The Ferrari SP (also known as the Ferrari Dino SP) was a series of Italian
sports prototype
A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are n ...
racing cars produced by Ferrari during the early 1960s. All featured a rear mid-engine layout, a first for a Ferrari sports car.
Major racing accolades include the 1962
European Hill Climb Championship, two overall
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 ...
victories, in 1961 and 1962, and "
1962 Coupe des Sports" title.
At first the SP-series used
Vittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.
Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immi ...
-designed,
V6 ''
Dino'' engines in both
SOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
60° and
DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
65° forms. Later, Ferrari introduced a new SOHC 90° V8 engine designed by
Carlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti (19 December 1924 – 7 July 1994) was an Italian racing car and engine designer best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department. He also worked for Ferrari and was involved in the design of the Ferrari 156 Shar ...
. All used
dry sump
A dry-sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in four-stroke and large two-stroke piston driven internal combustion engines. The dry-sump system uses two or more oil pumps and a separate oil reservoir, as opposed to a conve ...
lubrication and were mated to a 5-speed
manual
Manual may refer to:
Instructions
* User guide
* Owner's manual
* Instruction manual (gaming)
* Online help
Other uses
* Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ
* Manual (band)
* Manual transmission
* Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...
transmission.
In total only six chassis were produced with various engine configurations. Many times they were modified and converted into a different specification. The tubular steel chassis, ''tipo 561'', featured all-round independent suspension and disc brakes. All shared the same wheelbase and open body style with some variations.
The rear mid-engine layout experience was soon carried over to the
V12 V12 or V-12 may refer to:
Aircraft
* Mil V-12, a Soviet heavy lift helicopter
* Pilatus OV-12, a planned American military utility aircraft
* Rockwell XFV-12, an American experimental aircraft project
* Škoda-Kauba V12, a Czechoslovak experim ...
-powered
Ferrari P
The Ferrari P was a series of Italian sports prototype racing cars produced by Ferrari during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move even with Cooper dominating F1, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in th ...
-series of sports prototypes. They arrived in 1963. Later, by 1965, Ferrari introduced their first mid-engined Dino sports prototype, the
166 P, powered by a V6 engine. The ''Chiti'' V8 engine did not carry over to any successor.
246 SP
At the 1961 special press conference, Ferrari unveiled their first mid-engined sports car, the Ferrari 246 SP. Although the front-engined
250 Testa Rossa had many racing successes during the late 1950s, the emergence of rear engine competitors in Grand Prix and sports car racing indicated that Ferrari required new design to stay competitive. Enzo Ferrari publicly denied in January 1959 that a rear engine car was in the works, however during this same year he privately tasked
Carlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti (19 December 1924 – 7 July 1994) was an Italian racing car and engine designer best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department. He also worked for Ferrari and was involved in the design of the Ferrari 156 Shar ...
with developing both a rear engine Formula One car and a rear engine sports car, to be introduced by the 1961 racing season. Chiti decided Jano's existing 2.4 litre 65° ''
Dino'' V6 design was suitable for use in both of these designs, due to its light weight and compact size. Development work proceeded through 1960 and early 1961, with the 246 SP completed in time for the 13 February 1961 press conference where it was introduced to the public.
The model proved its capabilities at the
1961 Targa Florio The 45° Targa Florio took place on 30 April 1961, on the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, (Sicily, Italy). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship, and third round of the FIA GT Cup.
Report
Entry
The event attracted ...
, which
Wolfgang von Trips
Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Reichsgraf Berghe von Trips (; 4 May 1928 – 10 September 1961), also known simply as Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips and nicknamed 'Taffy' by friends and fellow racers, was a German racing driver. He w ...
and
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 ...
had won outright.
With this the 246 SP scored one more point for the
1961 World Sportscar Championship
The 1961 World Sportscar Championship was the ninth season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It was contested over a five race series,Previous FIA Championship Winners, World Sports Car Championship (Makes), FIA Yearbook, 1974 whic ...
for Ferrari. For the
1962 World Sportscar Championship in the Sportscar class cars under 3000 cc, the 246 SP won two out of three rounds, including the
1962 Targa Florio
The 46° Targa Florio was a motor race which took place on 6 May 1962, on the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, Sicily, Italy. Ferraris placed first and second, with a Porsche finishing third. The race was part of the World Sportscar Championship as ...
and "1962 Coupe des Sports" title for Ferrari. Only two cars were produced (chassis 0790 and 0796
) and both were later converted into other types, with 0790 becoming a 196 SP in early 1963
and 0796 becoming a 250 P test mule before being destroyed in a crash.
Bodywork
![1961-03-14 Monza Ferrari 246 0790 Marchetti Savoni Chiti](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/1961-03-14_Monza_Ferrari_246_0790_Marchetti_Savoni_Chiti.jpg)
The 246 SP's bodywork was a collaboration between Carlo Chiti and
Medardo Fantuzzi
Medardo Fantuzzi (1906–1986) was an Italian automotive engineer, known for his Carrozzeria Fantuzzi body workshop.
Life
Fantuzzi was born in Bologna in 1906 and died in Modena in 1986.
Automotive engineer
He and his brother, Gino Fantuzzi we ...
, the owner of the Carrozzeria Fantuzzi. During the design process, solutions to reduce drag were tested in a wind tunnel. This resulted in the adoption of several new, innovative features, including a very low bonnet, high rear bodywork flush with the windscreen top and a vertical tail fin. A prominent detail were the two apertures, or air intakes in the front of the car. This solution was concurrently introduced on the 1961
Ferrari 156
The Ferrari 156 was a racing car made by Ferrari in 1961 to comply with then-new Formula One regulations that reduced engine displacement from 2.5- to 1.5-litres, similar to the pre-1961 Formula Two class for which Ferrari had developed a mid-eng ...
Formula One car, dubbed the "sharknose," and on the 1961
250 TRI61.
This front end styling had first appeared on a trio of
Maserati 250F
The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.
Mechanical details
The 250F principally used the SSG 220 bhp (@ 7400 rpm) 2 ...
s that Fantuzzi re-bodied in 1958 for racer Ross Jensen and team owner Temple Buell
(son of the
architect with the same name). Fantuzzi's suggestion that the twin intakes would improve air penetration was confirmed by Chiti's wind tunnel testing, leading to the adoption of this style throughout Ferrari's 1961 racing cars.
![1961 Ferrari 246-196 SP sn0790 Le Mans Classic 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/1961_Ferrari_246-196_SP_sn0790_Le_Mans_Classic_2010.jpg)
The bodywork was hand-shaped in Fantuzzi's workshop from 22 gauge aluminium sheet over wire forms. Major panels were designed to be detachable for easy maintenance access. Fantuzzi assigned one individual worker to oversee construction of each body shell. This division of labor, coupled with the use of traditional hand-built fabrication, resulted in slight differences between individual bodies.
During the course of early testing by Wolfgang von Trips and
Ritchie Ginther, Ferrari engineers discovered that the aerodynamics of the body caused instability at high speeds. This aerodynamic instability was thought to be the cause of a dramatic rollover crash during testing at Modena Autodrome, which resulted in bruising for test driver von Trips and minor cosmetic damage to the vehicle. The issue was solved by the removal of the vertical fin seen at the car's introduction and the addition of a tall rear
spoiler
Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...
, suggested by Ginther based on his wartime experience with aircraft.
For the 1962 racing season, Ferrari introduced a slightly changed body style for all Dino SP cars, including the two 246 SPs which were re-bodied. All windscreens and rear bodywork were lowered in response to an FIA regulation change, improving aerodynamics and driver visibility.
Chassis 0796 received a body with a slightly longer front end (often called the "long-nose" style), matching those of the newer SP-series cars, however 0790 remained with the earlier "short-nose" front bodywork.
Numerous other body modifications were performed during the course of the 246 SP's competition career, including many changes in intake/vent configuration to optimize air flow to the engine, brakes and driver. All SPs retained the "sharknose" front end until 1963, when even the 246 SPs were converted to a single front intake style. Windshield heights were also changed and side windows modified and/or removed, in order to improve visibility and cockpit temperatures. Despite these improvements, the 246 SP gained a reputation for having an extremely hot cockpit, with von Trips reportedly remarking "You could grow tomatoes in the cockpit during a seven-hour race."
Engine and transmission
The engine, mounted longitudinally and amidships, was a ''Tipo 171S'' 65° ''
Dino'' V6 unit based on the earlier ''Tipo 143'' used in the
246 F1. The block and heads were cast from
Silumin alloy.
The total capacity of from of bore and stroke was the same as the engines used in the 246 F1 and the 1960
Dino 246 S. The 65° engine had twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank driven by a timing chain, two valves per cylinder, and a 9.8:1 compression ratio. Resulting power was at 8000 rpm. The engine was fed by three
Weber 42DCN carburettors and used two 14mm Marchal spark plugs per cylinder with two coils and Magnetti Marelli distributors.
A dry sump lubrication system was used, with pumps for oil pressure/scavenging driven off the cams. The oil cooler and reservoir were located in the front of the vehicle. Two engine
short block
A replacement automobile engine is an engine or a major part of one that is sold individually without any other parts required to make a functional car (for example a drivetrain). These engines are produced either as aftermarket parts or as repr ...
s were manufactured for each 246 SP chassis, with a single set of cylinder heads swapped between them as needed.
The 246 SP used a 5 speed
transaxle
A transaxle is a single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission, axle, and differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual and automatic versions.
Engine and drive at the ...
designed by Engineer Giorgio Salvarani, similar to that used in the 156 F1. It was mounted to the rear of the car, behind the engine. It integrated in a compact package 5
straight cut, non-
synchromesh
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear changes ...
forward gears, one reverse gear, a hydraulically-actuated
multi-plate clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
, a
ZF-style
limited slip differential
A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic tr ...
and mountings for
inboard disc brakes. This transmission was shared among all Dino SP series cars.
Chassis, suspension and brakes
The 246 SP chassis was a tubular
space frame
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...
constructed from round steel tubing by
oxygen-acetylene welding. Durability was prioritized over weight savings during chassis design and construction, as Ferrari engineers attempted to ensure reliability during harsh endurance races. Fully independent
double wishbone suspension
A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle ...
was used on all four corners, with coil springs and
Koni shock absorber
A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulic device designed to absorb and damp shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typically heat) which is then dissipated. Most sh ...
s. The suspension design was extremely similar to that of the 156 F1.
Rack and pinon steering was also used, a new technology for Ferrari.
Disc brakes manufactured by
Dunlop were used on both the front and rear. Front and rear discs were both in diameter. Front discs were conventionally mounted outboard at the hub uprights, while the rear brakes were mounted inboard at the transaxle.
Racing
Chassis 0790
The first example produced, s/n 0790 was presented at the 1961 press conference. Its first outing after a couple of tests was the
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second round ...
, with Richie Ginther and
Wolfgang von Trips
Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Reichsgraf Berghe von Trips (; 4 May 1928 – 10 September 1961), also known simply as Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips and nicknamed 'Taffy' by friends and fellow racers, was a German racing driver. He w ...
driving. Although the car performed well, comfortably leading the field 3 hours into the race, it did not finish due to von Trips breaking a steering arm after jumping a curb and going off-track.
The first major victory for the car and its series came at the
1961 Targa Florio The 45° Targa Florio took place on 30 April 1961, on the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, (Sicily, Italy). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship, and third round of the FIA GT Cup.
Report
Entry
The event attracted ...
race. The winning team consisted of Wolfgang von Trips, Richie Ginther and
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 ...
. Later, the same trio scored a third place in the
1000 km 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 ...
despite engine and handling issues caused by wet, cold weather. The 246 SP 0790 was entered in the
1961 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ginther and von Trips as drivers. They managed to set the fastest lap in practice but retired when the car ran out of fuel on the
Mulsanne straight
The Mulsanne Straight (''Ligne Droite des Hunaudières'' in French) is the name used in English for a formerly long straight of the Circuit de la Sarthe around which the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race takes place. Since 1990, the straight is int ...
due to a miscalculation. Later the same year, another broken steering component during practice prevented Richie Ginther and
Giancarlo Baghetti
Giancarlo Baghetti (25 December 1934 – 27 November 1995) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, Automobili Turismo e Sport, BRM, Brabham and Lotus teams.
Baghetti is one of only three drivers to have won his first World Champions ...
from completing the
4 Hours of Pescara.
1962 started slowly, when an engine problem hindered the Rodriguez brothers from completing the 12 Hours of Sebring, in which they represented the
N.A.R.T. team. Later in May,
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 ( ...
and Olivier Gendebien took a first place at the 1000 km Nürburgring, again under rainy conditions. 0790 was then airfreighted to
Mosport Park
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi-Race track, track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. The facility features a , 10-turn road cou ...
to compete in the Players 200 Trophy race with driver
Innes Ireland
Lieutenant Robert McGregor Innes Ireland (12 June 1930 – 22 October 1993), was a British military officer, engineer, and motor racing driver, with 1 Championship and 8 non-Championship Formula 1 race victories, and several sports car wins inclu ...
. Ireland retired on lap 13 with engine problems. In August,
Mike Parkes
Michael Johnson Parkes (born 24 September 1931 in Richmond, London, Richmond, Surrey; died 28 August 1977 near Riva presso Chieri, Italy) was a British racing driver, from England. Parkes was born into an automotive background as his father Joh ...
won the Guards Trophy at the
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
, driving 0790 against Innes Ireland's
Lotus 19
The Lotus 19 or Monte Carlo is a mid-engine sports-racing car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus and built from 1960 until 1962.
Lotus 19
The 19 is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports racer with a fiberglass body over a space frame, original ...
. By 1963, 0790 was converted into 196 SP specification.
Chassis 0796
The second car of the series, s/n 0796, was also built in 1961. It competed alongside 0790 in the
1961 Targa Florio The 45° Targa Florio took place on 30 April 1961, on the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, (Sicily, Italy). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship, and third round of the FIA GT Cup.
Report
Entry
The event attracted ...
, driven by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, but crashed during the first lap with Hill driving. After the car was re-bodied, Hill and von Trips competed at the 1961 1000 km Nürburgring, but again retired after a crash with Hill at the wheel. 0796 was not seen in competition until the following season.
In 1962 Phil Hill and
Ricardo Rodríguez drove 0796 for N.A.R.T. at the
3 Hours of Daytona Continental, finishing second. Later the same year, Rodriguez and Gendebien aided by
Willy Mairesse
Willy Mairesse (1 October 1928 – 2 September 1969) was a Formula One and sports-car driver from Belgium. He participated in 13 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 June 1960. He achieved one podium and scored a total of seven champio ...
won in 0796 at the
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 ...
. Afterwards the car was extensively modified for its Le Mas participation, which it entered but did not finish due to a transmission failure. The Rodriguez brothers retired after 14 hours.
By the end of the year 0796 was used as a
development mule
A development mule (test mule, or simply mule) in the automotive industry is a testbed vehicle equipped with prototype components requiring evaluation. They are often camouflaged to cover their designs.
Application
Mules are necessary because a ...
for the
250 P, having a 3.0-litre V12 engine installed amidships on an extended chassis.
196 SP
The 1962 Ferrari 196 SP was a smaller-engined variation on the original 246 SP design, equipped with a 2.0-litre,
SOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
60° V6 ''Tipo 190'' engine. The 5 speed transmission, chassis, brakes and suspension were all unchanged from the 246 SP. The 196 SP was introduced at Ferrari's 24 February 1962 press conference alongside the 248 SP, 286 SP, the
250 GTO and the 156 F1.
At the model's introduction in 1962, a single 196 SP chassis (s/n 0804) existed. By 1963 chassis 0790, 0802 and 0806 were converted to 196 SP specification, resulting in a total of four of this type made.
Thanks to the 196 SP and driver
Ludovico Scarfiotti
Ludovico Scarfiotti (18 October 1933 – 8 June 1968) was a Formula One and sports car driver from Italy. Just prior to entering Formula One, he won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari. He later participated in 12 World Championship Fo ...
, Ferrari claimed the 1962
European Hill Climb Championship in the Sports Cars class. Scuderia Ferrari 196 SPs also claimed two 2,000 cc class wins at the 1962 and 1963
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 ...
.
Specifications
![1962 Ferrari 196SP at PB 2022 side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/1962_Ferrari_196SP_at_PB_2022_side.jpg)
The 2.0-litre V6 engine was mounted in the middle of the car, at its rear. The 60° angle engine was configured with only a single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. Bore and stroke were respectively, and the resulting capacity was . Those measurements were identical to those of the
Dino 196 S engine, from which this engine was heavily derived.
The power output was at 7500 rpm, thanks to three
Weber 42DCN carburettors and a 9.8:1 compression ratio. The engine used a single spark plug with two ignition coils.
All SP series models introduced in 1962, including the first 196 SP, were initially fitted with Fantuzzi bodywork in the style of the later "long-nose" 246 SP bodies. This included the distinctive twin front air intakes first seen in 1961 and the low windscreen, slightly longer front, and lower rear bodywork that distinguished the later 1962 bodies from the original 1961 246 SP bodies. Later in 1963, SP series cars raced by Scuderia Ferrari were converted to a single front air intake.
Some 196 SPs have since been converted back to twin front intake bodywork.
Racing
Chassis 0804
The chassis s/n 0804 was the only original Ferrari 196 SP. In 1962, it was entered at the
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 ...
race.
Lorenzo Bandini
Lorenzo Bandini (21 December 193510 May 1967) was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams.
Career
Bandini was born in Barce in Cyrenaica, Libya,"Hulme Takes Monaco Race; Bandini S ...
and
Giancarlo Baghetti
Giancarlo Baghetti (25 December 1934 – 27 November 1995) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, Automobili Turismo e Sport, BRM, Brabham and Lotus teams.
Baghetti is one of only three drivers to have won his first World Champions ...
finished second overall, winning the 2,000cc class. Later in May 1962, the same duo contested the
1000 km Nürburgring but did not finish the race after the engine sump plate cracked.
Ferrari decided to compete in 1962
European Hill Climb Championship with a 196 SP. Chassis 0804 was loaned to
Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus along with driver
Ludovico Scarfiotti
Ludovico Scarfiotti (18 October 1933 – 8 June 1968) was a Formula One and sports car driver from Italy. Just prior to entering Formula One, he won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari. He later participated in 12 World Championship Fo ...
. As Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus was managed by the Ferrari sporting director
Eugenio Dragoni and factory personnel were used for race support, this was a Scuderia Ferrari entry in all but name. Scarfiotti won five of the six hillclimb races the team entered between June and August, against competition including Porsche drivers
Heini Walter
Henrich "Heini" Walter (28 July 1927 – 12 May 2009) was a Swiss racing driver. He participated in one Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formu ...
and
Jan Greger. These results allowed Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus and therefore Ferrari to win the 1962 European Hill Climb championship title.
In November 1962, 0804 was sold to
NART
The Nart sagas ( Abkhaz: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; ''Nartaa raƶuabƶkua''; ady, Нарт тхыдэжъхэр, translit=Nart txıdəĵxər; os, Нарты кадджытæ; ''Narty kaddžytæ''; ''Nartı kadjıtæ'') are a series of ...
and subsequently resold to an independent racing driver named Buck Fulp. Fulp raced the car at several events during the December 1962
Nassau Trophy Races. He finished first at the "5 Lap Governor's Trophy under 2-litres heat" and fourth overall (second in class) at the "17 Lap Governor's Trophy". He failed to finish the main Nassau Trophy race, but was classified 34th overall in the race results.
Other chassis
The s/n 0802 was converted into the 196 SP specification in 1962, after being rebuilt from an accident. It had previously been configured as a 286 SP and a 268 SP. In 1963, the car was entered by Scuderia Ferrari in the Targa Florio, driven by Lorenzo Bandini, Ludovico Scarfiotti and
Willy Mairesse
Willy Mairesse (1 October 1928 – 2 September 1969) was a Formula One and sports-car driver from Belgium. He participated in 13 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 June 1960. He achieved one podium and scored a total of seven champio ...
. They finished second place overall, also scoring a class win.
The V8-powered 268 SP s/n 0806, was also converted into a 196 SP. In 1963 the car was raced by Doug Thiem in the US in various races under the USRRC series. At the 1963 Bahamas Speed Week, Bob Grossman drove the 196 SP to a class win in Sport 2.0 category in the 25 Lap Governor's Trophy, being seventh overall. Later during the same meeting, he finished 15th overall and second in class at the
Nassau Trophy. In 1964, Tibor von Imrey used the car in the
SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
series.
The last of the 196 SP race cars was converted from a 246 SP chassis, s/n 0790. It would also be the last of the SP-series cars as the conversion took place in 1963.
Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi and Ugo Bini contested the Targa Florio of the same year, to no avail.
Driving for the
Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus, Lualdi-Gabardi won six hillclimb races out of twelve he entered in 1963. At the challenging
Trento-Bondone
The Trento-Bondone Hill Climb is a hillclimbing competition starting in Trento and finishing on the Monte Bondone, organised by the Scuderia Trentina of the Automobile Club d'Italia. The first competition event was held on 5 July 1925. The course ...
hillclimb he scored a respectable sixth place.
In 1964, Leandro Terra raced 0790 and won the Vermicino-Rocca di Papa hillclimb. Then he entered the Targa Florio with Cesare Toppetti but did not finish it. His last race in the 196 SP was with a fourth place at the GP Campagnano on
Vallelunga
Vallelunga (Italian for ''long valley'') is a valley, or plateau,Tonino Floris, Marco Spada, ''Pedalando nel Lazio''p. 97 Edizioni Mediterranee, 1996 . near Campagnano di Roma, Italy.
See also
* Vallelunga Circuit
The Autodromo Vallelunga P ...
.
286 SP
The Ferrari 286 SP was the second model to make its debut at the 1962 press conference and was similar to the 196 SP. Like the 196 SP and the revised 1962 246 SP, it had revised bodywork with a redesigned windscreen and tail to comply with new regulations.
Only one example was produced, but never raced. S/n 0802 was presented to the press in February and converted into the 268 SP by May, the same year. The 286 SP had no successor because the large-capacity V6 was soon discarded in favour of the new Chiti-designed V8 engines, that could deliver similar performance.
Specifications
The single overhead camshaft, 60° ''
Dino''
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
received a wider bore and longer stroke at respectively. The resulting total capacity was . Those measurements did not exist on any previous Dino-engined model. A compression ratio of 9.5:1 combined with three
Weber 42DCN carburettors helped produce a power output of at 6800 rpm. Also a single spark plug per cylinder with a single coil were used.
248 SP
The Ferrari 248 SP was the third new variation of the SP series introduced at the 1962 press conference. The 248 SP was fitted with a
single overhead camshaft
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
, 2.4-litre V8 engine, this time fed by four twin-choke Weber carburettors.
It was the first fully Ferrari-developed 90° V8 engine, as the
Ferrari 801
The Lancia D50 was a Formula One racing car designed by Vittorio Jano for Lancia in 1954. The car's design made use of many innovative features, such as the use of the engine as a stressed chassis member, the off-centre positioning of the engine t ...
powerplant was
Lancia
Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...
-based. Designed by
Carlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti (19 December 1924 – 7 July 1994) was an Italian racing car and engine designer best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department. He also worked for Ferrari and was involved in the design of the Ferrari 156 Shar ...
as a replacement for the ''
Dino'' V6, but the engine was only used in two models and did not bear any successors.
Two examples were produced and both were subsequently modified to become larger displacement 268 SP models.
Specifications
The new ''tipo 199'' V8 had a total capacity of from of bore and stroke. It was designed with a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank configuration. The engine used four twin-choke
Weber 40IF2C "Speciali" carburettors which mounted directly to the cylinder heads without manifolds. The barrels of this unusual carburetor design were angled at 45°, resulting in a reduced overall height of the engine. Following testing, these were thought to inhibit induction and were replaced with more conventional Weber 40DC carburetors on the 268 SP. The 248 SP engine produced at 7400 rpm. A single spark plug per cylinder and a single ignition coil were mounted. The compression ratio was 9.8:1.
Racing
The first V8-engined, SP-series car was created in 1962. The s/n 0798, was demonstrated at the start of season press conference by Ferrari in February and before April, not being involved in any racing, the engine was modified with a longer stroke to a 2.6-litre specification.
The second Ferrari 248 SP, s/n 0806, was also created in 1962 but actually participated in racing. It was entered by
N.A.R.T. in the
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second round ...
, the same year. Bob Fulp with
Peter Ryan arrived at the finish line on a thirteenth position overall and a third in class. After only a single race, by May 1962 the car was converted into the 268 SP.
268 SP
The Ferrari 268 SP was a derivative version of the 248 SP also fitted with a V8 engine. It featured a bigger displacement with a stroke increased to . The resulting capacity was 2.6 L, intended to be more competitive in the 3.0-litre Sport and Prototype classes.
Only three examples existed, but all were converted from other models and only one (chassis 0798) remains in 268 SP configuration.
Specifications
The new ''tipo 202'', updated V8 engine had of bore and stroke. The resulting capacity was now . The cylinder bore was unchanged from the 248 SP engine, with the increased capacity derived from a 2.5 mm longer crankshaft throw. Weber 40DC carburetors mounted on individual manifolds replaced the 40IF2C carburetors used on the 248 SP, in an attempt to improve air induction. SOHC configuration and single ignition remained the same as on the 248 SP. The new engine also had the same (9.8:1)
or slightly lower (9.6:1)
compression ratio as on the 2.4-litre V8. The power output rose to at 7000 rpm, only slightly more than the 286 SP could produce.
Racing
Chassis 0798
The first Ferrari 268 SP was converted from a 248SP chassis, s/n 0798. The engine was enlarged to 2.6-litres. The car's bodywork was further enhanced for improved aerodynamics, including a full-width windscreen. Scuderia Ferrari drivers
Giancarlo Baghetti
Giancarlo Baghetti (25 December 1934 – 27 November 1995) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, Automobili Turismo e Sport, BRM, Brabham and Lotus teams.
Baghetti is one of only three drivers to have won his first World Champions ...
and
Ludovico Scarfiotti
Ludovico Scarfiotti (18 October 1933 – 8 June 1968) was a Formula One and sports car driver from Italy. Just prior to entering Formula One, he won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari. He later participated in 12 World Championship Fo ...
drove 268 SP chassis 0798 in the
1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, but they retired after 18 hours due to transmission failure. Later the same year, 0798 was acquired by Luigi Chinetti's
N.A.R.T., and entered in the
Nassau Trophy.
Driven by
Lorenzo Bandini
Lorenzo Bandini (21 December 193510 May 1967) was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams.
Career
Bandini was born in Barce in Cyrenaica, Libya,"Hulme Takes Monaco Race; Bandini S ...
, 0798 finished eighth overall and third in class in the trophy race.
In 1963, 0798 was sold by N.A.R.T. to independent racing driver John 'Buck' Fulp, who entered it into a series of races in the United States. At the 1963
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second round ...
he and Harry Heuer placed 34th place overall and eighth in class, despite retiring early with a broken suspension. Fulp then competed at the 1963 Bahamas Speed Week, placing fifth overall and second in class at the "25 Lap Governor's Trophy", and eleventh overall and another second in class at the Nassau Trophy.
Subsequently, 0798 was bought back by Luigi Chinetti and sold again, racing in SCCA events through the 1960s until it was purchased by Ferrari collector
Pierre Bardinon. 0798 is the only extant 268 SP and retains its original 2.6 L engine, although it underwent numerous bodywork modifications during its racing career that were reversed during a restoration by Bardinon.
Chassis 0802
![1962-05-06 Targa Florio Ferrari 268 SP 0802 Hill+Gendebien](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/1962-05-06_Targa_Florio_Ferrari_268_SP_0802_Hill%2BGendebien.jpg)
In 1962, the 286 SP chassis 0802 had a ''tipo 202'' V8 engine installed, becoming the second 268 SP. During a practice at the 1962
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 ...
with
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 ( ...
driving, 0802 suffered a major accident due to a stuck throttle. 0802 was unable to compete due to major damage. Phil Hill was sidelined and co-driver
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 ...
was reassigned as a third driver for the 246 SP chassis 0796, the eventual winner of the race. Chassis 0802 was subsequently rebuilt and converted into a 196 SP.
Chassis 0806
The last 268 SP, s/n 0806, was modified from a 248 SP in 1962. Scuderia Ferrari entered it at the
1000 km 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 ...
with the Rodriguez brothers driving. They did not finish the race as Pedro Rodriguez crashed on the 8th lap.
Later in 1962, 0806 was repaired and converted into 196 SP specification.
See also
*
Ferrari P
The Ferrari P was a series of Italian sports prototype racing cars produced by Ferrari during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move even with Cooper dominating F1, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in th ...
*
Ferrari 333 SP
The Ferrari 333 SP is a sports prototype race car that was built by Italian race car manufacturer Dallara and later Michelotto to compete in the World Sports Car championship for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur rac ...
, a 1994 sports prototype
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Ferrari 246 SP: Ferrari HistoryFerrari 196 SP: Ferrari HistoryFerrari 286 SP: Ferrari HistoryFerrari 248 SP: Ferrari HistoryFerrari 268 SP: Ferrari History
{{Scuderia Ferrari
SP
Sports prototypes
Winner
Winner(s) or The Winner(s) may refer to:
* Champion, the victor in a game or contest
*The successful social class in winner and loser culture
Film
* ''The Winner'' (1926 film), an American silent film starring Billy Sullivan
* ''The Winner'' ...