Ferrari 250 LM

1964 Ferrari 250 LM

Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move for road use, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1963. Although these cars shared their names (based on engine displacement) with road models, they were almost entirely dissimilar. The first mid-engined Ferrari road car did not arrive until the 1967 Dino, and it was 1971 before a Ferrari V12 was placed behind a road-going driver in the 365 GT4 BB.

250 P

The 250 P racer was almost entirely unrelated to the other 250 cars. It was a mid-engined sports car racer with a 250 Testa Rossa V12 engine. The car was produced in 1963 and won the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the manufacturers' championship.

250 LM

The 250 P evolved into a salable mid-engined racer for the public, the 250 LM. Introduced at Paris in November, 1963, the LM was successful for privately-entered racers around the world. About 32 models were built in 1964 and 1965, with all but the first few powered by 3.3 L 320 hp (238 kW) engines, though the name did not change with the increase in displacement. A fully-independent double wishbone suspension was specified with rack and pinion steering and four wheel disc brakes.

32 total 250 LM chassis were built from 1963 to 1965, with all but the first chassis (s/n 5149, the Paris Auto Show car with a 250 P engine) powered by 3.3-liter 320 bhp (238 kW) engines as used in the 275 P. According to Ferrari naming convention, the 3.3 litre cars should have been designated "275 LM", however Enzo Ferrari insisted that the name remain 250 LM in order to facilitate the homologation process. The 250 LM shared fully independent double wishbone suspension, rack and pinion steering, four wheel disc brakes and 5-speed transaxle with the 250 P, however the tubular space frame chassis was significantly strengthened with the roof structure, additional cross-bracing and heavier gauge tubing. The interior was trimmed out as a nod to the ostensible production status of the car, but ultimately it was little different from a prototype racer.[3][17][18]

The 250 LM was successfully raced around the world by both factory-supported and privateer racers. Unlike the 250/275/330 P cars, new 250 LMs were sold to private customers and campaigned by privateer teams. From 1964 through 1967, 250 LMs were raced by Scuderia Ferrari, NART, Maranello Concessionaires, Ecurie Filipinetti, Ecurie Francorchamps and others, even when this model was no longer competitive with the latest factory prototypes.[19][17][20] Notably, a 250 LM (chassis 5893) entered by the North American Racing Team won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory. This remains Ferrari's last overall victory in the endurance classic.[21][22] This car is now owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and was displayed at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.[23][24]

The 250 LM is highly sought-after by serious auto collectors and individual cars are often featured at auctions, car shows and historic racing events. 250 LMs typically sell for more than $10 million USD and auction records for this model have been repeatedly broken in the past 10 years.

330 P

The 250 P was stretched in 1964 to accept the 4.0 L 330 engine, becoming the 330 P.

330 P2

An entirely new car, the 330 P2, followed in 1965. It was first used by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) at Daytona that year. It was powered by a 410 hp (305 kW) version of the 330 V12.

330 P3

The 1966 330 P3 introduced fuel injection to the Ferrari stable. It also used a an P3 (Type 593) transmission that was prone to failure and was replaced by a ZF transmission when the P3 were converted to 412P's, another Ferrari first that would only last one season when the ZF's were replaced by 603R P4 transmissions in the 412P's.

330 P4

1967 saw the ultimate mid-engined 330 P, the 330 P4. With a 3-valve cylinder head added to the P3's fuel injection system, output was up to 450 hp (335 kW). Only four were ever made. Due to its great fame, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built.

The 330 P4 electrified the racing world when three of the four crossed the finish line together (in first, second, and third place) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona and became a symbol of victory over arch-enemy Ford. Surprisingly the 330 P4 had poor aerodynamics even in comparison with its rivals, but its sexy looks continue to grab attention.

One of the original cars 0846 which was built as a P3 by Ferrari in 1966 and modified by Ferrari in December 1966 to accept a P4 engine while retaining it's P3 chassis and nose was said to be totaled in a racing accident and discarded afterwards, another is in a French automobile museum, another is held by a Canadian collector, and the fourth (owned by American Walter Medlin) was set to be auctioned off in March 2005 to pay for back taxes before the owner came up with US$3 million to protect it.

The "destroyed" P4 car, chassis no. 0846, allegedly resurfaced in the possession of exotic car collector and enthusiast Jim Glickenhaus, the former movie director and stock exchange magnate. He bought it as a replica only to discover during restoration that:

"After Le Mans 1967, Ferrari 330 P 3/4 0846 was returned to the Ferrari factory where it was deconstructed, investigated and scrapped. Years later, James Glickenhaus acquired remains of 0846, including remains of the original chassis, and with help from Ferrari S.p.A. who recast suspension uprights, commissioned Sal Barone, Alberto Pedretti, Bob Wallace and John Hadduk Jr. to restore 0846 to original specifications."

In an email dated 6/10/2005 Joanne Marshall of Ferrari S.p.A. wrote: "We confirm that, as far as our factory records are concerned, the chassis in question (0846) was totally written off in 1967 after the Le Mans incident."

Glickenhaus has never disputed this but believes that the remains of 0846, including 80+% of it's original chassis survived and that those and other remains of 0846 are currently in the car that he owns.

Very strangely the following letter which I first saw posted on wikipedia, which I've never received and is dated before an October 5, 2004 letter I did receive from Ferrari which simply thanked me for my "extensive documentation" and said Ferrari would look into the matter, if it is genuine, and an "impeccable source" claims it is, would make me very happy:

"A letter from Ferrari S.p.A. - dated September 29th, 2004:

Subject: P3/4 Chassis no. 0846

Dear Mr. Glickenhaus,

We wish to thank you for the extensive dossier you have sent regarding the above mentioned vehicle that as confirmed on our letter dated October 5th, we have examined in detail.

The car was built on February 1966 as a P3 version and during its racing period, officially managed by the Factory, it went though several modifications in order to race the 24 hours of Daytona in 1967 as a P3/4.

We also confirm that, as reported in your dossier, the car caught fire during the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was then totally dismantled and because of the extended damages detected, the factory decided not to perform any repair and to write off the chassis no. 0846.

If some of the remaining components such as engine and gearbox were considered as possible spare parts, the chassis, because of its racing history and the fire damages suffered, was definitively scrapped.

Therefore eventual pieces retrieved from the trash container should not have been used to rebuild or to revival a car which was written off, if this is the case.

We all would like to see forever these glorious pieces but unfortunately the chassis no. 0846 had a sad conclusion.

Yours faithfully Ferrari Classiche

Umberto Masoni"

This letter confirms that 0846's chassis was written off and scrapped, not melted into oblivion. For many years this is ALL and EXACTLY what I've posited happened:That my car contains 80+% of the chassis remains of P 3/4 0846 among other original parts. I've never disputed that as far a Ferrari is concerned 0846 was written off/scrapped thus under Ferrari's authentication definitions my car could not be authenticated by them.

As an aside I am not the one who retrieved the chassis remains of 0846 "from the trash container" and used them to "to rebuild or to revival a car which was written off, if this is the case." I do believe that I am the one who discovered exactly where the chassis remains of 0846 wound up and to insure that Umberto's wish: "We all would like to see forever these glorious pieces..." remains possible.

Ferrari has recently expressed an interest in meeting with me re: 0846 and I'm hopeful that meeting will occur and that this discussion will continue.

The original P4 cars are estimated to be worth about US$10 million each. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g. a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) may be built for $50,000.

412 P

The Ferrari 412P was a "consumer version" of the famous 330 P3/P4 race car, built for independent teams like Scuderia Filippinetti. These cars had carburetor engines instead of the factory Lucas fuel injection. Surviving 412P cars are worth approximately US$ 6 million nowadays.