1953 Ferrari 340 MM

The Ferrari 340 and 375 MM were produced in 1953. The engine was an Aurelio Lampredi designed, naturally aspirated, 4.5 liter V12. The cylinder block and heads were cast from light alloy, a metal that was strong but lightweight.

The Lampredi engine, producing 375 horsepower, was first fitted into a 375 F1 and prepared for the 1951 Formula One season. The engines produced by Alfa Romeo were far superior, producing more horsepower and ultimately winning Alfa Romeo the championship. The Lampredi, though underpowered, was a strong contender due to its lightweight and fuel efficiency.

Rule changes in 1952 left the Lampredi engine obsolete for Grand Prix racing. This was the end for these engines in Grand Prix racing, but the start of their road-going career. Ferrari created a limited number of vehicles powered by the Lampredi engine, dubbed the 340 and 375 MMs. The first of these vehicles were outfitted with the Tipo 102 engine configuration, the same that had been used in the Grand Prix cars. These were powerful but fairly unreliable. To correct this issue, the bore and stroke were changed slightly, the result was the Tipo 108.

Pinin Farina was tasked with creating the coachwork for 26 of the 375 MMs, the most common configurations were the Berlinetta and Spyder. Most of the 340 and 375 MM vehicles were actively raced in the 1950's by their owners.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: 0350 AM
Engine number: 0350 AM

The 340 America and 340 Mexico were followed by the ultimate 340 variant - the MM. Fitted with magneto ignition, four-choke Weber carburetors, a four-speed synchromesh gearbox and a ZF limited-slip differential, the 340 MM was designed specifically to dominate long-distance road events like the Mille Miglia. Scuderia Ferrari won the 1953 Mille Miglia with 340 MMs dominating the 575-car field, finishing, 1st, 4th and 9th. Villoresi won the Tour of Sicily, Hawthorn won at Silverstone and Ascari won at the Nurburgring 1,000 km with a specially prepared 4.5-liter version.

In total, Ferrari built just 10 examples of the 340 MM before it was replaced by the 4.5-liter 375 MM.

Californian Sterling Edwards had been inspired by a Pinin farina-designed Cisitalia while skiing in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Upon returning to the states, he began work on his own sports car. By 1950, he had created the Edwards R-26. It had a tubular chassis designed by Phil Remington, lightweight bodywork built by Emil Diedt and powered by a Ford V-8. By the close of the 1952 racing season, Edwards realized that his custom-made special was in need of a replacement. For the 1953 season, he purchased a Jaguar C-Type. He later went seeking a Ferrari. He approached North American distributor Luigi Chinetta and ordered a 340 MM, the most powerful Ferrari available. The price for the 340 MM, including transportation to San Francisco, was a staggering $18,000, three times the asking price of a new C-Type.

The example Edwards purchased was 0350MM, the last of the ten 340 MM chassis. The car was constructed in June of 1953 and incorporated subtle suspension and driveline improvements developed from experiences at endurance events such as Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Upon completion, the Ferrari chassis was sent to Torino, Italy where it became the fifth and last 340 MM to be clothed by Carrozzeria Vignale.

Though the five 340 MM Vignale Spiders shared general design cues and form, each example was uniquely different. 0350MM shares many similarities with 0324 AM, including a gaping egg-crate grille, three ovoid portholes, triangular cutaway extractors in the rear fenders, outboard headlamps, and a closed hood blister. (Chassis 0324 AM had been delivered to American racer Bill Spear).

As 0350MM was nearing completion, Edwards married Marian miller and began making arrangements for their honeymoon. Those plans seemed to center more on the Ferrari than on the new bride. Soon after the wedding, the newlyweds traveled to Europe with plans to explore the Italian countryside from the cockpit of the new Ferrari. Arriving in Europe, and being driven to Modena by Chinetti, Edwards was informed that his 340 MM was unavailable, as it was still being completed at Vignale.

Edwards traveled to Torino in time to witness the craftsmen putting the finishing touches on his 340 MM. In honor of Edward's nationality, the coachwork was finished in American racing colors, with dark blue flanks and fenders highlighted by white trim on top and bottom.

Upon completion, Edwards took the car to the nearby Aerautodroma di Modena where the car was put through its paces. Edwards was less than pleased with the ride of the stiffly sprung 340 MM, pointing out that it had a tendency to jump and buck at speed.

The Edwardses completed a 10-day, 1000-mile tour in their new purchase, roughly following the route of the Mille Miglia circuit. They shared a suitcase, but since the trunk was filled with a spare tire and a large 48-gallon fuel tank, the deck lid was propped open and secured by bungee cords.

After their trip, the Edwards returned home. The Ferrari was shipped by boat from Livorno to New York and then airfreighted to their home in San Francisco. The day after the 340 MM arrived in San Francisco, it was trailered to Reno, Nevada to take part in its first competitive outing - the SCCA races held at Stead Air Force Base. The grid included Phil Hill in a 250 MM Vignale Spider, Bill Devin in a 250 MM Berlinetta and Masten Gregory in the Golding Gate Park-winning C-type.

Edwards took an early lead and held off Hill and Gregory for the entire race, finishing in 1st place. On the straight-stretches, Edward's car clocked 139 mph, the highest speed of the day.

In early November, as the 1953 season was coming to a close, Edwards campaigned the 340 MM at the March AFB races in Riverside, California. Unfortunately, mechanical problems would sideline the car prematurely.

On February 7th of 1954, at the Palm Springs Road Races organized by the California Sports Car Club, Edwards finished 1st overall in the main event. The next event was the inaugural Bakersfield Sports Car Races at Minter Field, but Edwards failed to finish when the lost the oil-sump plug. At the prestigious Pebble Beach Road Races on April 11th of 1954 (and in front of 35,000 spectators), Edwards spun his Ferrari early but was able to climb his way through the field. On lap 10, Edwards moved into third position behind Bill Stroppe's Kurtis and Tom Bamford's Cad-Allard. When Bamford's Cad-Allard retired on lap 20, Edwards closed in on Stroppe. On lap 28, the Mercury-powered Kurtis gave up and Edwards went on to take the win.

On June 6th, Edwards races in the Golden Gate Park races in San Francisco. Edwards drove to a 2nd place finishing behind Jack McAfee in Tony Parravano's 375 MM Pinin Farina Spider.

The next appearance was at the Seafair SCCA races at Shelton Airport near Seattle, Washington, on August 8th, where it emerged with another outright victory. Edwards' final race with 0350 AM took place on November 7th of 1954, at March Air Force base in Riverside, and resulted in a 4th place finish.

After the race, Edwards Engineering Co. in South San Francisco advertised the 340 MM for sale, asking $8,000. In 1955, Jim Pauley purchased the car, cut a hole in the hood blister for better air intake and sold the car to Ernie McAfee of Los Angeles, CA. McAfee sold the Ferrari to Tom Bamford of Woodland Hills. Bamford repainted the Ferrari Spider red in the summer months of 1955. In June, Bamford entered the Los Angeles Sports Car Road Races at Hansen Dam in the San Fernando Valley. He placed 2nd overall in the main event. It was then entered in two major Southern California races - the National Torrey Pines Road Races in July and the Palm Springs Road Races in February 1956.

In 1958, Bamford sold the car to Sabu Dastagir, an Indian actor. In December of 1963, Mr. Dastagir died of a heart attack at age 39 and his Ferrari was left to the estate to settle. By 1969, Johnny Aldridge Johnson and Ernest D. Mendicki had purchased the 340 MM and returned it to Northern California. In 1975, Harley E. Cluxton III, acquired the 340 MM and sold it to Donald Dethlefsen of Lake Forest, Illinois. In 1979, English collector Peter Agg purchased the car and sold it the following year to David Cottingham of DK Engineering. Throughout 1980 and 1981, the car was restored to its original appearance. Mr. Cottingham had the Lampredi-engine replaced with a purpose-built race motor, preserving the original unit for posterity. The unrestored matching-numbers engine remains with the car today.

The restoration work was completed in fall of 1981, just in time to take part in the Autumn Sprint at Goodwood and the Club Ferrari France meeting at Mas du Clos. In February 1982, the car was on the cover of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine.

In the mid-1980s, the car joined Sherman M. Wolf's collection. It was repainted red, registered on New Hampshire plates reading '340 MM' and put to good use. In 1984, it was displayed at the 21st Annual Ferrari Club of America Meet at Road Atlanta and the FCA International Concours d'Elegance in Carmel Valley, California. In 1986, it was shipped to Italy to take part in the Mille Miglia Storica. Mr. Wolf returned to Italy with 0350 AM in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 to again participated in the Mille Miglia event.

Mr. Wolf refinished the car in its original color scheme and continued to drive the 340 MM and participate in the Colorado Grand in 1990 and 1998. He continued to show the car, including at the Annual FCA International Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California, and Ron Spangler's Prancing Horse Farm Invitational in Maryland. The car was invited to attend the 2000 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it was displayed alongside some of the most examples of the marque.

It later was featured in Cavallino, Automobile Quarterly and Vintage Racer. It has also appeared in countless books on Ferraris, Vignale, and sports car racing in Southern California.

Mr. Wolf would own the car for 28 years.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach, CA auction presented by Gooding & Company. It was estimated to sell for $4,500,000 - $6,500,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $4,730,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: 0268 AM

In the hands of Villoresi, the Ferrari 340 MM won its racing debut in the Giro di Sicilia. The next event the 340 MM was entered was the Mille Miglia. At the start of the race, Ferrari had entered 340 MM's. Two were Touring spyders and two were Vignale Spyders. The two Touring spyders were 0268 and 0294. The Vignale spyders were 0284 and 0280. The example show is a Touring spyder with chassis number 0268 which was driven by Nino Farina and Parenti during the Mille Miglia. Though a Vignale spyder finished the race in fourth place, this one failed to finish due to a broken differential.

It is a right-hand drive vehicle and the sole surviving Superleggera 340. After being raced by Scuderia Ferrari, it was sold to Pierre Boncompagni who continued its racing legacy. Pagibon drove the car to a first place finish in the Montlhery race. In June of 1953 the car was in an accident at the 12 Hours of Hyeres where the front end encountered major damage. It was sent back to the factory for repairs and later it was imported to the United States and into the possession of Luigi Chinetti.

Since then it has had various owners. It spent some time in the Cunningham Museum. It has been driven at the Monterey Historic races at Laguna Seca, and other historic racing competition such as the Mille Miglia and the Colorado Grand. It is seen here at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder by Vignale
Chassis number: 0324 AM

This is the Bill Spear, Phil Hill Ferrari built in April 1953 for Spear because he wanted the most competitive 'open' Ferrari to enter 1953 Le Mans. It was painted night blue and white by Ferrari to distinguish an American driver. It was delivered to Spear and Hill at the Ferrari factory and driven by Hill from Maranello to Reims for the upcoming Reims 12 Hour Endurance race. During the drive from Maranello to Reims, Spear had an accident in his Bentley road car while following behind Hill. Spear cut his leg severely requiring Hill to apply a tourniquet. As Spear was unable to drive Phil Hill and Luigi Chinetti were substituted as drivers. Late in the race, while leading, Hill was forced to withdraw due to fading brakes. Bill Spear imported the car to the United States in August 1953 and raced extensively around the country. Built for full competition it has a powerful Lampredi 4.1 liter motor, Formula One type aluminum finned drum brakes, Grand Prix Magnetti Morelli magnetos and a 40 gallon fuel tank.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: 0350 AM
Engine number: 0350 AM

Ferrari 340 MMs dominated the 575 entries for the 1953 Mille Miglia, finishing in first, fourth and ninth places and, later, Villoresi won the Tour of Sicily, Hawthorn won at Silverstone, and Ascari won at the Nurburgring. Ferrari built just 10 examples of the 340 MM before it was replaced by the larger 4.5-liter 375MM. In 1954 Sterling Edwards purchased this car, the last of the ten 340 MM Spyders and the fifth to be bodied by Carrozzeria Vignale. The car shared many features with the car (0324AM) that had been delivered to American racer Bill Spear including the egg-crate grille, the three portholes and the triangular cutaway extractors in the rear fenders. At the Pebble Beach Road Races in April 1954 Edwards spun his Ferrari early in the Del Monte Trophy but was able to climb his way back through the field, and on lap 10, Edwards moved into third position behind Bill Stroppe's Kurtis and Tom Bamford's Cad-Allard. On lap 28, the Mercury-powered Kurtis gave up and Edwards went on to win.

Spyder by Vignale
Chassis number: 0324 AM

This is one of only four 340 MM Competition Vignale Spyders built by Ferrari. The car was sold to American racing driver Bill Spear in April 1953 for that year's sports car championship. Painted in the American racing colors of blue and white, its first race was the 12 Hours at Reims in northern France. Spears enlisted Phil Hill as his co-driver for the race, and they collected the car from the factory in Maranello, but on the drive to Reims, Spear had an accident while following behind Hill in the Ferrari, cutting his leg severely, and the car was sadly forced to withdraw from the race. Later that July, Spear drove his new Ferrari to fourth place in a support race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in England before it was shipped to the United States in August 1953, where it was raced extensively until the end of 1955.

Ferrari is the most successful constructor in Formula One's history, but it all started rather humbly. Despite being an elite, high-profile automaker and racing team, Ferrari performed rather unobtrusively in Formula One's first season. Success rarely comes overnight, but the waiting period is dramatically shortened when you have already designed a dominant product in which to take and build off. Enzo Ferrari and Gioacchino Colombo both came into being after helping Alfa Romeo ascend to the top of the grand prix world. This knowledge and experience would help Ferrari be immediately competitive in grand prix racing, but still not enough to break the grip the Alfa 158's had in 1950. Though Ferrari performed well in Formula One's first season, the dominance and the records would have to wait. Ferrari used 1950 to tweak their designs to break Alfa Romeo's hold on the championship and to begin the Ferrari/Formula One legacy.

Ferrari would turn to its model 125 for Formula One's first season. Designed in 1949, the 125 was Ferrari's first single-seater designed specifically for grand prix racing. However, much of the internals of the car had been taken from the 125S sports racer which was designed and built in 1948. The 125F1, as it became known, closely resembled one of Colombo's chassis designs—the Alfa Romeo 158. Of course, the 158 had already proven itself and obviously would have made a good basis for any team looking to be competitive right away and with aspirations for more.

There were only two engine options the FIA allowed. Either a team chose a supercharged engine with a maximum displacement of 1.5 liters, or, the team would have to choose a normally aspirated engine that had a maximum of 4.5 liters. Ferrari decided to go the route of Alfa Romeo and used a twin-stage Roots-type supercharger to boost the power of their 1.5 liter V12 engine. Designed similar to an aircraft fuselage, the 125 consisted of a tube-frame chassis with longitudinal and cross members to help with strength while not gaining too much weight. The wide upside-down U-shaped nose was ever so slightly angled back and gently sloping. Of course, the nose was dominated by the radiator inlet to provide cooling for the 1.5 liter V12 that was hidden in the long, rounded nose. Just aft of the radiator inlet was a shapely scoop that protruded into the airstream through which air would pass and would be able to enter the supercharger. The addition of the supercharger would boost the engine's horsepower from what was around 118hp in the 125S to somewhere around 230hp. By 1949, another revision to the engine happened that boosted power up to around 280hp. This was still short from where the Alfa Romeo 158s were by close to 100hp. Still, this boost is what made Ferrari competitive straight-away. And though not alone, at the time, Ferrari used a five-speed gearbox to match their higher-revving V12. Most teams were utilizing only four-speed gearboxes.

On either side of the chassis low and behind the front tire there were two cut-outs where the six exhaust pipes exited and blended into single pipes that ran back the length of the car, underneath the rear suspension and out under the rear of the car. As with the Formula One cars of today, the Ferrari 125 sported many shark-like gills all over the engine cowling. These gills went to help expel the heat generated by the big V12 by the onward-rushing air creating a vacuum, pulling out the heat built up inside the cowling as the air rushed over the gills.

The Ferrari 125 utilized a double wishbone suspension for the front tires, with a transverse leaf spring to help with stability at the front of the chassis. Heading back from the nose, the shape of the chassis begins to change but in a gentle manner. The chassis begins to shift from the upside-down U-shaped body and begins to, in essence, stand up a little. The design shifts ever-so-slightly to more of a triangular shape to help counter, aerodynamically, the driver sitting up in the airflow. Of course this would only help so much. Between the driver and the little windshield, the airflow in this region was quite disturbed.

The cockpit itself was rather tight with deep channeled out sides for the driver's arms. As with the day, the driver sat greatly exposed. Directly behind the driver sat the large, rounded fuel tank. The rear suspension on the 125 consisted of longitudinal struts that attached up near the cockpit and traveled back to the rear axle. Along with the struts, the rear suspension utilized a torsion bar style rear axle and shock absorbers for driver comfort and the all-important stability at the rear of the car. Besides all this, the main brake system used in those days, though not the greatest, but nonetheless employed on the 125F1, was drum brakes.

As the season went on the 125 was refined and continually improved upon, but more so to influence next designs. Alberto Ascari was able to guide his 125 to a second place finish in Monaco. So it was obvious Enzo and Gioacchino were heading the right direction. Later on in the season the 125 was again updated and refined. The 125 was shortened and the rear suspension modified. The de Dion tube suspension was the latest technology of the day, and so, was incorporated, along with a leaf spring, into the 125's suspension. This package made Ferrari very competitive, but not enough to beat Alfa Romeo.

The Alfa Romeo 158 had one Achilles heal and it was shared by Ferrari's 125—it was too thirsty. The benefit of the power gained for the amount of fuel needed to do so was too high. Though not certain, it is likely Enzo was inspired by the performances of the Talbot-Lago T26C, which used its superior gas mileage as a competitive edge. Though down well over 100hp, they were there at the end because they didn't have to stop for fuel. Ferrari had to find an answer.

Enter the 275. Ferrari too faced the problem of poor gas mileage with their supercharged 1.5 liter engine, and thus dropped it. Instead, the team turned to Aurelio Lampredi. Lampredi designed and built an engine for the all-new 275 chassis. Lampredi built a 3.3 liter normally aspirated engine that was first employed in his experimental 275S. The same engine was then taken and employed into the new 275F1 chassis.

The 275 chassis was also redesigned from that of the 125. The nose was totally changed and was more rounded and bulb-like. Instead of a nose that sloped back ever-so-slightly from the vertical like the nose on the 125, the nose on the 275 was more rounded, protruding forward. The rest of the chassis, forward of the cockpit, went through some refining, and yet, still had some similarities to the 125. The most noticeable changes made near the rear of the car included the longitudinal struts that were lengthened and extended further forward near the cockpit, but also, the shape of the bodywork that covered the fuel tank was changed. Instead of a more dramatic curve of the bodywork, the rear was extended further back; creating more of a torpedo shaped rear end.

The 275, with its 3.3 liter engine, debuted at Spa Francorchamps and the Grand Prix of Belgium. The single overhead camshaft design was capable of producing around 300hp and Alberto Ascari was able to drive the car to a fifth place finish. Despite the new engine, it seemed the team took a step backward. The performance was just not there, or at least not to level the team was seeking. And so, by the time of the race at Monza, Ferrari changed chassis designs two more times.

At the Grand Prix of Nations at Geneva, Switzerland, which did not count toward the championship, Ferrari unveiled its next design…the 340. By this time, Lampredi had designed a 4.1 liter V12. This engine was capable of producing around 335hp, enough to stay with the Alfa Romeos. Also, to make the car more stable, and thus comfortable for the drivers to take out to the edge of limits, a series of changes were employed. Enzo and Colombo made the overall length of the chassis longer. This helped to distribute weight and provide greater balance. To provide better stability, Ferrari employed the de Dion tube rear suspension once again. Ferrari also changed from the five-speed gearbox to a four-speed manual gearbox.

The chassis, overall, was refined, made into a more flowing racing machine. The nose was rounded even more than the 275 but the angle of slope remained similar. The wheelbase remained wider than that of the 125. Much more of an emphasis was placed upon aerodynamics which can be seen from the front wheels back. The air scoop on top of the engine cowling was reduced in size and made more shapely. Instead of a windshield attached to the top of the chassis, appearing more like an afterthought, the windshield was incorporated into the shape and flow of the chassis on the 340.

Driving the 340, Ascari was able to race with Fangio in his 158. It appeared Ferrari had found its contender in the 340. However, as the race bore on, the engine developed problems that led to Ascari's retirement. Despite having a good car that could challenge Alfa Romeo, Ferrari wanted a car that would absolutely break Alfa's dominance. Besides, Lampredi had his next engine ready to go. Therefore, Ferrari was done with the 340 and moved on.

Come September of 1950, Ferrari had their challenger—the 375F1. In a quest to defeat the Alfa Romeo 158, the Ferrari team never rested, always looking to tweak certain areas to make a more competitive race car. While rather happy with the 340 chassis, Ferrari, specifically Aurelio Lampredi, kept working on specifics, especially the engine, trying to find that balance between power, reliability and efficiency. He was able to produce a 4.5 liter version (the maximum Formula One would allow) of his V12 engine. And while the engine produced only slightly more power than its 4.1 liter predecessor, Lampredi had been able to work and produce an engine that balanced out better when it came to reliability and that mystical marriage between engine and chassis. The 375F1 simply worked, or at least it showed promise. It was, then, just some small details that had to be addressed and its first race at Monza proved that fact.

Despite the only real difference between the 340 and the 375 being the 4.5 liter engine, the combination just worked better. Ferrari just missed the pole in its first race with the 375 and actually was leading a good majority of the race until another engine failure gave up the win to the Alfa Romeo SpA team. Despite the loss of the win, Ferrari still had a solid second-place finish in the race and signaled to the team they had turned the corner and the tables. Alfa Romeo's days of dominance were coming to an end…it was just a matter of when.

At the end of the season Ferrari ended up fifth in the driver's championship. The finish, however, didn't reveal how poised Ferrari was for the future. Formula One cars today undergo many changes throughout the season, no doubt inspired by Ferrari's 'always improving' mindset as displayed in the 1950 season, from the 125 right on up to the 375. Ferrari debuted four combinations of engines and chassis. Each model contributed to Ferrari's search for dominance and would help to shape Ferrari's legacy in racing and, especially Formula One. The Ferrari team perhaps best understood they weren't designing a chassis to be dominant, but in fact were pursuing building dominance. This meant continually improving, never settling or believing in one thing, or design, to hold the key. Dominance determined the chassis and the engine. It was the team's job to find out what that all looked liked. The models of the 1950 season stand as a testament to the Ferrari team's desire to always improve, to continue in the search for dominance. For Ferrari, it all started with these chassis designs and each subsequent design built upon the successes and failures of the previous. Never was it believed that one chassis had it all because each year presented the challenge of pushing the edge a little further back. The Ferrari team: Enzo, Gioacchino, Aurelio and the many others understood this. And the fact of Ferrari's legacy and records proves that drive, that focus, has never left.

by Jeremy McMullen

It was in 1948 when the newly formed Italian automobile company named Ferrari began selling a promising sports car named the 166. The two-seater sports car featured a 12-cylinder engine mounted in the front and supplying over 100 horsepower to the rear wheels. The engine was just under two-liters in size and had a unitary displacement of 166 cc, thus, the evolution of the model name. Production would last until 1953 with only 38 examples being produced. Even though production was low, its accomplishments are large, with wins at LeMans, Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio.

The 166 was a continuation of the 125, introduced a year earlier. The 125's size of 1497 cc was later enlarged to 1902cc, bringing about the Tipo 159. In 1948, it was enlarged to 1995 cc and became the 166.

Engineer Gioachino Colombo had been tasked with creating the engine to power the first Ferrari automobile. Both Enzo and Colombo had a history with working at Alfa Romeo and were well versed on the rules and regulations of Grand Prix racing. Rules dictated that displacement size was limited to just 1.5-liters in forced induction engines, and 4.5-liters in naturally aspirated units. Colombo opted for the forced induction route, just as he had done while at Alfa Romeo, and designed for Ferrari their first V12 engine, as well as their first chassis. The engine was very different from the units Colombo had created while at Alfa Romeo, though sharing the same displacement size. Before the engine or chassis were ever created, Colombo left. Aurelio Lampredi was brought in to pick-up where Colombo had left off. Lampredi was a former Fiat employee who was a very talented and gifted engineer. He created the Colombo designed supercharged V12 engine, which would quickly grow in size to three liters.

The engine was potent, but still lacking. Lampredi was tasked with creating a new engine, larger in size, and aimed at propelling Ferrari's next generation of Grand Prix racing machines. Lampredi's goal was to create a powerful, yet fuel-efficient engine that could keep with the competition. The Alfa Romeo engines were providing serious competition, and Lampredi questioned if the horsepower output could reach the figures Alfa Romeo was producing. Better fuel-efficiency, along with better tire wear, were two ways Lampredi was hoping to best the Alfa's.

The Lampredi designed 3.3-liter engine was ready by early 1950. Due to its size and configuration, it would eventually become known as the 'long-block' engine. It was constructed from a light-alloy metal, two valves per cylinder, single overhead camshaft, and drew design inspiration from the prior Colombo engine.

Touring was tasked with creating the first two vehicles to house the Lampredi engines. They were entered in the 1950 Mille Miglia and carried the designation, 275 S, keeping with the traditional Ferrari naming scheme based on unitary displacement. The car's debut was less than stellar, as both were forced to retire prematurely due to tire and gearbox issues. As the year progressed, the issues were resolved and development continued on the engine, ultimately reaching 4.5-liters.

Other than being a very successful race car builder that enjoyed profound racing success, he was also a great businessman and able to capitalize on racing success. Many of the road-going cars Ferrari produced were derived from their racing program. Using the Lampredi engine, displacing 4.1 liters and producing 220 horsepower, the engine was mounted in an enlarged version of the 275 S chassis, and the vehicle was named the 340 America. The 340 America's first public debut was at the Paris Auto Show where it was displayed wearing a Touring Barchetta body. a total of 23 examples would eventually be produced, with bodies supplied by Vignale, Touring, and Ghia. As is popular with Ferrari automobiles, many of the 340 America's were used by privateers in racing competition.

Though rule changes at the close of the 1951 season left the Lampredi engine obsolete, development continued. A total of six examples of the Ferrari 342 America were created. These were very exclusive machines catered to Ferrari's wealthiest clients. The 340 Mexico cars were true Ferrari racing bred machines. Four examples were specifically created to compete in the 1952 running of the Carrera Panamericana race. They were powered by a 280 horsepower version of the Lampredi engine and given a longer wheelbase to better traverse the rough and changing terrain.

In 1953, Ferrari introduced the 340 MM, which was a replacement for the 340 America. Under the bonnet was a 300 horsepower Lampredi engine.

by Dan Vaughan