The Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans was a car built by Ferrari in 1950. Only 6 were produced. It was designed primarily for racing, and was an improvement of earlier models of the Ferrari 166, such as the 166MM Barchetta. This "Berlinetta" design was a little heavier than previous models, but was supposed to perform better in high-speed races such as the Le Mans races. [1] The two cars that were entered in 1950 for the Le Mans did not finish. [2]
The Ferrari 166MM Berlinetta was fitted the same chassis as the Ferrari 166 Barchettas. The bodies were crafted by Superleggera and were completely aluminum. [2] This design of the chassis was created in 1937 by Anderloni. [3] Small diameter tubing was gas welded to create the steel skeleton, which was later fastened to the car. The front suspension was independent with a transverse leaf spring while the rear suspension had a live axle with leaf springs. Large drum brakes were placed on the wheels to better the stopping power, something that Ferrari would continue for several years. [3] The engine of one example updated to 195 S-spec received a boost from previous models, now producing 170 horsepower instead of 140. [1] The Berlinetta was produced as a 2-door fastback coupe with a spark ignition four-stroke V-12 engine. Just like all the other 166s, the car had a three-carburetor set up. The berlinetta was rear wheel drive. It had a manual 5-speed transmission with a top speed of a 189 km/h, or 117 mph. The 0–60 mph time was 8.5 seconds. [4]
Recent 166 Berlinettas that have been either sold at auction or featured in magazines include:
The Chassis number 0066M is equipped with the engine number 0066M. The car was finished on June 14, 1949. It was purchased by Anteo Allazetta of Trieste straight from the factory. The car originally had a single carburetor, but was later converted to a three-carburetor setup to match the other 166 MM Berlinettas in 1950 so that it could be raced. [5]
Allazetta raced in the Trieste-Opicina Hill climb on June 21, 1953. The car placed 1st in its class and 4th overall. It was then raced on July 12, 1953, in the Coppa d’Oro Dolomiti where the car placed second in its class and 5th overall in the race. In the Trieste-Opicinia Hill climb, the car placed fourth in class and 5th overall. The 166 Berlinetta was then sold in 1958 to David Francis Leopold in the United States. It was then purchased by George Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio, a year later and then sold again in 1961 to Donald Williams. Fred Leydorf then purchased the car and gave it a complete restoration along with an engine rebuild. In 1972, the 166 Berlinetta was sold to John R. Bond of California where it would be featured on the cover of Road & Track in the late 1970s. The car was then imported to Yokohama, Japan, after being bought by Tohru Horinouchi in 1984. Horinouchi also gave the car another complete, four-year, restoration. It was then sold at the Gooding and Company auction in Pebble Beach, California. It sold for $2,200,000 in 2008. [6]
The Chassis Number 020I was constructed by Colombo, Ferrari's chief engineer. It was one of the first vehicles to actually have the name "Ferrari". It was driven by Cortese Franco and was at its best when raced on tracks with many corners. It won its first Gran Prix in Rome, and its second race won in Vercelli. It then was damaged at the Terme di Caracalla and therefore could not race. However it was repaired and was able to race again, but this time Tazio Nuvolariwas behind the wheel. He won at the Forlio Circuit and at the Coppa Luigi Arcangeli in Parma. 020I suffered another accident in testing and was given a new body along with an engine replacement. The car originally had the chassis number "02C", however at some point in time, the "C" was mistaken for an "O" and then an "I" was added, to create the serial number "020I". [7]
Dino was a marque best known for mid-engined, rear-drive sports cars produced by Ferrari from 1957 to 1976. The marque came into existence in late 1956 with a front-engined Formula Two racer powered by a brand new Dino V6 engine. The name Dino was used for some models with engines smaller than 12 cylinders, it was an attempt by the company to offer a relatively low-cost sports car. The Ferrari name remained reserved for its premium V12 and flat-12 models until 1976, when "Dino" was retired in favour of full Ferrari branding.
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans. Many iconic car models, such as the Ferrari 250 GT, Jaguar E-Type, and Aston Martin DB5, are considered classic examples of gran turismo cars.
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's Tipo 168/62 Colombo V12 engine. The "250" in its name denotes the displacement in cubic centimeters of each of its cylinders; "GTO" stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, Italian for "Grand Touring Homologated".
The Ferrari 550 Maranello is a front-engine V12 2-seat grand tourer built by Ferrari from 1996 to 2002. The 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 years after the 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer.
Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera is an Italian automobile coachbuilder. Originally established in Milan in 1925, Carrozzeria Touring became well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented superleggera construction methods. The business folded in 1966. In 2006 its brands and trademarks were purchased and a new firm was established nearby to provide automotive design, engineering, coachbuilding, homologation services, non-automotive industrial design, and restoration of historic vehicles.
The Ferrari 166 S was a sports racing 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. 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.
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.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan is a one-off Ferrari made in 1962 from a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, chassis number 2819 GT. It was built to compete against the new 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other FIA World Sportscar Championship races.
Ferrari used its 2 L (1995 cc/121 in3) V12 engine in a number of models, all called 166 for the displacement of a single cylinder. Most early 166es were sports cars built for racing, though a later line of GT cars launched the company's street model line.
The Ferrari 166 Inter was Ferrari's first true grand tourer. An evolution of the 125 S and 166 S racing cars, it was a sports car for the street with coachbuilt bodies. The Inter name commemorated the victories claimed in 166 S models by Scuderia Inter. 38 units of the 166 Inter were built from 1948 through 1950. Note that both the 166 S and 166 F2 were also called "166 Inter" in the days that they were actively raced by the Scuderia of the same name.
The Ferrari 195 S was a sports racing 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 sports racing 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 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 375 MM, was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari from 1953 to 1955. It was named "375" for the unitary displacement of one cylinder in the 4.5 L V12 engine, and the "MM" stood for the Mille Miglia race. In total 26 units were made, including four converted from the 340 MM.
The Ferrari 250 MM was a sports racing 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.
The Ferrari 250 GT Coupé represented a series of road-going, grand touring cars produced by Ferrari between 1954 and 1960. Presented at the 1954 Paris Motor Show, the 250 Europa GT was the first in the GT-lineage. The design by Pinin Farina was seen as a more civilised version of their sporty Berlinetta 250 MM. Series built cars were an answer to the wealthy clientele demands of a sporty and luxurious Ferrari Gran Turismo, that is also easier to use daily.
The Dino 206 S is a sports prototype produced by Ferrari in 1966–1967 under the Dino marque. Ferrari intended to produce at least fifty examples for homologation by the CSI in the Sport 2.0 L Group 4 category. As only 18 were made, the car had to compete in the Prototype 2.0-litre class instead. In spite of this handicap the Dino 206 S took many class wins. The 206 S was the last of the Dino sports racing cars and simultaneously the most produced.
