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1951 Ferrari 340 America

Prior to World War II, Giacchino Colombo had been a principle engineer for Scuderia Ferrari. In the postwar era, his 1.5-liter engine in various forms would power models like the 125S, 166MM, and the 212 series. The Colombo short-block V12 would prove significant to Ferrari's evolution with longevity that would span more than a dozen years. Colombo, himself, exited Ferrari early, joining Alfa Romeo in 1950. In his wake, engineer Aurelio Lampredi was brought in to design large naturally aspirated alternatives to the diminutive Colombo-designed V12s used in most Ferrari cars up to that point. The Colombo V12 had thrived in the sports car models, however, it was considerably less successful in the all-important Grand Prix competition format.

The immediate postwar period of Grand Prix racing had been dominated by supercharged Alfa Romeo cars that Colombo had designed for them prior to the war on Scuderia's behalf. Their success championed the belief that Grand Prix victories were reliant upon blown motors of relatively small displacement. This setup came at a cost though, as the high-revving motors were particularly susceptible to wear and required high degrees of tuning, parts replacement, and maintenance. While at Ferrari, Colombo had attempted to supercharge his postwar V12 Grand Prix entries, but the short-block engine was unable to outpace the finely tuned and highly developed Alfa unit.

Racing regulations dictated small-displacement sizes for blown engines. On the other end of the spectrum, un-supercharged engines could accommodate larger displacement. Lampredi proposed a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter motor with taller and longer architecture, thus prompting the 'long-block' nickname. The design was approved for development by 1949 and featured twin ignition per cylinder and single intake porting.

The Lampredi engine powered Scuderia's 1950 Grand Prix cars, and the success was immediate, resulting in Ferrari abandoning further development of the short-block V12 and prompting Colombo's departure. The long-block initially displaced 3.3-liters in the Grand Prix configuration. Versions of 3, 4.1, 4.5, and 5 liters were eventually developed, and powered Ferrari's sport car racing campaigns for the following five years, and were the major force behind their World Sportscar Championships of 1953 and 1954.

After the disastrous accident at Le Mans in 1955, displacement limitations were imposed by the FIA which signaled the end of the long-block's campaign. This opened the door for Colombo's original short-block design to re-appear, being installed in such legendary vehicles as the 250 Testa Rossa and Tour de France Berlinetta.

The 340 America

Two Ferrari 275 S were entered in the 1950 Mille Miglia, one driven by Alberto Ascari and the other by Luigi Villoresi. These Touring-bodied Barchetta's were powered by the 3.3-liter Grand Prix motor designed by Lampredi. During one of the final stages of the race, both Ferrari's suffered transmission failures. This was followed a few months later by the introduction of a 4.1-liter Lampredi engined car, shown at the Paris Motor Show in September of 1950. These new larger-engined cars were called the 340 America, designed to compete in the United States, specifically in SCCA competition where large-bore sports cars excelled.

The car shown at the Paris Motor Show was 0030 MT. The first production example was chassis number 0082A, a Vignale-bodied Berlinetta which made its debut in April 1951 at the Mille Miglia. It was driven by Villoresi and Piero Cassini to first-place overall. Its success helped spawn 22 additional purpose-built 340 America examples, all receiving even-numbered chassis designations which signaled their competition intent. Despite their race-bred intentions, eight of the 23 cars were clothed as road-going examples. Touring and Vignale provided both open and closed coachwork for 19 examples, and Ghia built four Coupe.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Ghia
Chassis number: 0150/A
Engine number: 0150/A

Ferrari's very first automobiles were powered by V12 engines designed by Colombo in 1946. Within a few years, their engines were insufficient to keep pace with competition so Enzo Ferrari commissioned Ing. Lampredi to create a new engine for both their sports racing and F1 series. The Colombo engine was known as 'short blocks' since the distance between the center lines of the adjacent cylinder bores was just 90 mm. Lampredi's wanted a larger bore size which required an enlarged cylinder block. By increasing the dimensions to 108mm the 'long block' had been created. Other advanced features were the engines' wet liners screwed into the cylinder head which aided in the possibility of a blown head gasket. Finger type followers were replaced with Roller cams. The result was an engine that had been intended for competition cars. The 4.5 liter Tipo 375 engine was used for their F1 racing endeavors while a smaller 4.1 liter engine was developed for Sports and GT cars. The first of which was the 340 America and introduced at the 1950 Paris Auto Salon. The name 'America' was used since the vehicle had been constructed for the competitive and profitable American market.

The Lampredi designed 4.1-liter V12 engine created between 220 and 230 horsepower. The engine was matted to a five-speed manual non-synchromesh gearbox which sent the power to the rear wheels. The chassis was constructed of a twin-oval parallel tube chassis with unequal-length parallel wishbones and transverse leaf spring suspension in the front. Located in the rear was a solid axle with semi-elliptic longitudinal leaf springs, parallel trailing arms, and shock absorbers.

Ferrari handled the construction of the rolling chassis while the bodywork was outsourced to Vignale, Touring, and Ghia. 23 examples were created - 11 by Vignale; 8 by Touring, and four were created by Ghia.

The 340 America series had been created with the intention of being raced, however, only a few ever saw track time. The ones that did were often rewarded for their efforts. In 1951, chassis number 0150/A was raced in the Mille Miglia where it emerged victorious.

This 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe with chassis and engine number 0150/A finished in red and bearing the number 17 was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, Ca. It carries coachwork by Ghia. The car features an aerodynamic body and pushbutton, flush-mounted door handles. The long hood carefully conceals the potent Lampredi powerplant.

The engine was completed in July of 1951 and the chassis was completed near the close of that year. The rolling chassis was sent to Ghia where it was given this two-seater, two-door coupe configuration. Its first owner was Antonio Parravano of Inglewood, California.

The vehicle was raced during its early existence. One of the more memorable outings was the 1952 running of the Carrera Panamericana Mexico race. The Panamericana race is grueling and very demanding for both driver and car. Many modifications were required to prepare the vehicle for the race. The vehicle was outfitted with Halibrand wheels, magneto ignition, larger drilled and vented brake drums, special scoops and ducts, and more. It was given the number 17 and was accompanied by three 340 Mexico's. One of the 340 Mexico's crashed and another suffered a gearbox failure. The third, driven by Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas, finished in third. The Ferrari 340 America driven by Ernie McAfees finished in fifth.

The vehicle went on to compete in various other racing endeavors. Throughout the years it passed through a number of owners before making its way to the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey CA where it was estimated to sell between $900,000-$1,200,000. It retains many of its original components, including the body, chassis, and drive-train. It is one of only four 340 America's bodied by Ghia and the only one with such a prestigious racing career. On auction day the vehicle found a new owner selling for $852,500.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Ghia
Chassis number: 0148 A

Ferrari built 23 examples of the 340 America, including this example. The 340 America was the first Ferrari street car to utilize the Lampredi V-12 engine, making this a landmark model. This 4.1-liter Ferrari Ghia Berlinetta (serial number 0148 A) was built for a Ferrari board member (the first non-Italian member of the Board of Directors of Ferrari) and industrialist Michel Paul-Cavalier of Pont-a-Mousson, France (president of Pont-a-Mousson foundry), who owned several exceptional Ferraris from new. This is the only 340 Berlinetta built with a lightweight aluminum alloy body, and one of five 340s coached by Ghia. It is equipped with the famous Lampredi V-12, which would go on to contribute to Ferrari's first victories in F1 in Ferrari's 375 F1 model. In the 340 model, the 4,101cc engine develops 250 hp at 6500 RPM. It was a legendary motor that was several steps above the standard 250 production unit, and it went on to spawn both the 375 MM and 410 Sport of fearsome reputation for their power.

Mr. Cavallier requested competition camshafts, producing a fifteen percent increase over a standard 340 America, and rare front-driving lights. The current caretaker has driven this car on the Colorado Grand and raced it on tracks from Sebring to Laguna Seca. In 2008, this restored car came to the Pebble Beach Concours.

Coupe by Touring
Chassis number: 0126A

Aurelio Lampredi joined Ferrari in 1947 and became head of the design team in 1949. That position had been held by engineer Gioachino Colombo who had been with Ferrari for many years, dating back to his years spent with Alfa Romeo.

Racing regulations in the early 1950s stated that a maximum displacement of 1.5-liters with forced induction or 4.5-liters with natural aspiration. Lampredi immediately designed a large displacement version of Colombo's original Ferrari V12, retaining Colombo's single overhead camshaft layout but adopting cylinder liners screwed into the heads to prevent head gasket failures. The result of Lampredi's work first appeared near the close of the 1950 Grand Prix season in the 4.5-liter 375s, which would be the team cars for 1951.

For 1952, FIA adopted Formula 2 regulations for the World Championship which meant the Lampredi long block engine was ineligible for competition. It soon found a home in sports cars. Work began on developing a 3.3-liter Lampredi-engined sports car using 212 chassis in 1950. Two of these 275S models were entered in the 1950 Mille Miglia driven by Ascari and Villoresi. Both cars failed to finish due to driveline failures. A 4.1-liter version soon followed, creating the 340 series. They were announced at the Paris Salon in October of 1950 and would become Ferrari's most successful and famous early models. They were used in competition by the factory and by privateers, providing many podium finishes, notably including Giannino Marzotto's 1953 Mille Miglia victory.

The first series of the 340s were designated 340 America. Their powerplant was a 4.1-liter single overhead camshaft with a roller cam follower, single plug, and coil and distributor ignition. With the help of three 40DCF Weber downdraft carburetors feeding individual intake ports, the engine produced 220 horsepower at 6000 RPM. Eight of the series had dry-sump engine lubrication. The five-speed gearbox was mounted directly to the engine and powered the rear wheels. The suspension was independent in the front with transverse leaf springs and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. The coachwork was created by Ghia, Vignale, and Touring.

There were only two 1951 Ferrari 340 America's bodied by Touring and both had dry sump lubrication. This Touring-bodied Berlinetta was completed at Ferrari on July 23, 1951, and finished by Touring three months later. The first owner was Cavaliere Tommaso Sebastiani in October 1951 and stayed with him for several years, and may have even been used in competition. It was sold to Sidney Chaplin, son of the famous actor Charlie Chaplin. About a year later, he sold it to Marchese Pottino of Palermo, Sicily, who traded it back to Ferrari for a new car in 1958. The car's next owner was an unidentified American.

At some point in its life, it received a Chevy small block engine. It was at the US Navy Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and later discovered in a barn in Washington, North Carolina. It was purchased by Peter Pheil in 1976 who installed a 250 GT engine and transmission, and used it in the Mille Miglia retrospective in 1986. In 1988, it was sold to Massimo Colombo, who resurrected a 340 block which he believed to be 0126A's original engine. The engine was rebuilt with new cylinder heads from Nuovo Lunelli of Modena and fitted with a period 5-speed transmission.

Colombo and Maher used the car in the 1991 Mille Miglia. The following year, Colombo and Ikusawa drove it in the Mille Miglia. Colombo passed away in 1993, and the car passed through a few collectors over the next few years. In 2003, it was sent to restorer Patrick Ottis who determined that the engine was not its original. It was comprehensively rebuilt including new valves, bearings, pistons, and camshafts. At that time, the five-speed unsynchronized gearbox was replaced with a later four-speed synchromesh gearbox from a 250 GT Europa.

The current owner purchased the car in 2005. It is painted in Italian racing red, has sliding panel side windows, vent gills formed in plexiglass quarter windows, an outside filler cap on the right sail panel, and outside-laced lightweight wire wheels.

In 2009, this 340 America Berlinetta with coachwork by Touring was offered for sale at the Houston Classic Auction presented by Worldwide Auctioneers in Seabrook, Texas. The lot was estimated to sell for $1,200,000 - $1,400,000. As bidding came to a close, the lot had failed to sell after reaching a high bid of $1 million US dollars.

by Dan Vaughan

Spider by Vignale
Chassis number: 0140 A
Engine number: 0140 A

Chassis 0140 A was shipped to Vignale in Turin on October 22, 1951. It was given spider coachwork and painted in a deep red with tan corduroy upholstery. There were only five 340 Americas fitted with similar Vignale coachwork, though this example carries a number of unique features that differentiate it from the others. There are slotted taillights recessed into sweeping rear fenders, two chrome strips running along the flanks, two parking lights mounted atop the rear of the front fenders and a lack of the typical Vignale 'portholes.'

When complete, the car was sent to the United States, like many of the other 340 Americas. It was sent to the official Ferrari dealer, Luigi Chinetti. The car appeared on Ferrari's New York Auto Show stand at the Grand Central Palace in Manhattan. A short time after its auto show debut, it was sold to George Joseph Jr. of Denver, Colorado. Mr. Chinetti paid $20,000 for the Ferrari.

In October of 1952, the car was entered in several local races, including the Buckley Field Naval Air Station with Dabney Collins behind the wheel. The Ferrari ran into valve problems part way through the race which abruptly ended its first outing.

After the race, the engine was rebuilt under the factory warranty. A short time later, the Ferrari was loaned to James Donald, a prospective buyer of the car with an affinity for 12-cylinder cars, and was raced in Aspen. By April, Mr. Mauro had repossessed this very expensive car, and put it on display at the Sportorama Auto Show at the University of Denver. It was soon sold to Mr. Donald. It was on display in 1957 at the Granny Johnson Memorial Concours and at the La Junta Airport races.

On May 31st of 1958, Mr. Donald raced his Ferrari. On the first run in the car, Mr. Donald was struck from behind by an Austin-Healey, putting him out of the race. The car was soon repaired and finished in silver but it was later repainted in the original dark red.

IN 1960, the car was sold to West Coast Ferrari dealer and racer Jack McAfee for $5,000. McAfee retained the 340 until 1964, at which point Bill Weber of St. Louis acquired the car. Three years later, it joined the stable of David Tunick. IN the early 1970s, it was purchased by Joel Finn, who in turn sold it to Bill Markell of New York. In 1975, it was acquired by Robert de la Rive Box and re-sold it to an individual in Belgium. By April of 1976, it returned to Mr. Fin in the United States. In 1977, Tom Davis of Miami, Florida purchased the car. Gil Nickel of San Francisco was the next owner, purchasing it in August of 1980. In 981, a restoration was performed on the car. After the restoration, it was shown at the 1982 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and displayed in the Postwar European Class through 1960. It was awarded The Hans Tanner Memorial Trophy for Best Ferrari. Two years later, it was shown at the International Ferrari Concours d'Elegance in Carmel Valley. That same year, it raced at the Monterey Historics.

In 1986, it participated in the Mille Miglia retrospective. Mr. Nickel drove the 340 in 1991 and 1992 edition of the Colorado Grand.

A cosmetic restoration was performed in 1992, in preparation for its second appearance at Pebble Beach. In 1994, the car was honored with a First in Class at the FCA International Concours in Monterey. A few days later, it participated in the Monterey Historics. It raced at the Historic Grand Prix at Monaco the following summer and returned again to Laguna Seca.

In 1999, it was invited to return to the Pebble Beach Concours for a third time. IN 2001, Mr. Nickel put the car on display at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

In 2010, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $2,000,000 - $2,600,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $2,530,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Berlinetta by Vignale
Chassis number: 0082A

Carrozzeria Vignale built four 340 America Berlinettas, and this car was the first to be completed. In 1951 Ferrari entered its third Mille Miglia, competing with this Berlinetta driven by Luigi Villoresi and Piero Cassani. Early in the race, in very wet conditions, Villoresi went off the road near Ravenna, sustaining damage to the front wheel and suspension. After the team cut away some bodywork, they once again set off at a swift pace, and at the finish, they placed first, twenty minutes ahead of Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Maglioli in a Lancia Aurelia. Another win followed at the Portugal Grand Prix, then the car was sold to Viviano Corradini of New Jersey. In the ensuing years, the car has lived on both sides of the Atlantic, but it has resided in the United States with its current owner since 1999, and he has taken the car back to Italy an incredible 11 times for the Mille Miglia Retrospective.

Berlinetta by Vignale
Chassis number: 0132A
Engine number: 0132A

This Ferrari 340 America was constructed during the Summer of 1951 and is one of the five type 340A chassis clothed by a Coupe Vignale body. Carrozzeria Vignale hand-built this vehicle during the fall of 1951, and received unique features such as slotted taillights recessed into the fenders, two air intakes on the hood, chrome trim, unique bumpers, two-tone exterior paint job, and front fender slots. The interior is equally unique with an oversized, three-level cigarette holder located right atop the dashboard. The 4.1-liter V12 engine ejects its exhaust fumes through no less than six tailpipes.

The factory test drive occurred at Ferrari in November of 1951. In 1952, it was delivered to the official Ferrari agency of Rome, Ponti & Mambretti. In February of 1952, it was featured in the American car magazine Road & Track. It is believed that its first owner was Johnny Ysmael who paid $25,000 for the bespoke vehicle. Ysmael would keep the car in Los Angeles, where it wore Italian customs license plates. It was sold in 1953 to another Los Angeles resident named Mr. William Doheny. He later sold it to sports car dealer Ernie McAfee where it was raced at various Southern California venues including Willow Springs Raceway.

The car was later purchased by Mr. James Walter and would remain in his family's care for the next five decades. Mr. Walter would keep the car on the road up through the 1960s, then put it into storage to preserve its authenticity. A restoration was started but never finished. At some point in its history, it received a Chevrolet engine, but the original, matching numbers engine was retained. The Lampredi Tipo 340/A SOHC V12 engine has been re-installed into the engine bay. It has a 4,101cc displacement, triple Weber carburetor, and is backed by a five-speed manual transmission. Hydraulic drum brakes are located at all four corners.

by Dan Vaughan

Barchetta by Touring
Chassis number: 0116A

The Ferrari 340 America, based directly on Ferrari's 340 Grand Prix car, was created specifically to meet the demands of serious sporting motorists in the United States. The first V12-engined model, designed by Touring, was reminiscent of the 166 Barchetta. Other body styles were built by Ghia and Vignale, and a Vignale-bodied 340 Berlinetta, driven by Gigi Villoresi, won the 1954 Mille Miglia. This car with elegant Barchetta coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring was first sold to Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, an enthusiastic racing driver and regular entrant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, who often raced under the alias 'Helde' (from his initials, L-D). A week after Louis-Dreyfus took delivery of his 340 America in 1951, he entered the car in that year's Le Mans race. With Luigi Chinetti running the pits, he shared the drive with the French Grand Prix driver Louis Chiron. In 1964, the 340 America was acquired by Ferrari collector Pierre Bardinon for his Ferrari collection at Mas du Clos near Clermont-Ferrand in France. In recent years, the car has entered the Mille Miglia five times, as well as the Gran Premio Nuvolari and the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti. Its current owner has just finished a complete restoration.

The 340 America was introduced in 1950 at the Paris Auto Show and was the first road car to be powered by the Lampredi engine. It was a 4102cc V-12 producing 220 bhp.

Early Ferrari automobiles were custom-built cars and were not mass-produced. Ferrari provided the engine and chassis while Italian coachbuilders created the coachwork, leading to various specifications. The bodies of the 340 America were built by Ghia, Touring, Pinin Farina and Vignale.

The 340 America was replaced by the 340 Mexico that used different three 40DCF carburetor setup and a higher compression ratio. The result was an increase in horsepower by 60. The weight of the vehicle was also decreased bringing about significantly improved performance.

Gioacchino Colombo started out being the primary builder of Ferrari's engines in the late in 1940's and a major contributor to the success of Ferrari. Aurelio Lambredi became his assistant in 1947. Lambredi soon became convinced that a large engine that was naturally aspirated would have better fuel economy and provide more power. Colombo was of the belief that smaller engine compiled with a supercharger would produce the better results. Ferrari tested Lambredi's idea and proved it to be successful. Lambredi was promoted to chief design engineer and Colombo returned to Alfa Romeo. The Lambredi engines were used in the ladder part of the 1950's.

by Dan Vaughan

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