1955 Ferrari 250 GT Boano

The Ferrari 250 designation was used for both road and racing vehicles and was in use from 1952 to 1964. Nearly all 250 models were equipped with the same Colombo-designed Tipo 125 V-12 engine with a 2,953cc displacement, which was renowned for its lightweight characteristics and impressive 300 horsepower. Most of the road-going cars employed the same two wheelbase sizes of 2,400 mm (94.5-inches) and 2,600 mm (102.4-inches). The earliest Ferrari 250 model was the 250 S Berlinetta prototype that raced in the 1952 Mille Miglia. While the 250 S used a 2,250mm (88.6-inch) wheelbase and a 'Tuboscocca' tubular trellis frame, its successor, the 250 MM, received a more conventional chassis with a longer 2,400mm platform.

The first road-going version was the 250 Europa, introduced in 1953 at the Paris Motor Show. While all other versions would use a Colombo-designed engine, the Europa was fitted with a 2,963cc Lampredi V12 based on ta design of the 3.3-liter Formula One engine. It had a 68 mm bore and stroke, three Weber 36 DCF carburetors, and delivered nearly 200 horsepower. The wheelbase measured 2,800mm, making it one of the longest vehicles of the 250 Series, offering adequate space to house the 'Long Block' Lampredi engine while offering comfortable accommodations for its occupants. Of the twenty-two examples built, seventeen wore coupe bodies by Pinin Farina, four were coupes by Vignale, and two were cabriolets (one by Pinin Farina and the other by Vignale).

The Pinin Farina-designed 250 Europa GT introduced at the 1954 Paris Motor Show was the first Ferrari road car to employ Colombo's 250 V12 engine and the first Ferrari to use the Gran Turismo (GT) moniker. Its wheelbase measured 2,600mm (102.4-inches) and rested on a conventional chassis, with the wet-sump engine breathing through three Weber 36 DCZ3 carburetors and delivering nearly 220 horsepower.

At the time, Pinin Farina was in the process of building a larger production facility and lacked the space to build the quantities of cars that Ferrari was requesting. Accordingly, the design they had created was handed over to Carrozzeria Felice Mario Boano, which was headed by one of Pinin Farina's designers, Mario Felice Boano (formerly of Ghia). Fiat later recruited Bonao, so production duties were relegated to his son-in-law Ezio Ellena. The car's built by Ellena received several styling revisions, including a raised roof and the removal of the vent windows from the doors. The cars built by Boano are known as the 250 GT Boano 'Low Roof' while the examples built by Ellena are referred to as the 250 GT Ellena 'High Roof.' Carrozzeria Boano built 74 250 GTs on the long-wheelbase chassis and Carrozzeria Ellena built an additional 50 Coupés. All were coupes except for chassis number 0461 GT, which was sold to New York collector Bob Lee in 1956 off the stand at the New York Auto Show.

Chassis number 0461 GT had been completed in 1955 and was delivered to Boano in Boano in Grugliasco just outside Turin. This was the first Ferrari to be built by Mario Boano, and along with its open coachwork, received several unit features that included the large chrome bumpers and flamboyant tail fins. Boano displayed the car in 1956 at the Geneva and Turin Motor Shows, before making its final appearance at the New York Auto Show. After discussions with Ferrari's American distributor, Luigi Chinetti, and approval from Enzo Ferrari himself, Mr. Lee acquired the vehicle.

The 250 GT Boano used the traditional 250 GT underpinnings with its chassis constructed around two tubular side members with the suspension comprised of front double wishbones and a live rear axle. The 'Short Block' Colombo V12 single overhead camshaft engine had a light-alloy block and head, triple Weber 36 DCZ3 twin-choke carburetors, and delivered approximately 220 horsepower. It was backed by a four-speed manual synchromesh gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes provided the stopping power. The all-aluminum bodywork (approximately fourteen examples had all-alloy bodies, others had all-steel construction) shared its basic Pininfarina styling with a brief but successful series of early 250s that included 0429 GT, the 1956 Geneva show car, and 0443 GT, which won its class at the 1956 Alpine Rally and captured an overall win at the 1957 Acropolis Rally.

Officially introduced at Geneva early in 1956, production had begun near the close of 1955, with the first cars constructed at Pinin Farina's factory prior to production moving to Boano. Boano left the company for Fiat at the end of 1957, with production relegated to Ellena. Larger brakes and a ZF steering system were adopted in 1958. The Ellena Coupes were the new 250 GT Coupe that was both designed and built by Pinin Farin in its newly opened facility.

by Dan Vaughan

Alloy Berlinetta by Boano
Chassis number: 0447 GT
Engine number: 0447

This Ferrari 250GT wears an elegant low-roof design and is one of the first 100 examples built. This particular car shares its type 508/112 chassis with the Europa GT. The engine is a Colombo series (Tipo 112) first employed in the Europa. It is a lightly detuned variation of the 250 MM and features two front-mounted distributors, Tipo 128 tensioners and a Spinterogeni ignition. There are three twin-choke Weber carburetors and a double Abarth exhaust.

The gearbox is a type-513 that utilized Porsche-type synchromesh, making this particular car one of the first Ferrari road cars to benefit from this improvement.

The completed chassis was to be sent to Pinin Farina in the fall of 1955, but instead it went to Carrozzeria Felice Mario Boano. Boano fitted thee car with an all-aluminum body. It was originally given a subtle upswept kink in the beltline located just behind the door. It was also given the more traditional headlamp and front fender treatment.

A short time after its completion, the slight break behind the door was replaced with an unbroken waistline and the front wings were tapered to finish with the headlamp rims. The Pinin Farina badges found behind the front wheels and the front bumper bracket were removed, and the turn indicators on the B-Pillar were also removed.

The original owner of the car was Guido Cantelli who took ownership in August of 1956. The second owner was Anthony Cohen, a resident of Pennsylvania, followed by Philip Boyd of Marion, Ohio, who acquired it in August of 1968. In 1986, it was in the ownership of John Hayes of Moravian Falls, North Carolina. Less than a year later, it was acquired by Lyle Tanner of Carson, California. While in his care, it was given a complete refurbishment. In 1992, Fritz Kroymans purchased the car.

Currently, the car is painted in red livery and upholstered in gray leather with piping to match the exterior color. There are Marchal headlamps and driving lights, and Pirelli Cinturato tires.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The car was estimated to sell for $850,000 - $950,000. Bidding reached $750,000, but was not enough to satisfy the reserve. it would leave the auction unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Alloy Berlinetta by Boano
Chassis number: 0447 GT
Engine number: 0447

Racing is a valuable asset as the technology used in the race car has a trickle-down effect to the road-going production cars. Amongst the major manufacturers the technology transfer becomes watered-down. Exotic car manufacturers offer a more pure blend of technology with affordability.

The first models of the 250 wouldn't appear on the streets but on the road courses of Europe. The first model would be the 250 S. It was an experimental berlinetta, or 'little saloon', and it would be entered in the 1952 Mille Miglia. The small car was powered by a small 3.0-liter engine with three Weber carburetors. Although the engine was small, it was light and it would more than make up for the power short-comings. Combined with its tubular trellis frame, the engine helped to make the 250 a mean contender in twisty sections, but it would struggle in straight-line performance. Nonetheless, it would be victorious in its first attempt.

Capitalizing on its success in the Mille Miglia, the 250 MM would be debuted at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show. The design would be considered much more conventional and would signal something of a change in thinking that would come to fruition the following year.

Ever since the first model 250 was introduced, first in racing and then in production automobiles, there had been many evolutions and editions of the 250. Many were similar with the exception of one or two things. The success of the 250 in sports car racing left Ferrari with something it could tap into. It had become obvious that the success on the track could lead to sales in the showroom, but there needed to be more of a standardization from which Ferrari could promote.

And in 1954, at the Paris Motor Show, Ferrari would introduce its 250 Europa GT. This was just one of a number of 250 body styles. However, Pinin Farina had standardized much more of the car. It would become the foundation for all of Ferrari's other 250 models to come. Because of the standardization, production increased and Pinin Farina couldn't keep up with the demand at the time. Therefore, other coachbuilders, like Carrozzeria Boano would be contracted to build the cars. One such Boano-built model 250 would cross the auction block at the RM Auctions in Monterey, California in August of 2011.

Chassis number 0447 GT isn't a typical 250 GT Europa Berlinetta. In fact is a very special Boano 'Low-Roof' model. It perhaps is one of the few 250 designs that best represents the coming of Pinin Farina as Ferrari's favorite coachbuilder. For although the car clearly presents a design, badges and other design elements distinctive of the Pinin Farina design there are still a number of smaller differences that point to the car being completedby Carrozzeria Boano.

The actual body of the car carries Pinin Farina's work all throughout. However, the chassis would have a number of other cosmetic changes, including the 'Low-Roof' and an unbroken waistline from the tip of the front headlights all the way back to the rear.

Although Boano would revise the design, the car would still share the same kind of performance its racing brethren enjoyed on the track. It would have a 220 bhp, 3-liter Colombo V12 engine with three Weber twin-choke carburetors. The car would come with a four-speed manual synchromesh gearbox, independent coil-spring front suspension and a live rear axle. Because of this racing heritage interwoven into the car, it would be used in a couple of rally events, including the 1956 Alpine Rally and the Acropolis Rally, where it would take overall victory.

Chassis number 0447 GT, though it had been originally revised by Boano, would come back to Boano for more revisions. The Pinin Farina badges would be removed, the signal indicators, license plate bracket and other smaller aspects of the car would be changed. The car would also be refinished in original metallic grey. The car's interior, complete with Vaumal Luxan grain blue Connolly leather would remain.

The car would later be sold to an individual in Pennsylvania and would remain there until the late 1980s. It would then be sold to noted Ferrari collector Frits Kroyman in 1992. The car would be bought in 2010. Complete with matching numbers, this interesting piece of Ferrari's car production history is back again and was expected to draw $750,000 and $850,000.

Sources:

'Feature Lots: Lot No. 246: 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Europa Low-Roof Alloy Berlinetta', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r211&fc=0). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r211&fc=0. Retrieved 16 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Ferrari 250', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 13 August 2011, 00:23 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ferrari_250&oldid=444534954 accessed 16 August 2011

by Jeremy McMullen

Alloy Berlinetta by Boano
Chassis number: 0447 GT
Engine number: 0447

In late 1955, Pinin Farina began work on a new design for the 250 GT and nine chassis were sent to the coachbuilder to receive the new body. There was not enough space for all of the cars and so Carrozzeria Boano completed six of them, one of which is this example. One of fourteen alloys, 0447 GT was delivered new to Maestro Guido Cartelli, director of La Scala in Milan. A few months later he was tragically killed in a plane crash and the essentially unused 250 GT was sent to Luigi Chinetti for sale in America. It has since been a part of some of the world's greatest Ferari collections. This car features a matching numbers engine and has been treated to a full restoration.

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