Guide: Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione
Background
The FIA's decision to add a GT title to the World Sports Car Championship from 1962 had seen manufacturer interest in the Grand Touring category soar.
Prototypes and GT cars ran alongside each other at blue ribband events such as Le Mans, the Targa Florio and Nurburgring 1000km, but whereas the Prototypes typically only contested a limited calendar comprising these most famous endurance races, the GT Championship was expanded to many more events and even included hillclimbs from 1963.
With the rule-bending 250 GTO that cynically swerved a 100 car homologation requirement to the dismay of their rivals, Ferrari had won the International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963 and 1964.
However, after initially dominating for the first couple of seasons, the 1964 campaign had been a close call; in the premier over two-litre category, Ferrari beat Shelby’s Cobra Daytona Coupes by the thinnest of margins.
That season, the title had been secured by the second series 250 GTO, a hastily prepared stop-gap developed at the last moment as the firm’s intended challenger for 1964 (the mid-engined 250 LM) had its GT class application unequivocally thrown out.
Something new was therefore required to fend off Shelby in 1965.
The Ferrari 275 GTB launched at the Paris Motor Show in October 1964 would provide the basis for Maranello’s latest GT racer.
A conventionally uprated 275 GTB competition car was produced in late 1964 on chassis 6021. This straightforward conversion of the standard model featured an all-aluminium body, mildly uprated engine, long-range fuel tank and a few other minor enhancements for racing.
In reality though, such a lightly modified creation was no Shelby-beater.
Instead, Enzo Ferrari ordered the development of a radical super-lightweight GTB that was only tenuously based on its production sibling.
The FIA’s Group 3 regulations for Grand Touring cars stipulated 100 production vehicles had to be built within a twelve month period to qualify. Special coachwork was permitted for racing variants while the chassis could be strengthened but not lightened.
In a flagrant breach of the regulations, the new 275 GTB Competizione was, as per the GTO, based on a completely different chassis from the road car that had been homologated.
The first three of these 275 GTB Competiziones were built up over the winter of 1964-1965 on chassis numbers 6701, 6885 and 7185.
As normal, works-assisted satellite teams run by Ferrari’s regional importers and a handful of well regarded privateers were expected to undertake the majority of the 1965 GT class campaign.
Meanwhile, the factory would focus chiefly on Prototypes with the top class P2 and an experimental V6-engined Dino for the under two-litre category.
Chassis
The 275 GTB Competizione was constructed around an all-new tubular steel chassis that, whilst designated Tipo 563 like the production model, was actually a totally new unit manufactured from smaller diameter tubing.
It featured a specially reinforced roof while the engine was mounted much lower in the chassis for improved torsional rigidity and a lower centre of gravity.
Suspension was via unequal length wishbones, coil springs and telescopic Koni shocks plus anti-roll bars at either end.
Dunlop disc brakes were fitted all round.
The 15-inch Borrani wire wheels measured 5.5 or 6-inches wide at the front and 6.5 or 7-inches wide at the back. They were originally shod with Dunlop Racing tyres.
A long-range 140-litre fuel tank with external filler was fitted over the rear axle.
Engine & Gearbox
The Tipo 213/Comp. engine was essentially an even more powerful version of the type already used in the 250 LM. As usual, single overhead camshafts were employed along with two valves per cylinder, single plug ignition and two coils.
Displacement of these Colombo-derived 60° V12s was unchanged from the production GTB: 3285cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 77mm and 58.8mm respectively.
The GTB Competizione engine was cast in lighter alloy than the standard block. Magnesium was used for the sump, intake manifolds, cam and chain covers. Other special parts included a balanced, lightened crankshaft, reinforced pistons, high lift 130 camshafts plus widened intake ports and exhaust manifolds.
As per the 250 LM, dry-sump lubrication was employed whereas the standard 275 GTB used a wet-sump system.
Ferrari opted for a 9.7:1 compression ratio and six Weber DF13 downdraught carburettors.
These engines developed at least 350bhp, but Ferrari officially quoted output as just 320bhp so as not to arouse the suspicion of the governing body.
Transmission was via competition five-speed transaxle with twin-plate clutch and limited-slip differential.
Bodywork
The new car’s reworked body was created in-house at Ferrari's competition department.
When lined up alongside a proper 275 GTB, the Competizione was around 10% smaller .
Manufactured from the thinnest available 21-guage aluminium (barely 1mm thick), the new car featured a 330 LM-style nose, bulbous wings and a Kamm tail.
A hood scoop directed fresh air to the carburettors while the brakes were cooled by a pair of vertical ducts in the nose and a bank of three louvres carved out from behind each wheelarch.
Interior
The cockpit was stripped of all sound-deadening material which, combined with the side-exiting megaphone exhausts, made the interior a very noisy place to be.
All windows apart from the front screen were replaced with lightweight Plexiglas. Even the door panels and seat rails were drilled to reduce weight.
The standard seats were exchanged for aluminium buckets complete with racing harnesses.
Curiously, the standard wooden dash fascia was retained, maybe as a ruse to convince the FIA inspectors that this really was just another 275 GTB.
Directly behind the three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel were large read outs for road and engine speed. In between were smaller gauges for oil temperature and oil pressure. A water temperature gauge, ammeter, fuel read out and clock were located centrally above a bank of rocker switches.
Thin rubber mats were fitted instead of carpet.
Weight / Performance
The GTB Competizione weighed in at 870kg compared to 1100kg for the standard production model.
Top speed was around 185mph and 0-62mph took comfortably less than five seconds.
The FIA Rejects Ferrari’s Application
A trio of GTB Competiziones had already been constructed when, in April 1965, the FIA announced they would not accept the new car into the GT class.
Ferrari offered to bring the car up to the production GTB’s homologated weight, but the FIA refused to back down.
1965 Season
As a result, Ferrari did not officially participate in the 1965 International Championship of GT Manufacturers.
Instead, it was left to their customers to soldier on with 250 GTOs that were no longer at the cutting edge of technology.
As expected, Shelby (with substantial backing from Ford) won the over two-litre championship accruing 90 points compared to the 71.3 amassed by GTOs.
Ferrari did still contest the International Trophy for GT Prototypes (with their P2 and Dino 166 P).
Rather than mothball the GTB Competizione, for development reasons, Scuderia Ferrari did decide to run one car in selected rounds of the Prototype Trophy which had been expanded to ten rounds for 1965.
Chassis 6885 was selected for competition use whereas 6701 was sold almost immediately to Pietro Ferraro of Cantiere del Timavo SpA in Trieste on the understanding it would not be raced. Chassis 7185 was initially retained by Ferrari as a development hack.
1965 Targa Florio
6885 made its competition debut at the Targa Florio on May 9th 1965 where it was entered in the over three-litre Prototype class.
The four car Scuderia Ferrari line up comprised the GTB Competizione for Giampiero Biscaldi and Bruno Deserti along with a trio of 275 P2s.
Unfortunately, 6885 only completed eight of the ten laps due to niggling problems.
Although still running at the end, it was unclassified for finishing outside the time limit.
Nino Vaccarella and Lorenzo Bandini took outright victory in their P2.
The other pair of works cars for Jean Guichet / Giancarlo Baghetti and Ludovico Scarfiotti / Mike Parkes retired.
1965 Nurburgring 1000km
Two weeks later, the championship was in Germany for the Nurburgring 1000km on May 23rd.
On this occasion, Giampiero Biscaldi was joined in 6885 by Giancarlo Baghetti because Bruno Deserti was scheduled to test the P2 at Monza two days later.
The Monza test session ultimately claim Deserti’s life after a high speed crash at Curva Grande.
The other Scuderia Ferrari teams cars entered for the Nurburgring included a 330 P2, a 275 P2 and the brand new Dino 166 P.
After starting 22nd, Biscadli / Baghetti finished 13th overall. They crossed the line behind a trio of Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes. This was nevertheless good enough for fourth in the over three-litre Prototype class.
All of Scuderia Ferrari's other entries finished the race as well.
John Surtees / Ludovico Scarfiotti won in the 4-litre 330 P2 and Mike Parkes / Jean Guichet were second in the 3.3-litre 275 P2.
Despite some teething problems, the Dino 166 P driven by Lorenzo Bandini and Nino Vaccarella took a stunning fourth overall and second in the under two-litre Prototype category.
The FIA Backs Down
With no real opposition for Shelby, the FIA announced a compromise deal in June 1965 that would enable the GTB Competizione to run in the GT class.
However, with the car’s development programme already dramatically scaled down, Ferrari had no intention of joining the competition mid-season.
Chassis 6885 was though brought up to the newly agreed 980kg minimum weight and loaned to Belgian Ferrari distributor, Jacques Swaters, for the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours.
1965 Le Mans 24 Hours
6885 would be part of a two-car Ecurie Francorchamps entry at la Sarthe.
Now repainted the Belgian national colour scheme of yellow, the GTB Competizione was allocated to Willy Mairesse and Jean Blaton.
The Belgian team’s more fancied 250 LM was on hand for Gerard Langlois von Ophem and Leon Dernier, but retired with clutch problems after 146 laps.
By contrast, after qualifying an impressive 14th, the GTB Competizione had a relatively comfortable run to third overall behind another pair of 250 LMs including the winning NART entry of Jochen Rindt, Masten Gregory and Ed Hugus.
Famously beating Shelby to secure the honours for best placed GT car at 1965’s most important race, the Francorchamps team had achieved this remarkable result with 6885 despite being forced to crudely cut open the nose mid-race to prevent the car from overheating.
Post Le Mans
Afterwards, 6885 was returned to the factory and re-painted red. It was then sold to US Ferrari importer and NART impresario, Luigi Chinetti, who exported it to North America.
1965 Bridgehampton 500km
Once landed, Chinetti entered 6885 in the final round of the 1965 World Sportscar Championship: the Bridgehampton 500km on 19th September.
NART co-founder George Arents was partnered in the car by Bob Hutchins.
6885 formed part of a three-car NART entry alongside a 365 P2 for Pedro Rodriguez and a 275 P for Mario Andretti.
The GTB Competizione qualified 20th out of 24 starters. It lined up behind a trio of Shelby Cobras which were preferred to the Daytona Coupe streamliners for this tight and twisty circuit.
Arents and Hutchins eventually finished the 500km event eleventh overall and fourth in the over three-litre GT class. However, the point and squirt nature of the picturesque Bridgehampton circuit was much better suited to the nimble class-winning Cobras.
1965 Bahamas Speed Week
With the World Championship over, Chinetti shipped 6885 out to the Bahamas for the end-of-season Speed Week festival where a massive prize fund saw grids routinely packed with top flight cars and drivers.
In the five lap Preliminary race for the Nassau Tourist Trophy on November 28th, Charlie Kolb drove 6885 to victory.
Later that day, Kolb went on to win the 25 lap TT main event ahead of Peter Gregg in the Brumos-entered Porsche 904 GTS and the works Shelby Cobra of Tom Payne.
6885 was then driven by Alton Durham in the 25 lap Governor's Trophy for Sports and GT cars on December 3rd where it was one of 52 starters.
Durham finished eleventh overall and first in the GT class.
The race was won by Bruce McLaren in his works Oldsmobile-powered Elva McLaren MkII.
The final Bahamas Speed Week outing for the GTB Competizione saw Durham entered in the 56 lap Nassau Trophy for Sports and GT cars. On this occasion, it was retired after 30 laps.
Subsequent Histories
With 6885’s competition career over, Chinetti sold the car to Harley Cluxton in Arizona.
As for the other two examples, 6701 had already gone to Pietro Ferraro in May 1965.
After being used at the factory as a development mule, 7185 was finally sold in February 1967 to Finanziaria Immobiliaria Marittime Automobili (FIMA) in Rome.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com
