Ferrari 500 TR on:  
[Wikipedia]  
[Google]  
[Amazon]
The Ferrari Monza is one of a series of cars built by
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
. In the early 1950s,
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
shifted from using the compact
Gioacchino Colombo Gioachino Colombo (1903–1988) was an Italian automobile engine designer. Colombo was born in Legnano. He began work as an apprentice to Vittorio Jano at Alfa Romeo.
In 1937, Colombo designed the 158 engine for the Alfetta and caught the attentio ...
-designed
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines.
The fi ...
in its smallest class of sports racers to a line of
four-cylinder
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
engines designed by
Aurelio Lampredi
Aurelio Lampredi (16 June 1917 – 1 June 1989) was an Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer.
Born in Livorno, he began his career before World War II at Piaggio, moved to Isotta Fraschini, and then joined Reggiane. This time he design ...
. 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.
V12 models used
downdraft carburettors located centrally in the "valley" of the engine, while the inline-engined fours used side-draft units and thus did not need the hood scoops.
Almost all Monzas had of wheelbase, except for 250 and 860 Monza.
1953
1953 was a breakout year for Ferrari, beginning with the new
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.
The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...
series. The company augmented their traditional V12-powered
250 MM with the new
340 MM and
375 MM and introduced the new four-cylinder 625 TF and 735 S models. With this profusion of cars, Ferrari was able to sweep the first running of the sportscar championship.
625 TF
The first four-cylinder closed-wheel sports racer from Ferrari was the 625 TF of 1953. Resembling the Vignale-designed
250 MM spyder in most respects, the 625 TF used a 2.5 L (2498 cc/152 in³) straight-4 lifted from the
625 F1 car instead of the 250's 3.0 L V12. It was a small car, with the same 2,250 mm (89 in) wheelbase as the 250 but even lighter at 730 kg (1,610 lb). The engine produced 220 hp (164 kW) at 7,000 rpm and could push the little roadster to over 240 km/h (150 mph).
The lightweight car debuted at the hands of
Mike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn (10 April 1929 – 22 January 1959) was a British racing driver. He became the United Kingdom's first Formula One World Champion driver in 1958, whereupon he announced his retirement, having been profoundly affected by the ...
at
Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
on June 29, 1953. Although it could not keep up on the long straights at that track, Hawthorn still brought the car to fourth place at its debut.
A single closed 625 TF berlinetta, one of the last Ferraris designed and built by Vignale, was created in the Spring of 1953. Per Giulio Vignale, it was destroyed in a fire. There is speculation it was rebodied as a Spyder by Scaglietti in 1954 but this is unconfirmed.
735 S
The same day that the 625 TF debuted, another car was fielded for
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...
. Sporting an enlarged 2.9 L (2941.66 cc/179 in³)
engine, Ascari's 735 S was more capable at Monza, leading the race until he collided with a 250 MM. The 735 S was a barchetta bodied by
Carrozzeria Autodromo
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
with recessed headlights, a drooping grille, and fender vents. Pinin Farina and Scaglietti also bodied an example each.
500 Mondial
The early experiments with Lampredi's four-cylinder engine led to the creation of the famed 500 Mondial. Named to mark the world ("Mondial") championships won by
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...
, the 500 Mondial featured a 2.0 L version of Lampredi's four-cylinder engine in a small and light body with an advanced suspension. The car debuted on December 20, 1953 at the
12 Hours of Casablanca
The 12 Hours of Casablanca was a sports car endurance race organised on the route of the future Ain-Diab Circuit in Morocco. Only two editions were held in 1952 and 1953, before the race was replaced by the Moroccan Grand Prix in Agadir for the 1 ...
driven by Ascari and
Luigi Villoresi
Luigi Villoresi (16 May 1909 – 24 August 1997) was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.
Biography
Born in Milan, Lombardy, and nicknamed "Gigi", he was the older ...
, placing second to a
375 MM. In 1954 four 500 Mondials were entered in
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
race, with best result being second overall after
Lancia D24
The Lancia D24 was a sports racing car introduced by Lancia in 1953, and raced in the 1953 and 1954 seasons. It kept the overall layout of its predecessor the D23—that is a multi-tubular frame chassis, double wishbones/ De Dion suspension, tr ...
. The Mondial remained competitive through the end of the decade, including an entry in the 1957 Mille Miglia, and was raced as late as 1962, when Javier Valesquez entered chassis 0448MD in the 1962 Carrera Presidential race in Mexico City.
The 500 Mondial's 2.0 L (1984.86 cc/121 in³) engine was taken from the
500 F2 which won the world championship but was detuned to produce 170 hp (127 kW).
It was extremely light at 720 kg (1,590 lb). and handled well with a modern
de Dion tube
De Dion rear axle
A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...
rear suspension.
The first 500 Mondials were spiders bodied by
Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
, but
Carrozzeria Scaglietti
Carrozzeria Scaglietti () was an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding company active in the 1950s. It was founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 as an automobile repair concern, but was located across the road from Ferrari in Maranello outsid ...
later created a series of barchettas. Two berlinettas were also built by Pinin Farina. 29 were built in total. Of the 13 Pininfarina spiders built, 5 were the earlier Series I version with covered headlights.
The car won the prestigious Gran Turismo Trophy at the 2012
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the pinnacle event of its kind and one of the most prestigious car events in ...
, meaning it will eventually be re-created for use in
Gran Turismo 6
''Gran Turismo 6'' is a racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the sixth major release and twelfth game overall in the '' Gran Turismo'' video game series. It w ...
.
1954–1955
The 1954 and 1955 seasons were the heyday of the four-cylinder Ferrari sports racer. The company hit its stride, earning the
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.
The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...
in 1954 and contending in 1955 despite the legendary
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
team. The Ferrari sports car lineup at the beginning of 1954 was made up of the 2.0 L 500 Mondial and 3.0 L 750 Monza. The team replaced the Mondial with the 500 TR later that year, and feverishly worked to hold off Mercedes-Benz, developing the larger 857 S and six-cylinder
118 LM and
121 LM. The planned V12 sports racer family, including the 250 Monza of 1954 and planned
410 S of 1955, were less notable.
750 Monza
1954 saw the introduction of a new four-cylinder sports racer, the 750 Monza. Sporting a three-litre version of the 500 Mondial's engine, the Monza was much more powerful, with 260 PS (191 kW) available, but barely heavier at 760 kg (1,675 lb). The new-style body was penned by Pinin Farina and presaged the droop-nose look of the famed
250 GTO, but it was Scaglietti's 750 Monza, with its faired-in headrest suggesting the flowing
Testa Rossa
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, or 250 TR, is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961. It was introduced at the end of the 1957 racing season in response to rule changes that enforced a maximum engine displacement of 3 litres for t ...
that drew attention.
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...
was killed in the car during an impromptu testing session at Monza in 1955.
Mike Hawthorn and
Umberto Maglioli
Umberto Maglioli (5 June 1928 – 7 February 1999) was a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 September 1953. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 3 championship ...
piloted their 750 Monza to victory at Monza
on its very first race, giving the car its name. Although they were strong on the track, the Monza was unable to hold off the
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
300 SLR in 1955, allowing the Germans to seize the sports car championship that Ferrari claimed in 1954.
Museo Ferrari
Museo Ferrari (previously known as Galleria Ferrari) is a Ferrari company museum dedicated to the Ferrari sports car marque. The museum is not purely for cars; there are also trophies, photographs and other historical objects relating to the Ital ...
">
File:1954 Ferrari 750 Monza rear side.jpg
File:1954 Ferrari 750 Monza right rear side.jpg
File:1954 Ferrari 750 Monza rear.jpg
857 S
The short-lived 857 S of 1955 was an attempt to hold off the strong
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
team, something the 750 Monza and the
376 S/
735 LM were unable to do. An existing 750 Monza chassis received an enlarged version of Lampredi's four, now displacing 3.4 L (3431.94 cc/208 in³)
and producing 280 PS (206 kW). The car was not competitive with the German team at the 1955
Tourist Trophy, so Lampredi went back to the drawing board for the next season. At the
1955 Targa Florio The 39a Targa Florio took place on 16 October, around the Madonie, Circuito delle Madonie Piccolo, (Sicily, Italy). It was also the sixth and final round of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season, F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. The tit ...
, the 857 S came third overall, driven by
Castellotti
The Cooper T51 was a Formula One and Formula Two racing car designed by Owen Maddock and built by the Cooper Car Company for the 1959 Formula One season. The T51 earned a significant place in motor racing history when Jack Brabham drove the car ...
. A year later, at the
1956 1000 km Buenos Aires,
Olivier Gendebien
Olivier Jean Marie Fernand Gendebien (12 January 1924 – 2 October 1998) was a Belgian racing driver who was called "one of the greatest sportscar racers of all time".
Rally racer
Gendebien spent some years in the Belgian Congo. On his return ...
and
Phil Hill
Philip Toll Hill Jr. (April 20, 1927 – August 28, 2008) was an American automobile racing driver. He was one of two American drivers to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, and the only one who was born in the United States ( ...
scored second place.
1956
With Mercedes-Benz pulling out of international sports car racing, the 860 Monza and new
290 MM showed well throughout 1956, bringing the sports car world championship home to Modena again. This despite the fact that
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
's new
D-Type took the crown at the newly restricted Le Mans and
Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
's
300 S took the
1000km Nürburgring
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
race.
500 TR
As the 750 was introduced in 1954, the smaller 500 Mondial was replaced by another two-liter car, the 500 TR. The first car to bear the famed
Testa Rossa
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, or 250 TR, is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961. It was introduced at the end of the 1957 racing season in response to rule changes that enforced a maximum engine displacement of 3 litres for t ...
name, the 500 TR differed from the Mondial in many details. Among the most important was a
coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
suspension, a radical departure for Ferrari, as well as a synchronized transmission with a two-disc clutch. The 500 TR continued its predecessors tradition of light weight, coming in at just 680 kg (1,500 lb), and this combined with the engine's 180 hp (132 kW)
to bring stirring performance to the car. Scaglietti bodied all of the 500 TRs.
860 Monza
Although little changed on paper from the 857 S, the 1956 860 Monza was much more competitive in international sports car racing. The engine was reworked with 102 mm (4 in) by 105 mm (4.1 in) dimensions for a total of 3.4 L (3431.93 cc/209 in³),
though power output remained at 280 PS (206 kW). The wheelbase was lengthened by 100 mm (3.9 in) to 2,350 mm (93 in), but a new front
coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
suspension, as on the 500 TR, allowed the 100 kg (220 lb) heavier car to handle well. In
1956 12 Hours of Sebring Fangio and Castellotti team won the race with Musso and Schell scoring 2nd place. Also in 1956, during
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
two 860 Monzas placed second and third overall.
625 LM
After the
1955 Le Mans disaster
The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French ...
, the
ACO reduced engine size and restricted prototype entries for the 1956
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
to control the speed and danger of the race. Ferrari could not enter its 1956 3.4 L
860 Monza and 3.5 L
290 MM in race, so it instead modified three 500 TR barchettas to take the larger 2.5 L engine, and entered them as the 625 LM. The engine was only slightly modified from the
625 F1 with compression reduced to 9:1 and two Weber 42DCO/A carburettors used. Of the three, only the car of
Gendebien/
Trintignant finished, placing third to the privately entered Ecurie Ecosse
Jaguar D-Type
The Jaguar D-Type is a sports racing car that was produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd. between 1954 and 1957. Designed specifically to win the Le Mans 24-hour race, it shared the straight-6 XK engine and many mechanical components with its C-Type ...
and a factory entered
Aston Martin DB3S
The Aston Martin DB3S is a sports racing car that was built by Aston Martin. Following the failure of the heavy and uncompetitive Aston Martin DB3 designed by Eberan Eberhorst; William Watson, employed as Eberhorst's assistant, presented an alter ...
(both these models had been produced and sold in sufficient numbers to be classed as 'production' sports cars and therefore not subject to the 2.5 litre restriction on 'prototypes'). Out of fours cars, three were bodied by
Carrozzeria Touring
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 bus ...
, and the design aped the 750 Monza including the faired-in headrest.
1957
Ferrari handed off the four-cylinder sports racer line to customers at the end of 1956, choosing to equip Scuderia Ferrari with the ''
Jano
Jano is a town and Municipalities of Honduras, municipality in the north west of the Honduras, Honduran Departments of Honduras, department of Olancho department, Olancho, west of Guata, south of Esquipulas del Norte and north of Manto, Olancho, ...
'' V12-powered
315 S and 335 S cars as well as the
''Colombo'' V12-powered
250 Testa Rossa.
500 TRC
The 1956/7 500 TRC was an altered version of the successful 500 TR of the previous year. The most significant changes were made to comply with ''Annex C'' of the International Racing Code, resulting in the "C" added to the model's name.
In order to follow these regulations, Ferrari widened the cockpit, added a passenger side door, fitted a full width windscreen with wipers, installed a fuel tank and even added a stowable convertible top. The Scaglietti-built body, while similar to that of the 500 TR, had a lower hood and slightly reshaped wheel arches and fenders. Another change from the 500 TR was the longer 2,350 mm (93 in) wheelbase, derived from the 860 Monza. Suspension featured coil springs all around with a live rear axle. Like the 500 TR, the car weighed only 680 kg (1,500 lb), and produced 180 hp (132 kW).
Ferrari manufactured a total of 19 500 TRC chassis between 1956 and 1957. This model was the last 4-cylinder racing car built by Ferrari.
Even though this model was never raced by Scuderia Ferrari as a works car, 500 TRCs were successfully raced by independent teams and drivers. At the
1957 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 25th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 22 and 23 June 1957, on the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was also the fifth round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. So ...
, a 500 TRC finished 7th overall, claiming victory in the 2,000 cc class, . Another 500 TRC claimed a 2,000 cc class win at the 1958
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...
.
Two 500 TRC chassis were upgraded by factory to 2.5-litre specification, creating the very rare 625 TRC model. They were both owned and raced by John von Neumann, owner of the Ferrari Representatives of California dealership. S/n 0672MDTR was further fitted with the 3.4 L 860 Monza engine, just to be refitted once more in 1958, this time with a 3.0 L
250 Testa Rossa unit. S/n 0680MDTR was sold on May 12, 2012 at
RM Sotheby's
RM Sotheby's, formerly RM Auctions, is a classic car auction company headquartered in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada. With offices across the United States and several European countries, the company's services include restoration, private treaty sale ...
auction in Monaco for €5 million.
Monza SP1/SP2
![Ferrari Monza SP1, Paris Motor Show 2018, IMG 0362](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Ferrari_Monza_SP1%2C_Paris_Motor_Show_2018%2C_IMG_0362.jpg)
The Monza SP1 and SP2 are limited production sports cars inspired by the previous Monza models, such as
750 Monza and
860 Monza. It was introduced in 2018. The cars mark the start of a new lineage of models called the "Icona" series, a program aimed at creating special cars inspired by classic Ferrari models, all to be produced in limited series. The SP1 is a single seater, while the SP2 features two seats. Fewer than 500 are expected to be produced.
See also
*
Ferrari 250 Monza
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.
Development
After ongoi ...
A "hybrid" sports racing car of extended 500 Mondial chassis and 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
{{Scuderia Ferrari
Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
Sports racing cars
24 Hours of Le Mans race cars