Ferrari 125 S | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Ferrari |
Production | 1947 2 produced |
Designer | Gioacchino Colombo |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Sports car |
Layout | FR layout |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1.5 L (1496.77 cc) Colombo V12 |
Transmission | 5-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,420 mm (95.3 in) |
Curb weight | 650 kg (1,433 lb) (dry) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 |
Successor | Ferrari 159 S |
The Ferrari 125 S (commonly 125 or 125 Sport) was a 1.5 litre sport car built in 1947 by automaker Ferrari in Modena, Italy. It was the company's first vehicle, which only two were made.
Although preceded by Enzo Ferrari's Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 of 1940, the 125 S was the first vehicle to bear the Ferrari name when it debuted on May 11, 1947 [1] at the Piacenza racing circuit. Like the 815, but unlike its inline-8 predecessor, partly developed from Fiat engine components, the 125 S featured a Ferrari designed and built engine; the Colombo V12 (the "125"), a trait it shared with most Ferrari cars of the following decades. The 125 S was replaced by the 159 S later in 1947.
The 125 S used a steel tube-frame chassis [2] and had a double wishbone suspension with transverse leaf springs in front with a live axle in the rear. Hydraulic power drum brakes were specified front and rear.
The 125 S was powered by Gioacchino Colombo's 1.5 L (1497 cc/91 in³) 60° V12 with a bore/stroke of 55 x 52.5 mm . This engine produced 118 bhp (87 kW) at 6,800 rpm with a compression ratio of 9.5:1. It was a single overhead camshaft design with 2 valves per cylinder and three double-choke Weber 30DCF carburettors.
A five-speed transmission was used in the 125 S as it was better able to exploit the power curves of the high revving V-12 better than a traditional four-speed gearbox.
One of the two Ferrari 125 S examples is located in the "Vault", which is the lowest level of the Petersen Automotive Museum in California. Ref 4. [3]
Recently, the chassis with serial number 010I was used in the restoration of a 125 S. It is rumoured that 010I is actually s/n 01C. The story goes that 01C was re-stamped as 010I, and sold to a customer as a new car. Upon taking receipt of the car, the new owner immediately exclaimed, muletto!, which means "Test mule" in Italian, as he could clearly see that his supposedly new car was in fact a used, well-raced car. Ferrari made a new invoice for the car, including a considerable rebate given the car's second-hand nature.
Still in 166 Spyder Corsa configuration, the car was recently sold to Symbolic Motors. Close inspection of the chassis and its serial number led to the discovery of an old stamping that could possibly read 01C. It had been covered by an aluminum plate which bore the serial number 010I. Subsequently, the car was sold to its current owner, who refitted the chassis with a body similar to the factory's 125 S replica, which was built by Michelotto in 1987. The alleged 01C made its public debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and was entered as a "Ferrari 125 S". The car continues to be the subject of much debate among Ferrari historians and enthusiasts; recent developments indicate that the restamped serial number was in fact a correction and not an alteration. [4] [ citation needed ].
The 125 S debuted at the Circuito di Piacenza, driven by Franco Cortese, [5] but was unable to finish the race, despite a favorable showing against the strong Maserati 6CS 1500s.
Two weeks later, the 125 S claimed Ferrari's first victory at the Grand Prix of Rome on the Terme di Caracalla Circuit, where it was also driven by Cortese. [5] The car had spun a bearing in practice, and was repaired in the shop of Tino Martinoli, who later came to America with the Ferrari Indy car team.
The 125 S won six of its fourteen races in 1947, though drivers Clemente Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone were unable to win the 1947 Mille Miglia in it.
The Ferrari Colombo engine is a petrol fueled, water cooled, carburetted 60° V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo and produced in numerous iterations by Italian automaker Ferrari between 1947 and 1988. The maker's first homegrown engine, its linear successor is the Lampredi V12, which it far outlived, the last Lampredi being made in 1959.
Ferrari America is a series of flagship grand touring Ferrari models primarily built for the North American market in the 1950s and 1960s. The America models were equipped with large V12 engines and often had custom bodywork done by famous coachbuilders in Italy. All America models used a live axle in the rear, were front-engined, and had worm and sector steering.
The Ferrari 166 S was a sports car built by Ferrari between 1948 and 1953, as a evolution of its Colombo V12-powered 125 S racer. It was adapted into a sports car for the street in the form of the 166 Inter.
The Ferrari 250 is a series of sports cars and grand tourers built by Ferrari from 1952 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series includes many variants designed for road use or sports car racing. 250 series cars are characterized by their use of a 3.0 L (2,953 cc) Colombo V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo. The 250 series designation refers to this engine's cylinder displacement of approximately 250 cc. They were replaced by the 275 and 330 series cars.
The Ferrari P was a series of Italian sports prototype racing cars produced by Ferrari during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Prince Igor Nikolayevich Troubetzkoy was a French aristocrat and athlete of Russian descent.
The Ferrari 212 Inter replaced Ferrari's successful 166 and 195 Inter grand tourers in 1951. Unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show that year, the 212 was an evolution of the 166 — a sports car for the road that could also win international races. In 1951, two 212 Inters, both Vignale coupés, driven by Taruffi/Chinetti and Ascari/Villoresi, scored 1–2 victory at Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.
Maserati A6 were a series of grand tourers, racing sports cars and single seaters made by Maserati of Italy between 1947 and 1956. They were named for Alfieri Maserati and for their straight-six engine.
The Ferrari 159 S (1947) was the second Ferrari vehicle, succeeding the Ferrari 125 S that had won six of 14 races earlier in 1947. Only two 159S were built, one of these rebuilt as a Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa, and as of 2012, the oldest remaining Ferrari.
The Ferrari 195 S was a sport car produced by Ferrari in 1950, as a improved version of the 166 MM. The 195 S won Mille Miglia, Coppa della Toscana and Giro delle Calabria.
The Ferrari 250 S was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1952. It was the first in the long lineage of Ferrari 250 road and race cars powered by a ubiquitous 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine. In 1952 the 250 S won the Mille Miglia and 12 Hours of Pescara. At the Le Mans, the same year, it clocked the fastest race lap time. Only a single example was produced.
The Ferrari 225 S was a sport car produced by Ferrari in 1952. It was an evolution over the preceding Ferrari 212 Export with important engine upgrades that greatly improved power output. The model was extensively used in competition, winning many international races. The most important include 1952 Monaco Grand Prix for sports cars, Portuguese Grand Prix, Coppa d'Oro di Sicilia, Coppa della Toscana, Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti and many others. It was the final Colombo V12 engine iteration before the 250-family stretched it to 3.0-litres capacity.
The Ferrari Monza is one of a series of cars built by Ferrari. In the early 1950s, Ferrari shifted from using the compact Gioacchino Colombo-designed V12 engine in its smallest class of sports racers to a line of four-cylinder engines designed by Aurelio Lampredi. Inspired by the success of the light and reliable 2.5 L 553 F1 car, the four-cylinder sports racers competed successfully through the late 1950s, culminating with the famed 500 Mondial and 750 Monza.
The Ferrari 212 Export was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1951–1952. The 212 Exports won Tour de France automobile, Giro di Sicilia, Coppa della Toscana, 10 Hours of Messina and other motor races throughout its career. It was meant to be a sports car available for oversea markets.
The Ferrari 250 Monza was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1954. It was a combination of a stretched chassis and body from the line of inline-four-engined racers with an ubiquitous 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine.
Vittorio Jano designed a new 60° V12 engine for sports car racing for Ferrari. This new engine, introduced in 1956, combined elements of both Colombo and Lampredi engines with new features. Engine architecture was more of Lampredi school but retained smaller Colombo internal measurements. Jano moved to Ferrari along with his designs for the Lancia D50 in 1955 and went on to design not only a new V12 but also a family of the Dino V6 engines soon after. Some of the technical ideas came from the Jano's Lancia V8 DOHC engine, intended for Formula One. This family of engines replaced Lampredi inline-4s known from Ferrari Monza line and went on to win many international races and titles for Ferrari. The design team comprised Jano as well as Vittorio Bellentani, Alberto Massimino, and Andrea Fraschetti.
The Ferrari 410 S was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1955–1956. After the racing successes of 375 Plus, mainly in 1954 Carrera Panamericana, Ferrari decided to prepare another model for this marathon. The 410 S was intended as a long-distance race car originally designed for the 1955 Carrera Panamericana and was the final model of the Lampredi V12 sports car lineage. The next generation of sports racing cars that replaced the 410 S were powered by the new Jano V12 engines.
The Ferrari 275 S was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1950. It was the first Ferrari powered by a new Aurelio Lampredi-designed V12 engine, created as a large displacement alternative to the initial 1,5 L Colombo V12, used in supercharged form in Ferrari 125 F1. Formula One regulations allowed for up to 4.5 L in naturally aspirated form.
The Ferrari 250 MM was a sport car produced by Ferrari from 1952 to 1954. After the initial racing successes of the 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine, introduced in the 250 S one-off, Ferrari produced a serial racing model. It is best recognisable for the distinctive closed berlinetta bodywork by Pinin Farina. The "MM" in its name stood for the Mille Miglia race.
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4. Michael Bodell, Deputy Director and COO, Petersen Automotive Museum. Source: YouTube video: First Time Ever! Full Petersen Collection Tour, premiered 12-02-2020.