965, it had passed into the care of Swede Bjorn Colliander, who eventually exported the car to his residence in the United States. It was eventually given a thorough restoration in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, it crossed the United States to California, where it was acquired by its current owner in the fall of 1993. Since then, it has been used and shown extensively, including the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the 2000 Concorso Italiano. It has been driven on the California Mille and the Tour Auto in France.

Modern safety has been fitted to the car, including a roll bar and a quick-access outside fuel filler cap.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0529GT

This Ferrari 250 GT Low Roof Coupe was built by Mario Boano for Ferrari and raced only once at Caracas, Venezuela, in 1956. It is one of 17 alloy bodied 250 GT Boano's built in 1956 and was delivered to Mario Pasquini Raspolli direct from the Ferrari factory. After its brief racing career it was discovered in very poor condition having languished in a ravine in Venezuela for over 25 years. Its current owner bought the car in 2007 and began what has been called 'the mother of all restorations.' After seven years of work in January 2015, the owner raced the car with its original Venezuelan race number 87 at the Cavallino Classic Competition at Palm Beach International Raceway and finished 3rd in class and was also awarded the Spirit Cup for his achievement in bringing this rare Ferrari back to life.

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0543GT
Engine number: 0543GT

Around 64 examples of the low-roof Boanos were created before the production facility was passed to Mario-Felice Boano's son-in-law, Ezio Ellena. The vehicles that followed, approximately 50 examples, are known as 'Ellenas'.

The Boano vehicles had style coupled with many creature comforts not found on other 250 GT vehicles produced during the same era, such as the Tour de France Ferraris. They had ground-pounding performance and excellent handling. A few were even used in competition.

This example is chassis number 0543 GT. Since new, it has been treated to a restoration that brought it back to its original condition. It has a black exterior with chrome accents, and a tan leather interior.

This Ferrari 250 GT Boano with chassis number 0543GT was the 56th one created of its type. It is a left hand drive vehicle with a low-roof coupe bodystyle. In 2007 this 250 GT Boano was brought to the Gooding & Company auction where it was estimated to sell for $600,000 - $700,000. As the gavel fell for the third in final time, bidding had not reached the value needed to satisfy the car's reserve; the lot remained unsold.

The following year it was on the upper concours lawn at the Cavallino Classic.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0527GT

There were 63 'Boano' produced and characterized by their low roof line. These were built by Carrozzeria Boano. By the close of 1957 Mario Boano left his company to his son-in-law Ezio Ellena who took over with old partner Luciano Pollo. Boano left to set up Fiat's styling department. The Ferrari 250 GT 'Ellena' Series were characterized by their 'high-roof' lines coupes, except for the first eight with serial numbers 0679 to 0697. These continued on Boano's low roofline with vent windows.

Under the hood was a Colombo-designed V12 engine in three-liter size capable of producing horsepower ranging from 250 and 290 depending on its specifications. The superior performance of the Ferrari was complimented by its luxurious interior which provided adequate room for its occupants while the trunk provided suitable room for luggage. Zero-to-sixty took under six seconds while top speeds of up to 157 mph, depending on engine and gearing, could be achieved.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano with chassis number 0527GT is a left-hand drive, all alloy, low roof coupe. The vehicle's first owner was Vittorio de Micheli who participated in a 1956 hillclimb with the vehicle. The history disappears for a number of years before being brought to the US where it was offered for sale during the early 1990s. In 2002, while in the possession of Lucaiano Bertolero, the car was treated to a restoration where it was given a dark blue finish with a silver roof. The cosmetic restoration had been performed by Mario Galbiatti.

by Dan Vaughan

Chassis number: 0533GT

- May 1956 Factory completion date

- May 6, 1956 Certificate of orgin issued

- August 20, 156 Sold by Ferrari to first owner Giuliana Guerrazzi, residing in Torino, Italy. The price paid was Italian Lire 5,500,000. (Guerrazzi was the mother of Sergio Der Stephanian who was a factory test driver and who was killed May 11, 1958 in a 250 GT LWB Tour de France #0907 GT in practice for the Targa Florio).

- September 7, 1956 Registred on Italian license plates of Torino 'TO 214343'

- May 11, 1957 Raced in the XXIV Mille Miglia by Sergio Der Stephanian on race $415, placed 69 OA.

- July 24, 1958 Sold by Carlo Maglio, procurator of Giuliana Guerrazzi, to second owner C.R.E.A. S.p.A. (Construzione Riordine Esercizio Acquadotti Societa per Azioni), resident at Via Viotti 1 in Torino, Italy who paid Italian Lire 1,800,000.

- July 29, 1958 due to the loss of the former license plates new license plates were issued and the car was re-registered in Torino on 'TO 263441'

- March 13, 1959 Sold by C.R.E.A. S.p.A. to third owner Stradella Industria Caffe of Michelangelo Ferri, resident at Via Cosmno 17 bis in Torino, Italy, price paid was Italian Lire 500,000.

1959 Exported from Italy, probably to France.

1962 for sale through charles Pozzi SA in Paris, France.

1962 Sold to a German engineer living in France.

1964 Crashed near Toulouse/France, car was rolled.

1964 The damaged Boano was then sold to a Mr. Cole in Perpignan, France.

He had the car poorly repaired, the engine was damaged or blown up by some mechanics.

1970 Sold to Jean-Claude Senges, France. At that time Senges also owned Ellena #0695 GT and used the paperwork of 0533 GT to import 0695 GT from Belgium to France.

Senges had the steering box removed and installed the one of Ellena chassis #0695GT (dated 19 August 1957) in 0533GT.

1970-1976 Still owned by Senges in France.

1976 Sold by Senges to a Mr. Maubert, residing in Paris France. Completely restored back to original condition with mechanicals done by Vergottini and body by Leonard. Following Maubert's death his son sold 0533 GT to a garage in Aix-en-Provence, France, for French Francs FF 600,000.

Nover 11, 1989 sold at the Orion Solo Ferrari auction in Monaco, Lot #9, to Bernard Merian in Nice, France, who paid French Francs 3,300,000 (US $584,210). The car was light blue metallic with blue leather, all alloy body, low roof, and engine 0533GT at the time. The catalogue incorrectly described the car as chassis #0695 GT.

1989 registered on French license plates '4088 WR 06'.

1989 stored by Merian at the Musee de l'Automobiliste of Mougins, France.

October 3, 2005 inspected by Marcel Massini at the Musee de l'Automobiliste at Mougins near Nice, France. Fitted with a steering box dated 19 August 1957 (possibly coming from chassis #0695GT), wrong chassis plate (probably replacement), windscreen Securit dated 4 August 1955, windscreen too short on both sides and A-pillars (frame) enlarged to accomodate the windscreen (metal piece under the join placed betewen the rubber and over the windshield on the vertical side of the windshield), wrong exhaust tips, three Weber carburetors type 36 DC/3 #70, 73, 77, chassis number 0533GT overstamped (enhanced) with the fonts for the four digits incorrect but suffix 'GT' correct and original and authentic, three-ear knock-offs instead of two-ear knock-offs, fitted with 185 S-16 Radial tires, yellow Marchal headlights for France.

by Ferrari

Convertible by Boano
Chassis number: 0461 GT

First seen at the Paris Auto Show in 1954, the 250 GT Coupe was Ferrari's first production model specifically designed for the road. This 250 GT, completed in 1955, was delivered to the newly formed Carrozzeria Boano in Grugliasco just outside Turin. It was the first Ferrari to be built by Mario Boano - and featured one of the most striking, sporting flamboyant fins and large chrome bumpers, which were popular at the time. The finished car was shown by Boano at the 1956 Geneva and Turin Motor Shows, then made a final public appearance at the New York Auto Show where it was noticed by the renowned collector Robert M. Lee. After much discussion with Ferrari's American distributor, Luigi Chinetti, and approval from Enzo Ferrari himself, Bob did eventually acquire the car, and it has remained in his collection ever since.

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0613 GT
Engine number: 0613 GT

There were between 68 to 80 Boano-bodied Ferrari GT Coupes produced, including the prototypes and pre-production cars. However, it is known that 14 examples were all-alloy bodied cars, including this Boano bodied car with chassis number 0613 GT. It is a well-documented car and an original left-hand-drive car that was complete don January 22nd of 1957, and delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York City, where it was sold new to George Arents. In 1958, it was sold by Arents via Chinetti to Bob Grossman of Nyack, New York. Len Potter purchased the car in 1958, and raced it that October at Lime Rock and two months later at the Bahamas Speed Week with Grossman, where it earned a class win and a 3rd Place podium. The following year, Grossman raced 0613 GT at Lime Rock.

It was shipped to England in 1960 and into the care of David Walker of Hampshire, who registered it on English plates in 1964. In the 1980s, it was owned by Jack Bruce of Guildford, Surrey. During 1982, ownership passed to Angus Graham of Reading, Berkshire, and then in 1984-1985, it was completely restored.

Around 1986 it was sold to Shuuichi Ibuki of Nara, Japan. It returned to the United States in the early 2000s and passed through several California owners before Victor Preisler acquired it and treated it to a compressive detailing. The work was rewarded with a Gold (in Class 4) at the 2004 FCA International Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California. In 2007, it became the property of Lee Pillsbury, who drove it on the Colorado Grand that year and showed it at the Cavallino Classic in 2008. The current owner acquired it in 2012. It has since been displayed at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, in August 2013 and on multiple editions of the California Mille and Colorado Grand, where it performed without fault.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0609GT
Engine number: 0609GT

The Pinin Farina-designed Ferrari 250 Europa GT debuted at the 1954 Paris Motor Show, where it officially launched spec car builder Ferrari into the world of low volume production cars. The demand for the 250 GT came so feverishly that Pinin Farina could not keep pace, so they called on design house Carrozzeria Boano. Boano built sixty 250 GT's in both steel and aluminum and all with a slightly lower roof line than the cars manufactured by Pinin Farina. When Mario Felice Boano moved on to FIAT, the design house was taken over by employee Ezio Ellena, who elevated the roofline back to original specifications.

This Ferrari 250 GT low-roof Boano-bodied coupe is approximately the 52nd of 88 examples built. The coachwork was done in lightweight alloy and is believed to be one of a few (possibly a dozen) such alloy-bodied Boanos.

This 250 GT was fitted with a 3-liter 128B motor that had a 2,953cc displacement size and offered 240 horsepower. It has a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.

The first owner of record was Luciano Pacini of Rome who took delivery in April of 1957. It was given registration tags 'Roma 286041' and purchased in December of 1957 by the Societa Immobiliare Agricola Rifugio, and the car continued to reside in Rome for the next three years. In February of 1960, it was acquired by Giuseppe Casagrande of Naples, Italy. Its history from that point until the 1980s is not fully known. In the 1980s it was acquired by Hans Thulin of Sweden. In 1989, it was auctioned off in Monaco, and was soon acquired by Robert Beachem of England. A short time later, it was given a restoration by Colin Clarke Engineering of London.

It passed to John Collins' Talacrest Ltd., and was sold in July of 1997 to Robert Korastinsky, an American residing in Basel, Switzerland. It was registered on Swiss license plates in August 1998. It was entered in the Mille Miglia Storica in May of 2002, but did not start the race.

At some point, the car was transported to Germany.

In August of 2012, it was sold to Mario Bernardi of Hannover, who conducted a mechanical restoration during January of 2013.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0613 GT
Engine number: 0613 GT

There were between 68-80 Boano-bodied Ferrari GT Coupes produced, including the prototypes and pre-production cars. Among those, a mere 14 examples were built utilizing all alloy bodies. This car, chassis number 0613, is one of them.

This well documented car is a left-hand drive model that was completed on January 22, 1957. Originally delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York City, it was sold to Arents via Chinetti to Bob Grossman of Nyack, New York. the car would then be sold to Len Potter in 1958 and raced at Lime Rock and the Bahama Speed Week, Where it earned a class win and a 3rd place overall podium finish.

Around 1986 it was sold to a gentleman in Japan and returned to the United States in the early 2000's where it received a comprehensive detailing.

Coupe by Boano
Chassis number: 0553GT

Ferrari 250 GT with chassis number 0553GT is a Low Roof example by Boano, and is one of just 14 alloy-bodied coupes produced by Carrozzeria Boano between 1956 and 1958.

The Pinin Farina-designed 250 Europa debuted in Paris in 1954 and would become Ferrari's first true production model, laying the foundation for all future Ferrari 250 models. Pinin Farina designed the second series 250 Europa GT, but at the time, they were in the process of building a new, much larger production facility and were unable to construct the larger quantities of cars that Ferrari was requesting. So the coachbuilding contract for the 250 GT was assigned to the newly established Carrozzeria Boano, headed by the former chief of Carrozzeria Ghia, Mario Felice Boano.

Boano was tasked with replicating Pinin Farina's coupe concept in production form, which they did perfectly with the exception of removing one of Farina's styling signatures - the 'aggressive' haunch over the rear wheels - and replacing it with a lower beltline. Approximately 68 to 80 of these 'low roof' coupes were built over a two-year production lifespan, and most received steel coachwork. The aluminum alloy coachwork was much lighter than the steel bodywork and complimented the 229 horsepower, 3.0-liter 'Colombo' V-12 engine.

by Dan Vaughan

The Boano and Ellena coupes of the late 1950s are considered the first series-built Grand Touring cars produced by Ferrari. These 250GT-based cars were designed by Pinin Farina and made their debut at the March 1956 Geneva Auto Show. The first 250GT completed was chassis number 0429GT.

Pinin Farin did not have the capacity for series production at the time, and after just eight units were produced in the mid-1956, 250GT production was transferred to Carrozzeria Boano. The Boano built cars have a low-profile roofline, and a total of sixty examples were produced by Boano between 1956 and 1957. As 1957 came to a close, Mario Boano accepted an offer to set up Fiat's styling department. The 250GT production was taken over by his son-in-law Ezio Ellena and Boano's former partner, Luciano Pollo.

A further sixty examples were created by Ellena, and these cars are often referred to as Ellena Coupes. Subsequent to the first eight Ellena-built examples, the remainder of 250 GT Ellena production featured a taller roofline.

As would be expected from a low-production car, they were very expensive, priced from $10,975. They had many improvements over the previous Europa GT models, including increased luggage and passenger area. The Colombo-designed V-12 engine displaced 3.0-liters and produced between 220 and 240 horsepower depending on its speciation. Zero-to-sixty was achieved in just 5.9 seconds with a top speed ranging from 127 to 157 miles per hour depending on the final drive selected.

The mechanical specifications were very similar to those used on Ferrari's contemporary GT racing car, the Tour de France Berlinetta.

by Dan Vaughan

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

Ferrari's were custom-built cars built in exclusive quantities. Ferrari provided the engine and chassis while Italian coachbuilders provided the body. This meant the specifications varied. Engines also varied in horsepower rating, torque, and displacement. This was no different for the 250 GT which saw many different variations in body style and body types.

Ferrari built the road-going Ferrari's to fuel his passion for racing. Many of the vehicles he built for the road had a competition model. That is, a modified version of the road-going model. An example of this was the 1959 short-wheelbase (SWB) Berlinetta (Berlinetta which means coupe) and given an aluminum body. It was debuted in October 1959 at the Paris Salon. GT cars were road-legal vehicles that could also be taken to the track and compete without the need for modifications. Although this was their purpose, Ferrari realized that many customers would not race their vehicle, but rather wanted the power and performance that sports cars offered. To comply, Ferrari built these cars to be powerful and luxurious. The vehicles could still be run on the track, mostly requiring the adoption of stickers and complying with any safety requirements.

The 250 road-going vehicles mostly shared two-wheelbase sizes, a 2400 mm and 2600 mm. The 2400 wheelbase were referred to as the SWB (Short wheelbase) while the other was the LWB (long wheelbase).

The base engine was a Colombo 60-degree, single-over-head cam, 'vee' type 12-cylinder, with aluminum alloy block and heads, and cast-iron cylinder liners. The displacement was 180 cubic inches (2953 cc). Horsepower production was around 220-260. The front suspension was independent with double wishbones and coil springs. The rear suspension was a live axle.

The first 250 introduced was the 250S and available in either Berlinetta or spider configuration. Introduced in 1952, they were powered by a 3-liter Colombo engine producing about 230 horsepower.

At the 1953 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari introduced the 250 Europa and Export. These were the only models in the series that were powered by a Lampredi v-12 engine also seen in Formula 1. The 250 Export had a 2400 MM wheelbase, similar to the 250 MM. The 250 Europa had a larger, 2800 mm wheelbase which allowed more interior room. During their short production lifespan, only 18 examples were produced. Pininfarina and Vignale were tasked with creating the coachwork.

In 1954 four specialty-built 250 Monza were built for racing. They shared many similarities with the 750 Monza's, but were equipped with the 3-liter Colombo engine.

At the 1957 Geneva auto show, Ferrari displayed their 250 GT Cabriolet. Coachwork was courtesy of Pininfarina; the wheelbase was 2600 mm in size. In 1959 the second in the 250 GT Cabriolet series production began after only 36 examples being produced.

From 1957 through 1959 Ferrari produced the 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF). The name had been given for the 10-day automobile race. Originally the engine produced 240 horsepower but was later modified to 260 horsepower. Carrozzeria Scaglietti was responsible for creating the bodies based on Pinin Farina's design.

Scaglietti was responsible for constructing the 1957 250 GT California Spyder. These sat atop a long, 2600 mm chassis, and aluminum was used throughout the body in an effort to reduce the overall weight. In total, around 45 examples were created before they were replaced by the SWB version in 1960.

There were 250 examples of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB produced. Production began in 1959 and used the shortened, sportier wheelbase. Giotto Bizzarrini, Carlo Chiti, and Mauro Forghieri were responsible for the development. Some were built for racing while others were meant for daily transportation. Horsepower ranged from 240 to 280. Steel or aluminum bodies were used. The steel bodies were suited for the road-going vehicles, also known as Lusso. The racing trim vehicles were powerful and had low weight. They were very competitive and are regarded as the most important GT racers of their time. In 1961 the SWB Berlinetta captured the GT class of the Constructor's Championship.

In 1960 a Scaglietti 250 GT Spyder California SWB was shown at the Geneva Motor Show. Built as a replacement for the LWB and based on the 250 GT SWB, around 55 examples were produced.

The Ferrari 250TR was produced from 1957 through 1958 during which only 19 examples were created. The 'pontoon' fender body was designed by Scaglietti and the power was supplied through a Colombo 12-cylinder engine mounted at a sixty-degree angle and outfitted with six Weber 38 DCN carburetors. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. With 300 horsepower, the 800 kg vehicle was able to achieve a 168 mph top speed. From 1958 through 1961, the 250 TR was entered in 19 championship races where they emerged victorious ten times.

The 250 in 250 TR represented the unitary displacement while the TR was an acronym meaning Testa Rossa. Testa Rossa translates to 'red head' which referred to the color of the engine's cylinder head.

The 250 TR series was built to capture the world championship which was experiencing questionable times. During the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans a fatal accident occurred and the Commissione Sportiva Internazionale (CSI) began investigating ways to make the sport safer for the drivers and the spectators. Their efforts were escalated in 1967 when another fatal accident occurred at the 1957 Mille Miglia. The committee decided upon a displacement limit but they were in disagreement on the size; the proposed figures ranged from 3 to around 3.5 liters.

1958 was the introductory year for the new regulations, which had been announced during the latter part of 1957. Ferrari had been building, testing, and racing the 250 GT which had performed well during the 1957 Mille Miglia. The Colombo V12 260 horsepower engine received a larger bore, camshaft, and other improvements resulting in a 3.1-liter displacement and 320 horsepower. Testing continued throughout the 1957 season in both body configuration and mechanical components.

Ferrari had anticipated the new engine size regulations and thus had been sufficiently prepared to capture the world championship. Due to the potential of negative publicity caused by the fatal accidents, other manufacturers, such as Aston Martin, Lotus, Cooper and Jaguar, were hesitant to continue racing. Ferrari believed their closest competitor would be the powerful and technologically advanced Maserati 450 S which featured a quad-cam eight-cylinder engine.

Ferrari quickly began capturing victories during the 1958 season. The 250 TR was a solid vehicle thanks to the preparation and testing. The steel tubular ladder frame was of traditional Ferrari construction; a DeDion rear axle was used on the works racers. Customer cars were outfitted with a live axle. Drum brakes were placed on all four corners of the car. The engine had been modified to comply with regulations and to fit in the engine bay. In reality, the vehicle was an outdated car having only the benefit of proper planning and proven technology. Most cars featured disc brakes which provided superior stopping power. The Colombo engine dated back to the beginning of Ferrari and was antiquated in comparison to the modern power plants.

Nearing the close of the 1958 season, the competition began to rise. Aston Martin had a lethal combination, a 3 liter DBR1 racer and Stirling Moss as the driver. Even though the Aston Martins did score a victory at Nurburgring 1000 KM, Ferrari was able to capture the World Championship. The legendary Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien easily capture a third victory for Ferrari at the grueling 24 Hours of Lemans. The 250 TR works cars were referred to as TR58, to distinguish them from the customer TRs.

For the 1959 season, the vehicles received slight modifications which made the vehicle lighter and more powerful. The big news was the use of Dunlop disc brakes. The engine received coil valve springs and the horsepower increased slightly to 306. A Colotti-designed five-speed gearbox replaced the four-speed unit. Pininfarina was tasked with designing a new body and the construction was handled by Fantuzzi. As a result of the improvements, the name was changed to TR59. At their inaugural race, the TR59 finished first and second. This streak did not last and at the end of the season, it was Aston Martin who emerged as the world champion. The TR59 was plagued with reliability issues mostly due to the gearbox. The vehicles were forced to retire early from races, including Le Mans.

For the 1960 season, the TR was modified slightly to comply with new regulations and to rectify transmission issues. These vehicles are commonly referred to as the TR59/60. Aston Martin had withdrawn from the championship which left no factory opposition for Ferrari. Porsche and Maserati provided competition, especially at Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000 km where they scored victories. At Le Mans, Ferrari finished first and second and captured the world championship, beating Porsche by only four points.

For the 1961 season, Ferrari introduced the mid-engined 246 SP. The TRI61 was given a new spaceframe chassis and was able to capture victories at Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans. With victories between the 246 SP and the TRI61, Ferrari once again captured the world championship.

The CSI implemented stricter rules for the 1962 season which meant the TR was unable to score points for the factory. It was still allowed to race for the overall victory.

by Dan Vaughan