The Ferrari 250 Series of sports cars had an unrivaled record on race tracks throughout North American and Europe and swept the podiums at events ranging from the 12 Hours of Sebring to Italian hill climbs and 24 Hours of LeMans. The lightweight, rear-mid engined Ferrari 250 Le Mans, named in honor of the famous track where Ferrari had enjoyed success since 1960, was the company's 1964 entrant into sports car racing.

The history of the Ferrari 250 LM begins with the 250 GTO, whose competitors argued that it did not meet the homologation requirements that dictated 100 examples or more must be built. They were right of course, but Enzo Ferrari argued that the 250 GTO was a variant of the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, of which more than enough cars had been built. The argument worked, allowing the 250 GTO to race, where it earned many victories for the Scuderia Ferrari, and the many privateers who also campaigned the berlinetta.

By 1962, the 250 GTO was aging and a replacement was needed. Starting in 1961, Ferrari began experimenting with a new type of car with a mid-engine configuration. A series of V6 and V8 prototypes were constructed, and dubbed 'Dino' after Ferrari's late son. The early success convinced Enzo that he was on the right track. The new layout offered superior weight distribution, and by positioning the engine over the driving wheels, traction was greatly improved.

While development continued on the chassis, work continued on a variety of engines. The work was ultimately slowed by the infamous 'palace revolt,' where several of Ferrari's leading engineers left the company following a dispute over several issues. Enzo's character may have made him a difficult individual to work for, it was also responsible for a large part of his success.

After Enzo learned that one of the defectors, Ing. Carlo Chiti, was developing a V8 engine for ATS, he immediately put a halt to Ferrari's V8 project, and instead refocused his efforts on the tried-and-true Colombo-designed single overhead cam V12. The result was the 250P, incorporating a rear mounted transaxle and a dry sump version of the V12 engine. It was given front-mounted oil and coolant radiators, and four of the chassis tubes were used as coolant and oil lines.

Among the many accolades of the 250P was a victory at LeMans in 1963, driven by Scarfiotti and Bandini. The second place went to a Ferrari 250 GTO, and third to another 250P, earning Ferrari a 1-2-3 dominant finish. 4th, 5th, and 6th place also went to V12 powered Ferraris (a 250 GTO in fourth, a 330LMB in fifth, and a 250GTO/LMB in 6th).

The Ferrari 250 GTO had demonstrated it was still a fierce competitor by finishing 2nd at LeMans in 1963, it was time to be replaced. Enzo's solution was to put a roof on the 250P. Pininfarina was tasked with converting the 250P into a berlinetta that could be homologated to race in the GT class. The 250 Lm made its official debut in 1963 at the Paris Motorshow, however the production version was not ready until 1964. The main differences between the prototype example shown at Paris and the production versions were the engine displacement.

Once again, Enzo tried to convince the FIA that the new 250 LM was a variant of the 250 GTO. The Ferrari traditional naming scheme, until the early 1990s, followed a three-number formula based on the engine displacement and the number of cylinders. For V12 powered cars, the name was based on the displacement (in cubic centimeters) of one cylinder. Nearly all of the Ferrari 250 cars shared the same Colombo Tipo 125 V12 engine with 2953cc displacement (250cc per cylinder). All but the first prototype 250 LM cars were fitted with the 3.3-liter (275cc per cylinder) version of the Colombo V12, and thus - by Ferrari convention, should have been called the 275 LM. Instead, Enzo hoped that by sticking with the '250' name, it would convince the FIA officials to homologate the 250LM for GT competition.

This time, the FIA officials were not convinced that the radically new sports car with its all new bodywork, rear engine and transaxle, was related to the GTO. The 250 LM was denied homologation status, and the cars were required to compete in the much more competitive prototype classes.

During the 1964 season, the 250 LM would be entered in over 50 races, within over a dozen of them outright, and earning numerous podium finishes along the way. It first major victory was in the Rheims 12 Hour Race on July 4th/5th of 1964. Maranello Concessionaires' 250 LM finished first, ahead of NART's sister car, and defeating the official Fords. Maranello Concessionaires' GTO also finished third to defeat the Cobras in the GT category. Notable victories and podium finishes include races at Snetterton, the Coppa Intereuropa, the Kyalami GP, and Elkhart Lake, driven by drivers that include Roy Salvadori, David Piper, Willy Mairesse, and Nino Vaccarelli. Chassis number 5893, entered by the North American Racing Team (NART) won the 1964 24 Hours of LeMans driven by Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory.

During the 250 LM's racing career, lasting from 1964 through 1967, they were raced by Scuderia Ferrari, NART, Maranello Concessionaires, Ecurie Filipinetti, Ecurie Francorchamps and others.

Enzo would make another attempt at having the cars homologated for GT competition, and was again denied. He tried to convince FIA officials that 100 examples had been built, with 47 examples resided in the United States. This was not true, as only 32 examples of the 250 LM were produced. The prototype was chassis number 5149, followed by a run of cars, ranging from S/N 5841 through S/N 6321, all made in 1964. Chassis number S/N 8165 was built in 1966. All of these cars were numbered with odd serial numbers.

Outraged by not having FIA homologation, Enzo announced he would withdraw from racing for the 1965 season. This left the 250 LM in a sort-of-limbo, as the factory needed 100 examples built to homologate it for racing, but privateers needed proof that the car was successful in competition. To get this success, the car needed to compete in the GT category. And to complete this chicken-and-egg scenario, the car had to be homologated.

Despite the low production numbers, the factory produced a full owner's manual and at least three distinct sales brochures for the 250 LM. It is not clear why this much effort was made, as it had not done for other models such as the 250 GT PF Cabriolet and Berlinetta Lusso. Perhaps it was a Herculean effort to trick FIA officials into allowing it to race? For whatever reason, the 250 LM was finally given its unqualified (only 32 examples built) homologation status in 1966. By this point in history, the 250 LM was no longer competitive in the GT class.

Although Enzo had threatened to stay out of competition for the 1965 season, he may have been rejuvenated by John Surtees winning the World Drivers' Championship in 1964, as the factory team was back in 1965.

The Ferrari 250 LM was not as successful as its predecessor, but it did have its share of victories and disappointments. 32 examples were built with one capturing the overall victory on one of the world's most grueling and competitive events - the 24 Hours of LeMans. Beginning with the 166 MM in 1949, Ferrari has won at Le Mans 9 times, with the N.A.R.T. entered 250 LM capturing Ferrari's last victory to date.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 6025

This 1965 Ferrari 250 LM Stradale was debuted by Pininfarina at the 1965 Geneva Motorshow. The white and blue stripes had been chosen to appeal to American consumers. By the close of the show, Pininfarina claimed they had received orders from customers to produce the car but this example was the only one to ever be created.

A few years prior, in 1963, the first 250 LM had made its official debut at the Paris Motorshow. Ferrari had attempted to homologate the vehicle for racing but was unsuccessful. Ferrari's struggle to homologate the 250 GT began in 1954 when their 250 LWB, meaning long wheelbase, had dominated the competition. This continued through 1959 with the introduction of the 250 SWB, meaning short wheelbase. In 1962 Ferrari introduced the 250 GTO and the legacy continued.

Many marques had begun using a mid-engined configuration during the 1950's but Ferrari was slow to change, not utilizing the design until 1961 with they introduced their F1 championship car, the 156. After ten years of the successful 250 GT series, Ferrari knew it needed to create a completely new car. Ferrari turned to their 250 P and began making modifications to comply with rules and regulations, most notably, the addition of a roof. The chassis was reinforced using a higher gauge of steel. As noted before, it first debuted in 1963 with a production version appearing in the following year. Little had changed from the prototype to the production version. The engine displacement had been changed; the 250 LM was given a GTO-derived 3-liter powerplant with the production cars receiving a 3.3-liter engine. In keeping with Ferrari naming traditions, the name should have been changed to the 275 LM to signify its larger displacement, but the name 250 LM persisted. The reasoning was to aid in homologation purposes; a completely new name would have ruined the changes because it would have signified a new vehicle.

The 250 GTO had avoided the 100 vehicle production homologation requirements by stating that it was a re-bodied 250 GT SWB. When Ferrari tried to homologate the 250 LM in 1964, their request was quickly refused by the FIA. The FIA did not agree with Ferrari that 100 examples could be produced. Undaunted, Enzo Ferrari continued development and production of the LMs. When all was said and done, only 32 examples were produced and the LM series never received homologation. This meant that it was only available for prototype class racing. Ferrari already had vehicles in the prototype class which easily outpaced the LM's. Miraculously, the 250 LM series scored ten victories in 1964. Five examples were entered a year later in the 24 Hours of LeMans by privateers, with the NART entrant winning the class followed a second place finish and a sixth place finish for the 250 LM. Part of their success was the demise of some of the stronger entries that were plagued with reliability issues.

This one-off creation with chassis number 6025 was created by Pininfarina as a road car. The wheelbase was lengthened to 2600 mm allowing more interior space for its occupants. This was untraditional for a Ferrari automobile since even their road-worthy cars were still intended to be raced. By expanding its wheelbase, Pininfarina was well on the way to producing a luxury automobile. Extra space was cut into the roof allowing more headroom for the passengers as they entered and exited the vehicle.

After its inaugural debut at the Paris Motor Show in 1965, Pininfarina had hoped for more interest in the car, but with only 16 solid requests, the idea to create this version of the 250 LM was abandoned. The 250 LM continued to be produced, amassing a total of 32 examples.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 6313

Ferrari 250 LM left the factory painted in red but was repainted to yellow in 1965. It is easily recognized by its two windshield wiper spindels.

It raced at the 1000km Monza but failed to finish. A month later it finished 8th overall at the 500km de Spa where it was piloted by Jean Claude Franck. At Nurberging it again failed to finish but would go on to place 2nd overall at LeMans. Following its impressive accomplishment at LeMans, it finished the season racing at the 12 Hours of Reims and the Angola Grand Prix.

In 1973 it had rear end damage after one of its tires blew out.

In the early 1980s, the car was given a restoration.

In more recent times, the car has raced in vintage competition, including the Goodwood Revival, Festival of Speed at Goodwood, the 2nd LeMans Classic, and Ferrari Historic competition.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 05893

While most of the attention at the 1965 24-Hour of Le Mans was focused on the 'factory' team entries of Ferrari and Ford, it was a privately entered one-year-old 3.3-liter V12 Ferrari 250 LM which caused a major upset by winning, when the favored entries encountered difficulties.

Entered by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team, American Masten Gregory partnered with future world champion Jochen Rindt of Austria for the unexpected win. The pair completed 347 laps of the 8.365 mile circuit, averaging 120.944 mph for the 24 hours.

This was the last occasion on which a Ferrari would win at Le Mans. In the years after its 1965 win, this 250 LM competed at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966 and 1968 and returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1969, before its final race at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970, where it finished seventh. Shortly after its final race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation acquired the Ferrari 250 LM.

1965 24 Hours of Le Mans: A Cool Head in the Face of a New Threat

Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 05893

Heading into the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans it had become clear Ford was intent on taking the fight to Ferrari. Ford would spare no expense to take the fight to the company it had intended to buy. Ironically, the North American Racing Team would enter a Ferrari that would include the talented Jochen Rindt to help quell the storm. It would prove to be the wall necessary to provide Ferrari its last victory at Le Mans.

Ford had made his declaration of intent to remove Ferrari from its throne as the best at Le Mans. Immediately, the program would set into motion and Ford would quickly build examples of their Mark IIs and the new GT40s. The team's manager would even be able to encourage teams that would normally enter Ferraris to switch and enter GT40s instead. It was clear Ferrari had a target on its back.

Ferrari, of course, still believed in their own superiority, but they didn't totally dismiss the threat. Between their 330 P2, 365 P2, 275 P2 and 250 LM Ferrari had reason to believe it had more than enough to withstand the threat coming from Ford. Ferrari knew they had the cars capable of taking the overall victory, but still, they needed the drivers capable of getting the absolute best out of the cars over the whole of 24 hours.

The SEFAC Ferrari SpA factory team would field cars filled with Italian drivers and one lone Brit. It would be an imposing lineup, but there would be other teams entering Ferraris. The threat to Ferrari's reign at Le Mans was coming from an American automotive giant. In spite of the threat there was more than one reason why Ferrari could be confident. However, Ford was throwing the full weight of his company's resources behind the effort of beating the team from Maranello. It seemed as though all of America was arrayed against Ferrari. But this wasn't so.

While Scuderia Filipinetti would be one of those teams that would be encouraged to enter GT40s instead of the normal Ferraris, North American Racing Team would muddy the waters more than a little bit.

George Arents and Jan de Vroom were wealthy gentleman racers and they would become interested in backing Luigi Chinetti to create the North American Racing Team. Interestingly, the team would be created with the intent of promoting Ferrari in America.

Heading into the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, NART wasn't about to abandon its reason for being and the team would then field two different Ferrari chassis for the French classic. One of those entries would be a Ferrari 365 P2 to be driven by Mexican Pedro Rodriguez and Nino Vaccarella. The second entry would be a 250 LM driven by Masten Gregory, Ed Hugus and one Jochen Rindt.

Jochen Rindt had come to drive in Formula 2 during the early 1960s and would become very successful very quickly. Rindt's victory in the 1964 London Trophy race would solidify his growing reputation. Rindt would then go on to take part in his first Formula One World Championship event in his home grand prix, the Austrian Grand Prix. Qualifying in a Formula 2 car, Rindt would be impressive taking the middle position in the fourth row of the grid. In spite of a steering problem that would end his race after 58 laps, Rindt's Formula One career was certainly on the rise.

Rindt's talent as a driver was more than evident. His car control was already becoming something fellow drivers, as well as fans, were recognizing. He was certainly great in short runs, when pushing a car to its absolute limits was absolutely necessary, but would that be a good talent to have in a 24 hour sportscar race? Those with NART would believe Rindt offered just what the team needed.

The threat from Ford would not be something Ferrari would overlook, especially not after practice and qualifying. Terrible winds and driving rain had put an end to the first practice session, but, when qualifying came around, the MkIIs would show their stuff. Chris Amon and Phil Hill would absolutely fly in qualifying in their Ford Mk II. Hill would absolutely destroy the lap record. The fastest time set in qualifying would be 3:33.000 and would be more than 5 seconds faster than the best lap turned by the SEFAC Ferrari SpA pairing of John Surtees and Ludovico Scarfiotti.

The first of the NART Ferraris would be the 365 P2 driven by Rodriguez and Vaccarella. Their best lap in qualifying would be 3:41.000, a full 8 seconds slower than the MkII of Amon and Hill. The second NART Ferrari of Rindt and Gregory would be a further almost 5 seconds slower in the P4.0 250 LM. This meant the number 21 Ferrari would start from 11th on the grid.

The race was certain to be a memorable one even before it began as a quiet ceremony prior to the start of the race led to reminders of the terrible event that had transpired at the circuit exactly ten years earlier.

As the cars lined up along the pit wall it was clear that the Ferrari 250LM of Rindt and Gregory would have an incredible uphill challenge ahead of them. They could just look up toward the Dunlop Curve and see the 10 others that qualified ahead of them. The task ahead of the three men looked all the more formidable when Bruce McLaren took the lead over his Ford sister-car driven by Chris Amon. McLaren would hold onto the lead for more than two hours and would be putting together a tremendous charge at the front. However, it wouldn't be long after the two hour mark that McLaren's race would take a terrible turn as his Ford would have just one gear. The car of Hill and Amon would already make a visit to the pits as a result of transmission troubles. It seemed clear the Ford threat was taking it on the chin and was showing signs of being close to going down.

The pairing of McLaren and Miles would lose its lead and would eventually fall out of the race entirely after almost 5 hours of racing. Another of those to have taken the lead was the Maserati Tipo 65 driven by Jo Siffert and Jochen Neerpasch. However, they would be one of the first out of the race following damage suffered from an accident sustained just past the 3 hour mark.

The second through sixth hours of the race would be absolutely terrible for the Ford threat. The Ford France GT40 driven by Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier would be the first to drop out of the race after their gearbox failed them just into the 2nd hour of the race. The Rob Walker Racing GT40 driven by Bob Bondurant and Umberto Maglioli would make it halfway through the 3rd hour but would retire with engine troubles. At the same time, the Scuderia Filipinetti GT40 of Herbert Muller and Ronnie Bucknum would retire with engine head gasket problems as well. Then came the GT40 of McLaren and Miles. Two more GT40s, including the car of Phil Hill and Chris Amon, would retire by the 9th hour of the race.

Throughout the early part of the race the 250 LM of Rindt and Gregory would be running well having made a great start. At the end of the first lap Rindt would be running extremely well in 4th place. However, after just crossing the line Rindt would let the more powerful Ferraris and Fords go on ahead of him. Though known for his absolute abandoned style of racing, Rindt was showing great patience early on and was letting the race come to him.

While the Fords were self-destructing, the Ferraris were also running into problems of their own. The Dino 166 P of Giancarlo Baghetti and Mario Casoni would retire after 2 hours as a result of a blown engine. The tachometer would reveal that Baghetti absolutely destroyed the engine. Two more Ferraris would be lost around the 9th and 10th hours of the race while the 250LM of Ecurie Francorchamps would make it just past the 12th hour of the race before clutch failure brought their race to a halt. Still, Ferrari would be out front and would look as formidable as ever heading into the early morning hours of Sunday, the 20th of June.

In the pre-dawn hours at Le Mans the number 21 car of Rindt and Gregory were not even amongst the top five, but they were still powering their way through the French countryside without much in the way of any problems. But all of this would change when light began to emerge the circuit from its darkness.

Rindt and Gregory had been a distance behind the main factory Ferraris. However, one by one the Ferraris began to run into trouble as well. The 275 P2 of Lorenzo Bandini and Giampiero Biscaldi would be the first of the next wave to run into trouble. Little past 17 hours the engine on the car would begin to struggle and would lead to the eventual retirement of the car. During the next hour the 330 P2 of John Surtees and Scarfiotti, a car that had led a good deal of the time, would come to struggle with clutch and gearbox problems. Finally they too would fall by the wayside. Mike Parkes had been in the lead of the race during the nighttime hours and was certainly in a strong position with Surtees and Bandini out of the race. However, that 330 P2 would also run into battery problems that would lead to its eventual retirement heading into the final hour of the race.

The troubles experienced by the factory Ferraris would enable the private entry of Pierre Dumay and Gustave Gosselin to take over the lead of the race in their own Ferrari 250LM. They would be in a strong position holding onto a 2 lap lead over Rindt and Gregory in their 250LM.

The race had dwindled down to just a little more than the length of a Formula One race. This was Rindt's territory. And, despite having already raced for more than 20 hours Rindt would increase the pace until he would get the two laps back from Dumay and would actually come all the way around to threaten for the outright lead. It was clear Rindt's pace was proving more than Dumay could handle.

The talented Gregory partnered with Rindt was certainly more than most could bear. In the case of Dumay and Gosselin, these two would have no chance. The sun would be shining brightly and would shine down upon an intense battle between Dumay/Gosselin and Rindt/Gregory for the lead.

In spite of Rindt's and Gregory's pace, the last half of the race would be a game of catch-up as niggling issues caused the pairing to suffer from a couple of long stops that dropped them well back of the Ferrari of Dumay and Gosselin that had been running nearly without a problem at all.

One of those nagging problems caused the number 21 Ferrari to fall more than a couple of laps behind Dumay's Ferrari. However, because of the sheer pace and talent of Gregory and Rindt those two laps had been overcome and the out-right lead of the race became a possibility. However, just as the two closed the distance another frustrating issue would arise that would lead to the car suffering another long pitstop. By the time the car emerged back on track the possibility of racing for the lead would be gone and a deficit of over 2 laps was again the debt the two men faced.

It seemed the Dumay Ferrari, consisting of a relatively unknown driver pairing, would be in the lead and would look certain to be on its way to victory. However, the race was far from over.

One thing that would mark Jochen Rindt's career was his apparent lack of providence. Often faced with underachieving or unreliable cars throughout his Formula One career, Rindt would always be impressive with his speed and car control. But, even though he would be considered one of the best drivers in the world, the unreliability of his chosen cars would often fail to adequately reflect his talent. However, on the 20th of June, in a race where reliability was of utmost importance, it would be Rindt that would seem to have providence on his side compared to his competitors.

The number 26 Ferrari of Dumay and Gosselin would have their seemingly perfect race come all apart. While flying down the Mulsanne at top speed Gosselin would have a tire puncture that would lead to the tire absolutely shredding itself apart causing a great deal of damage to the rear of the car.

In spite of the puncture, Gosselin would keep his head and car under control and would make his way back to the pits, albeit at a much slower pace. By the time Gosselin even made it back to the pits the seemingly insurmountable lead he enjoyed was fast disappearing. After replacing the tire and working on the bodywork a little bit the car would return to the fray having a lead of only a handful of seconds over the number 21 Ferrari.

Things would go from perfect to wrong in the matter of minutes for the Ferrari of Dumay and Gosselin as the number 26 Ferrari would return to the pits for another long stop. This would allow Rindt and Gregory to take over the lead of the race and build up a nice advantage of their own.

Heading into the final hour of the race, Gregory and Rindt would be averaging a speed more than 2mph faster than that of Dumay and Gosselin. Because of the lengthy second stop that gave Rindt and Gregory the lead, the two NART drivers would have an advantage of more than 4 laps and would only continue to grow heading into the final half hour of the race.

Although Dumay had taken on the factory efforts and had been the one to come out the better, it would be Rindt and Gregory that would have more than 5 laps in hand heading into the final lap of the race. Heading around, the car would be flanked by others in the Le Mans tradition of being with the winner at the finish.

It would be an incredible race for Rindt and Gregory. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a balancing act of speed and endurance. Rindt and Gregory were certainly known to have the speed. The only question that remained was 'did they also have the reliability'? They would prove the answer to this question to be a resounding 'yes'. It would be a victory handed to them late, but it would be a victory nonetheless well earned by the pairing. What's more the victory would prove to be the last for Ferrari overall at Le Mans.

Therefore, when Ferrari needed someone strong enough to weather the storm blowing in from Ford it would be Jochen Rindt that would prove to be the element Ferrari needed to keep from its reign of dominance from being blown away.

Sources:

'1965 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors', 24 Heures du Mans.

'Le Mans 24 Hours', Racing Sports Cars.

Triumph Spitfire—1965 Le Mans 24 Hrs (19th June 1965). YouTube Video. (1965).

'1964 World Drivers Championship', 1965 World Drivers Championship.

'Le Mans 24 Hours 1965', Sportscars.tv. .

Wikipedia contributors, 'Jochen Rindt', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 March 2013, 04:48 UTC,

by Jeremy McMullen

Coupe by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 6217

Enzo Ferrari tried once too often. Subterfuge, and perhaps a good dinner with vino concealing vertias, persuaded CSI officials to homologate the rule-bending front-engined 250 GTO in the Gran Turismo category for 1962, despite only 39 of the required 100 cars having been built. The subterfuge involved giving the 250 GTO odd serial numbers (Ferrari competition cars were serialed evenly), a ruse Enzo used again with the GTO's successor rear-engine 250 LM for the 1965 season. This time, his submission months past the deadline and production massively below required minimum, he was summarily turned down. in addition to the CSI following the 'fool me twice' doctrine, officials had been subjected to a vociferous protest by Carroll Shelby, who knew the build numbers of the GTO, as did the Ford Motor Company. Enzo Ferrari's rage was beautiful to behold but he knew he had lost.

Placed in the prototype class that was the province of Ferrari's faster 365 series of cars, Enzo declined to race the 250 LM in 1965. Independents took over. Divine salvation arrived at Le Mans from U.S. Ferrari distributor Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART). In expectation of the race being a pointless exercise in their un-competition LM, veteran Masten Gregory and hotshot newcomer Jochen Rindt decided to drive absolutely flat out until the car broke to amuse themselves. As faster prototypes, including the Ford GT-40 in its maiden effort, retired, the incredulous Gregory-Rindt pair worked up the leader board, ultimately passing another LM to take the checkered flag.

In 1966, GT class homologation build minimums were slashed to 50 by CSI officials. Both Ford's GT-40 and Ferrari's 250 LM were no Gran Turismo class competitors. Ford ultimately would produce twice that many GT-40s, Ferrari's beautifully sculpted LM (Scaglietti built to Pininfarina design) wouldn't come close. Ford dominated Le Mans for the next two years, of course, while the 250 LM performed admirably on several continents courtesy of the independents.

This car was purchased new by Italian Hillclimb champ Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi in original Scaglietti 'short nose' form, and went on to win 7 consecutive hillclimbs in 1965. A small crash later in 1965 at Coppa Cantoni damaged the nose, and Lualdi-Gabardi had Pierre Drogo fit 6217 with a 'long nose' and continued to race. 6217 arrived in 2005 at the Collier Collection following many years with several important collections.

Ferrari's unstoppable 250 GTO racer, with its brutal performance and beautiful lines, was replaced by the 250 LM. Though the LM, too, was a great looker with formidable capabilities on the track, it was a wholly different vehicle from the GTO. While the GTO followed the storied Ferrari tradition of stuffing twelve cylinders between the front fenders, the LM had its V12 mounted amidships.

Placing the engine behind the driver was a predictable move. More and more successful racing cars were using mid-engined configurations by 1964, the year that the 250 LM first competed. Ferrari itself had already experienced notable success with mid-engined cars, and the company chose its 250 P as the foundation for the 250 LM. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963, the first and third spots on the winners' podium were filled by 250 Ps. The 250 P's competition success would be continued by the 250 LM.

First shown at the Paris Salon of 1963, the 250 LM resembled a 250 P with an added roof. The LM had a tubular chassis built by Vaccari of Modena. The chassis was similar to the unit used for the 250 P, although the tubing surrounding the cabin was made sturdier to compensate for the LM's heavy doors and low sills. Suspension was carried over from the 250 P, and consisted of double wishbones and coil springs front and rear. The Paris show car's engine was also carried over from the 250 P (and the 250 GTO). It was a 60-degree V12 of 2,953cc, producing 300bhp at 7,500rpm and topped by a sextet of Webers. The show car's engine was replaced by a bored-out motor of similar design but displacing 3,286cc when the 250 LM went into production for 1964, providing an additional 20bhp.

With a superlatively sporty body shell penned by Pininfarina and constructed in aluminum by Scaglietti, the 250 LM looked like it was born for the racetrack. Indeed, the 250 LM was born for the racetrack, which led to serious problems when Ferrari attempted to homologate the car for racing.

FIA rules stated that 100 copies of a car must be produced in order to qualify that vehicle for GT racing. Ferrari had somehow managed to qualify its 250 GTO, of which only 37 were produced, for GT competition by claiming that it was simply a rebodied 250 SWB. The FIA was not going to fall for such shenanigans again, though. Ferrari was only able to produce 32 copies of its 250 LM, so the vehicle was refused status as a GT car and forced to compete in the prototype class. This was a problem. Ferrari had intended for the 250 LM to be a GT racer just like the 250 GTO before it, but now its mid-engined car would be pinned against ferocious competition in a class without boundaries.

This turn of fate ensured that the 250 LM would not have the same monumental career as the GTO. The LM did not exactly languish in the prototype class, though. Victories at Kyalami, Rheims, and Elkhart Lake were all accomplished in 1964. In 1965, the 250 LM won Ferrari its last overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

That the 250 LM was able to find success even in the prototype class was proof of Ferrari's engineering excellence. The LM, produced by a company under the direction of a fearless and often ruthless leader, was the product of an unstoppable desire to go faster and an indefatigable drive to win.

Sources:

'Ferrari 250 LM.' QV500.com n. pag. Web. 27 Jan 2010.

Melissen, Wouter. '1963-1966 Ferrari 250 LM.' Ultimatecarpage.com (2005): Web. 27 Jan 2010.

by Evan Acuña

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