:''See also the
Ferrari 125 F1
:''See also the 125 S, a sports racer sharing the same engine''
The 125 F1 was Ferrari's first Formula One car. It shared its engine with the 125 S sports racer which preceded it by a year, but was developed at the same time by Enzo Ferrari, Vale ...
, a
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
race car sharing the same engine''
The Ferrari 125 S (commonly 125 or 125 Sport) was a 1.5 litre
race car built in 1947 by
automaker
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % suc ...
Ferrari of
Modena, Italy, its first vehicle. Only two were made.
Although preceded by
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobil ...
's
Auto Avio Costruzioni 815
The Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 was the first car to be fully designed and built by Enzo Ferrari. Legal issues with former associates Alfa Romeo prevented Ferrari from creating the Ferrari marque. The 815 raced at the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix, where ...
of 1940, the 125 S was the first vehicle to bear the Ferrari name when it debuted on May 11, 1947 at the
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
racing circuit. Like the 815, but unlike its
inline-8 predecessor, partly developed from
Fiat engine components, the 125 S featured a Ferrari designed and built engine; the ''
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
''
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 ...
(the "125"), a trait it shared with most Ferrari cars of the following decades. The 125 S was replaced by the
159 S later in 1947.
Overview
Chassis
The 125 S used a steel tube-frame chassis
and had a
double wishbone
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 knuckl ...
suspension with
transverse leaf spring
Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in ...
s in front with a
live axle in the rear. Hydraulic power
drum brakes were specified front and rear.
Engine
The 125 S was powered by
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 attenti ...
's 1.5 L (1497 cc/91 in³) 60°
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 ...
with a bore/stroke of 55 x 52.5 mm .
This engine produced 118 bhp (87 kW) at 6,800 rpm with a
compression ratio of 9.5:1. It was a
single overhead camshaft design with 2 valves per cylinder and three double-choke
Weber 30DCF
carburettors.
Transmission
A five-speed transmission was used in the 125 S as it was better able to exploit the power curves of the high revving V-12 better than a traditional four-speed gearbox.
Examples
One of the two Ferrari 125 S examples is located in the "Vault", which is the lowest level of the Petersen Automotive Museum in California. Ref 4.
Chassis 010I
Recently, the
chassis with serial number 010I was used in the restoration of a 125 S. It is rumored that 010I is actually s/n 01C. The story goes that 01C was re-stamped as 010I, and sold to a customer as a new car. Upon taking receipt of the car, the new owner immediately exclaimed, ''muletto!'', which means "
Test 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 ...
" in Italian, as he could clearly see that his supposedly new car was in fact a used, well-raced car. Ferrari made a new invoice for the car, including a considerable rebate given the car's second-hand nature.
Still in 166 Spyder Corsa configuration, the car was recently sold to Symbolic Motors. Close inspection of the chassis and its serial number led to the discovery of an old stamping that could possibly read 01C. It had been covered by an aluminum plate which bore the serial number 010I. Subsequently, the car was sold to its current owner, who refitted the chassis with a body similar to the factory's 125 S replica, which was built by Michelotto in 1987. The alleged 01C made its public debut at the
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and was entered as a "Ferrari 125 S". The car continues to be the subject of much debate among Ferrari historians and enthusiasts; recent developments indicate that the restamped serial number was in fact a correction and not an alteration.
Racing
The 125 S debuted at the
Circuito di Piacenza, driven by
Franco Cortese
Franco Cortese (10 February 1903 in Oggebbio, Piedmont – 13 November 1986 in Milan) was an Italian racing driver. He entered 156 races between 1927 and 1958, of which one was a Formula 1 Grand Prix and three were Formula 2 Grands Prix. Corte ...
,
but was unable to finish the race, despite a favorable showing against the strong
Maserati 6CS 1500s.
Two weeks later, the 125 S claimed Ferrari's first victory at the
Grand Prix of Rome on the
Terme di Caracalla Circuit, where it was also driven by Cortese.
The car had spun a bearing in practice, and was repaired in the shop of Tino Martinoli, who later came to America with the Ferrari
Indy car
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
team.
The 125 S won six of its fourteen races in 1947, though drivers
Clemente Biondetti
Clemente Biondetti (18 October 1898 – 24 February 1955) was an Italian auto racing driver. Born into a working-class family, Biondetti raced motorcycles before turning to automobiles where he had greater success.
Biography
Born in Buddusò, S ...
and
Giuseppe Navone were unable to win the 1947
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 ...
in it.
References
4. Michael Bodell, Deputy Director and COO, Petersen Automotive Museum. Source: YouTube video: First Time Ever! Full Petersen Collection Tour, premiered 12-02-2020.
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Ferrari 125 S: Ferrari History
{{Ferrari
125 S
First car made by manufacturer