Guide: Ferrari 275 Sport
Background
Although Giacchino Colombo’s 60° V12 had powered Ferrari to a host of important Sports car victories between 1947 and 1949, similar domination had proven elusive in Grand Prix racing.
Grand Prix engines were permitted in two states of tune: either supercharged units of up to 1.5-litres or un-supercharged units of up to 4.5-litres.
Colombo’s design could not be stretched to the un-supercharged 4.5-litre limit, so, with his Grand Prix cars being regularly beaten by Alfa Romeo, Enzo Ferrari commissioned Aurelio Lampredi to design a new big block V12 engine in 1949.
Another single overhead camshaft V12 with matching 60° V-angle was ordered as this could be accommodated in Ferrari’s chassis with relative ease. Capacity started out at 3.3-litres and later rose to 4.1, 4.5 and eventually 5-litres.
To provide the space for a larger bore diameter on Lampredi’s new engine, the distance between the cylinder bores was increased from 90mm to 108mm. Another significant feature was a single-piece cylinder head and water jacket. This greatly reduced head gasket failures and also allowed the use of much higher compression ratios.
As well as Grand Prix machinery, Lampredi’s V12 would go on to power a range of road and sports racing Ferraris. These were often the fastest, costliest and most brutish models available.
Although the requirement for a new Ferrari engine was driven by Grand Prix racing, Lampredi’s engine actually made its debut in a sports prototype at the 1950 Mille Miglia. That car was Ferrari’s experimental 275 Sport which got the big block motor two months before it arrived in Formula 1.
The 275 Sport was reserved strictly for works use in 1950. It fleetingly appeared alongside Ferrari’s 195 Sport which was another model not available to the general public. The 195 Sport used a small block Colombo V12 that had been stretched to 2.4-litres. Customers were supplied with the 2-litre 166 Mille Miglia.
Engine & Gearbox
Thanks to a bore and stroke of 72mm and 68mm respectively, overall displacement of the new big block Lampredi engine was 3322cc.
As per the Colombo power unit, the block and two-valve head were formed in light weight aluminium alloy.
Ignition was via a single spark plug per cylinder and two coils.
Wet-sump lubrication was employed.
With compression set at 8.0:1 and a bank of triple Weber 40 DCF downdraught carburettors, these first Lampredi motors produced 220bhp at 7000rpm.
Transmission was via a five-speed gearbox and rear axle assembly imported from the 166 Mille Miglia.
Chassis
The Lampredi engine and ‘box were dropped into a specially built chassis. Two examples were manufactured; they bore chassis numbers 0030 MT and 0032 MT.
Whereas the 166 Mille Miglia used a wheelbase of 2200mm, the 275 Sport received its own wide track frame with a lengthened 2500mm wheelbase.
Otherwise, it was another conventional Gilco-manufactured tubular steel ladder type unit.
Independent double wishbone front suspension ran with a transverse leaf spring. The live rear axle used semi-elliptic springs and an anti-roll bar.
Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers were installed all round along with drum brakes and 16 x 5.5-inch Borrani wire wheels.
As both the 275 Sports were being prepared for a debut on the 1950 Mille Miglia, long range fuel tanks were fitted.
Bodywork
Both 275 Sports were clothed as Spyders by Touring of Milan.
Between late 1948 and 1950, Touring were the main supplier of competition bodies to Ferrari. The Milanese coachbuilder’s patented ‘Superleggera’ construction method saw aluminium body panels skinned over a skeletal frame of small diameter steel tubes that conformed to the body shape.
The bodies used for the pair of 275 Sports were largely indistinguishable from those fitted to Ferrari’s Colombo-engined counterparts like the 166 Mille Miglia and 195 Sport.
The fully enveloped design incorporated exposed headlights mounted on sculptured fenders either side of a large primary intake that was filled with a brushed aluminium egg-crate grille. An additional cooling scoop was added on the hood.
To protect the occupants from the elements, a pair of small aero screens were installed.
An elegant swage line that ran from the front wheelarch back to the stubby tail lent each flank a more slender profile.
A full complement of lighting was installed.
Interior
Both cars came with body coloured metal dashboards and an array of Jaeger instrumentation.
Upholstery was limited to leather trim for the pair of bucket seats.
Weight / Performance
Ferrari quoted a weight of 850kg and top speed of 150mph.
1950 Mille Miglia
Ferrari’s pair of red 275 Sports were entered for the Mille Miglia which started on April 23rd.
The 1833km sprint from Brescia to Rome and back again was held entirely on public roads.
Having been beaten by Alfa Romeo on the Giro di Sicilia three weeks earlier, Scuderia Ferrari entered a formidable five car team for the Mille Miglia.
The works squad from Maranello consisted of three 195 Sports and the brace of brand new 275s.
Enzo Ferrari put his best two drivers in the 275s: Alberto Ascari was co-driven by Senesio Nicolini in the number 728 car (chassis 0030 MT) and Luigi Villoresi was partnered by Piero Cassani in number 731 (chassis 0032 MT).
Of the three 195s run by Scuderia Ferrari, one was a true factory owned Touring Spyder for Dorino Serafini / Ettore Salani (0038 M).
The other two works supported cars came from the Marzotto stable.
The Marzotto’s were a wealthy family of textile industrialists and Ferrari’s biggest customers at the time. Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara had a factory built 195 Sport Touring Berlinetta (0026 M). Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana drove a 195 Sport-engined Spyder with custom Fontana bodywork on an old Spyder Corsa chassis (012 I).
Thick fog and heavy rain for most of the race meant the 275’s extra power was somewhat nullified.
When conditions did improve slightly, Villoresi was able to take the lead.
However, in the Apennine section between Pescara and Rome, both the new Lampredi-engined cars retired with transmission failure.
This allowed Giannino Marzotto back into the lead followed by Dorino Serafini.
Ferrari ultimately secured a famous one-two finish with the 195 Sports while Vittorio Marzotto’s hybrid placed sixth.
1950 Coppa d’Oro di Sicilia
A week after the Mille Miglia, Vittorio Marzotto was invited to drive one of the 275 Sports in the Coppa d’Oro di Sicilia.
Chassis 0030 MT was given a quick refresh back at the factory and then dispatched to Sicily where it was odds-on favourite for victory.
The event comprised 55 laps of a 3.45km road circuit but Marzotto failed to finish.
Victory went to the Maserati A6 GCS of Nicola Musmeci. Baron Nicola Cherubini was second in his Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa and Stefano La Motta’s Ferrari 166 Sport placed third.
Subsequent Histories
Over the summer of 1950, rapid development on the Lampredi engine saw both 4.1-litre Sport and 4.5-litre F1 units produced.
Towards the end of 1950, both 275 Sports were rebuilt to 4.1-litre 340 America specification.
To promote the new 340 America (which was offered to customers), Ferrari displayed chassis 0030 MT (now re-painted black) on their stand at the Paris Motor Show in October.
As 340 Americas, both cars were raced extensively throughout 1951 and 1952.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com
