Ferrari 250
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 characterised by their use of a 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.
Similarities
Most 250 road cars share the same two wheelbases, for short wheelbase and for long wheelbase. Most convertibles used the SWB type.Nearly all 250s share the same Colombo Tipo 125 V12 engine. At, it was notable for its light weight and impressive output of up to in the Testa Rossa and GTO. The V12 weighed hundreds of pounds less than its chief competitors — for example, it was nearly half the weight of the Jaguar XK straight-6. Ferrari uses the displacement of a single cylinder as the model designation.
The V12 propelled the Ferrari 250 racing cars to numerous victories.
Racing models
Typical of Ferrari, the Colombo V12 made its debut on the race track, with the racing 250s preceding the street cars by three years.250 S
Based on Ferrari 225 S, the 250 S used a wheelbase with a "Tuboscocca" tubular trellis frame. Suspension was by double wishbones at the front, with double longitudinal semi-elliptic springs locating the live axle at the rear. The car had the drum brakes and worm-and-sector steering typical of the period. The dry-sump 3.0 L engine used three Weber 36DCF carburettors and was mated directly to a five-speed manual transmission.The experimental 250 S berlinetta prototype was entered in the 1952 Mille Miglia for Giovanni Bracco and Alfonso Rolfo. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of Rudolf Caracciola, Hermann Lang, and Karl Kling still used carburettors and had only yet were quite fast on the long straights of some Mille Miglia sections, and later set fastest practice lap at Le Mans. Kling was in the lead after Rome but the Bracco-Ferrari made up sufficient ground in the hills of the Futa Pass to win the race some four minutes ahead of Kling/Hans Klenk. The car was later entered at Le Mans and in the Carrera Panamericana, both won 1-2 by Mercedes.
250 MM
Following the success of the 250 S in the Mille Miglia, Ferrari showed a more conventional chassis for the new 250 engine at the 1952 Paris Motor Show. Pinin Farina then created coupé bodywork which had a small grille, compact tail and panoramic rear window, and the new car was launched as the 250 MM at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show. Carrozzeria Vignale's open barchetta version was also an innovative design whose recessed headlights and side vents became a Ferrari staple for the 1950s. 0334MM was the sole chassis with Vignale Berlinetta body, distinctive for its triple portholes on the bottom of front fenders, not on top.The 250 MM's wheelbase was longer than the 250 S at, with the coupé heavier than the barchetta. The V12 engine's dry sump was omitted from the production car, and the transmission was reduced by one gear. Power was increased to. The four-cylinder 625 TF and 735 S replaced the V12-powered 250 MM later in 1953.
The 250 MM's race debut was at the 1953 Giro di Sicilia with privateer Paolo Marzotto. A Carrozzeria Morelli-bodied 250 MM barchetta driven by Clemente Biondetti came fourth in the 1954 Mille Miglia.
250 Monza
The 1954 250 Monza was an unusual hybrid of the light four-cylinder 500 Mondial and the 250 line. The model used the 250 MM engine in the short-wheelbase chassis from the 500 Mondial. The first three used the Pinin Farina barchetta shape of the 750 Monza and 500 Mondial. One more 250 Monza was built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, an early use of the now-familiar coachbuilder. The 250 Monzas failed to gain much success and the union of the Monza chassis and 250 engine was not pursued for some time.250 Testa Rossa
The racing 250 Testa Rossa was one of the most successful Ferrari racing cars in its history, with three wins at Le Mans, four wins at Sebring, and two wins at Buenos Aires. One example sold at auction for a record-breaking $16.39 million.250 GTO
The 250 GTO was produced from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologato", Italian for "Homologated Grand Tourer". When new, the GTO sold for $18,000 in the United States, and buyers had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and his dealer for North America, Luigi Chinetti.In May 2012, the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis number 3505GT sold by an auction for US$38,115,000.
In October 2013, the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis number 5111GT sold by Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo to an unnamed buyer in a private transaction for US$52 million.
In August 2018, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis number 3413GT sold at auction for US$48,405,000.
Thirty-three cars were made in 1962 and 1963. In 1964 the Series II was introduced, which had a different body. Three such cars were made, and four older Series I cars were given a Series II body. It brought the total number of GTOs produced to 36.
In 2004, Sports Car International placed the 250 GTO eighth on a list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s, and nominated it the top sports car of all time. Motor Trend Classic placed it first on a list of the "Greatest Ferraris of all time".
250 P
The 250 P was a prototype racer produced in 1963, winning that year's 12 Hours of Sebring, 1000 km Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.The 250 P used an engine derived from the 250 Testa Rossa, mounted in a rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive configuration.
250 LM
The mid-engined 250 Le Mans looked very much the prototype racer but was intended for production as a road-going GT. Descended from the 250 P, the Le Mans also appeared in 1963 and sported Pininfarina bodywork by Aldo Brovarone. Ferrari was unable to persuade the FIA that he would build the 100 examples required to homologate the car for GT racing. Eventually, 32 LMs were built up to 1965. As a result, Ferrari withdrew from factory participation in the GT class of the 1965 World Sportscar Championship, allowing the Shelby Cobra team to dominate. A 250LM, competing in the Prototype category, won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans.Only the very early LM's were true 250 models. All the others were made as 3.3-litre models, and as such should have been named 275 LM. The early cars were converted to the 3.3-litre engine.
GT cars
The 250 design was successful both on the road and on the track. A number of GT models were built in varying states of road or racing trim.250 Europa
The 250 Europa, introduced at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, was the only one of the family to use a different engine, sporting the 2963 cc Lampredi V12 based on a design for Formula One 3.3 L engine. It was a square engine, with of bore and stroke, developing at 6,300 rpm, with three Weber 36DCF carburettors, and mated to a 4-speed transmission.With the long wheelbase and Ferrari 375 America-style bodies, it was designed as a grand tourer. Three different rear axle ratios were offered to customers, providing an estimated top speed between depending on the ratio. Both 250 Europa and 375 America shared the same chassis, wheelbase and mechanicals apart for the engine. The majority of bodywork were designed by Pinin Farina. Some had bodies designed by Giovanni Michelotti and constructed by Vignale. Styling resembled the 375 America and 340 Mexico coupes. 22 were made, including 17 Pinin Farina-built coupes, 4 Vignale coupes, 1 Pinin Farina cabriolet and 1 Vignale cabriolet. Two were later converted by the Ferrari factory to 375 America specification.
250 Europa GT
The first road car to use Colombo's 250 V12 was the 250 Europa GT, introduced at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. It was also the first Ferrari to use the Gran Turismo moniker. Pinin Farina's Paris coupé was just one of many shapes for the 250 GT model line, with coachbuilt production extending through 1956 before the 250 line became more standardized. The original 250 Europa GT used a wheelbase on a conventional chassis, with 600-16 Stella Bianca tyres. The wet sump V12 was tuned to, with three Weber 36DCZ3 carburettors. Echoing Vignale's 250 Europa, Pinin Farina added now-familiar vents to the front fenders, a standard styling cue for many of the 250 GTs that followed.Chassis Nr. 0373 finished third at the Liège-Rome-Liège rally in 1956
250 GT Coupé Boano and Ellena
Pinin Farina introduced a 250-based prototype coupé at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show which came to be called the 250 GT Boano. Intended as a styling exercise and inspiration to 250 GT Europa customers, the car generated demand that soon called for a production series.Unable to meet the demand without expansion, Pinin Farina asked Mario Boano, formerly of Ghia, to handle the construction. When Fiat later recruited Boano, he handed production duties to his son-in-law Ezio Ellena. With partner Luciano Pollo, Carrozzeria Ellena would produce the 250 GT for another few years. Ellena revised the car, raising the roof and removing the vent windows from the doors. These examples became known as the 250 GT Ellena.
Carrozzeria Boano built 74 250 GTs on the long-wheelbase chassis. Carrozzeria Ellena built another 50 Coupés.
All but one were coupés. The single convertible, 0461 GT, was sold to New York collector Bob Lee off the stand at the 1956 New York Auto Show. At the direction of Enzo Ferrari, Lee bought the car for $9,500, far below cost. He still owns it, making it one of the oldest Ferraris still in the hands of the original purchaser.