Guide: Ferrari 330 LM
Background
For 1962, the World Sportscar Championship organisers broke with tradition and split the contest into two categories: the International Championship for GT Manufacturers and the Coupe des Sports.
The calendar was dramatically expanded; from five events in 1961, to nine for 1962 (ten if you count the double-header at Bridgehampton). Five additional races were organised exclusively for sub 1000cc cars.
The International Championship for GT Manufacturers was the big prize for 1962. The over 1000cc GT cars duked it out over all nine rounds – this was the de factory World Championship of 1962.
By contrast, although Prototype racing cars were eligible to run at the majority of events in 1962, the Coupe des Sports was decided on the outcome of just three races: the Sebring 12 Hours, the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000km.
Importantly, a three-litre engine limit was brought in for points-scoring Prototypes. This caused some consternation among race promoters, most notably the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which organised the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Unhappy at the prospect of fewer big crowd-pleasing Prototypes attending their event, the Le Mans governing body unilaterally decided to introduce a new Experimental category with a four-litre engine limit.
Aware of the prestige a Le Mans victory would bring, the new Experimental class attracted entries from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati. In order to give the new cars some track-time ahead of Le Mans, the Nurburgring 1000km organisers created a four-litre Prototype class for their event as well.
To contest the exciting new category, Aston Martin created the DB4 GT-based DP212 and Maserati built the Tipo 151.
From Maranello emerged a brace of one-off 330-engined specials: the 330 TRI/LM (a Testa Rossa-based Spyder) and the 330 LM.
At first glance, the 330 LM looked identical to another of Ferrari’s new-for-1962 models: the 250 GTO.
The GTO was Ferrari’s rule-bending GT class model created to contest the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. It flagrantly flouted the rules on account of its special super-lightweight chassis that was in total breach of the regulations (but approved anyway).
Chassis
Under the skin, the two cars were very similar. The 250 GTO chassis (Tipo 539/2) was built using smaller diameter steel tubing than Ferrari’s previous GT racing cars.
The 330 LM’s Tipo 539/566 chassis was to much the same specification, albeit modified with a 20mm wheelbase extension (now 2420mm). This was necessary so it could accept a bigger four-litre engine (it was impossible to simply drop the four-litre unit into an existing 250 GTO frame).
Suspension was as per the GTO. The front end was independent via unequal length wishbones, co-axial springs, telescopic Koni shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar. At the back, Ferrari employed a live axle with twin radius arms, semi-elliptic springs, co-axial springs and more Koni shocks.
Dunlop disc brakes were fitted all round.
The GTO’s 15-inch Borrani wire wheels were retained. They measured 6-inches wide at the front, 7-inches wide at the rear and were originally shod with Dunlop Racing tyres.
In order to account for the four-litre engine’s additional fuel consumption, a long-range 140-litre gas tank was fitted (ten-litres bigger than in the GTO). The tank was mounted over the rear axle and accessed via a quick fuel filler by the trunk lid.
Engine / Gearbox
Fortunately, Ferrari already offered a four-litre engine in one of their models: the wickedly expensive 400 Superamerica which had been introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1960.
The 400 Superamerica was powered by a special version of the fabled Colombo motor that could be stretched to a four-litre displacement. The depth of the cylinder block casting had been increased to accommodate longer crankshaft throws. Other modifications included a larger water pump and the installation of a twin-roller cam drive chain instead of the earlier triple row.
Otherwise, it was another 60° V12 with single overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder and wet-sump lubrication. Single plug ignition was adopted along with two coils.
Displacement was 3967cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 77mm and 71mm respectively.
In road trim, peak output was 340bhp at 7000rpm and 304lb-ft at 4000rpm
The 330 LM was equipped with a special Tipo 163 LM version of the Superamerica engine. It was dry-sumped, fitted with high compression pistons, Testa Rossa camshafts, polished rods and Vandervell bearings.
Initially the same 8.8:1 compression ratio was used as per the 400 Superamerica.
Likewise, three Weber 46 DCF3 carburettors (an option on the Superamerica) were used by the 330 LM.
Peak output jumped by 50bhp to 390bhp at 7500rpm. The torque rating was never published.
Whereas the 250 GTO had a five-speed gearbox and the 400 Superamerica had a four-speed unit with electronic overdrive, the 330 LM was fitted with its own four-speed ‘box.
Bodywork
Aside from the almost imperceptible addition of 20mm to the wheelbase, the only difference between a 250 GTO and the 330 LM was the LM’s slightly bigger power bulge on the front hood.
The GTO body had been the work of Ferrari's in-house designer, Giotto Bizzarrini, who used the wind tunnel at Milan Politecnico to refine the beautiful low drag design. However, in November 1961, the GTO programme was thrown into chaos when Enzo Ferrari sacked a selection of his top competition executives to include Bizzarrini and chief racing engineer, Carlo Chiti.
The task to finish the GTO fell to Mauro Forghieri who was appointed Chief Engineer at the age of just 25.
The finished article proved to be the definitive GT car shape of its era with covered headlights, bulbous fenders, a streamlined cabin and a bespoilered Kamm tail. As usual, a variety of distinctive ducts and vents were carved out from around the body.
Panels were fabricated from the thinnest available aluminum by Scaglietti of Modena.
Plastic was used for the sliding side windows and fastback rear screen.
Unusually for a car destined to go top flight motor racing, chassis 3765 LM was built to left instead of right-hand drive configuration.
Interior
Upholstery comprised some blue fabric for the lightweight aluminium bucket seats and black quilted vinyl for the transmission tunnel and rear quarters.
Instrumentation was housed in an oval binnacle integrated with the rest of the crackle black metal dash.
The steering wheel had a traditional wood-rim with three polished aluminium spokes.
1962 Nurburgring 1000km
The 330 LM (chassis 3765 LM) was completed in early May of 1962. Over the next couple of weeks it was fettled ahead of a pre-Le Mans debut at the Nurburgring 1000km on May 27th.
The 44 lap Nurburgring event was the last points-scoring round for the 1962 Coupe Des Sports.
In addition to the 330 LM, Scuderia Ferrari took a trio of their latest under-three litre SP Prototypes.
Chassis 3765 LM was allocated to Mike Parkes and Willy Mairesse. After Parkes was initially unhappy with over-inflated tyres, he ultimately took the 330 LM round second quickest. Pole went to the works Phil Hill / Olivier Gendebien Ferrari 246 SP.
Jo Bonnier / Dan Gurney were third in their factory Porsche 718 GTR followed by the works Ferrari 286 SP of Pedro Rodriguez / Ricardo Rodriguez. Lined up in fifth was the sister Porsche 718 GTR of Graham Hill / Hans Herrmann.
Rain started to fall 15 minutes before the start and the race subsequently played out in gloomy, often unpleasant conditions.
After losing a couple of early places, Willy Mairesse quickly clambered back up the order. He crossed the line third at the end of the opening lap. The 330 LM was behind Jim Clark’s works Lotus 23 (which had shot into the lead from eighth on the grid) and the Jo Bonnier / Dan Gurney Porsche GTR.
On lap nine, Mairesse went passed Bonnier’s Porsche to take second. He then began to whittle away at Clark’s lead until lap 12 when the Lotus driver crashed out having been overcome with fumes.
However, the 330 LM’s lead was short-lived as the Scuderia Ferrari 246 SP sister car of Phil Hill / Olivier Gendebien swept into the lead soon afterwards.
Thereafter, Parkes / Mairesse held the car in constant readiness to take over the lead should any problem have befallen Hill / Gendebien.
In the event, the closest to a mishap occurred with the 330 LM; by the end of the race it was showing slight damage to the right-hand side front corner (most likely the result of a slight detour while cornering).
Nevertheless, Mairesse / Parkes claimed second overall on the 330 LM’s debut. They also won the four-litre Prototype class.
Le Mans Preparation
Back at Maranello, the biffed front bodywork was repaired and slightly reconfigured by moving the indicators from alongside the brake cooling ducts to the sides of the front fenders.
In the interest of longevity at la Sarthe, Ferrari’s engineers dropped the compression ratio and installed a set of new Weber 42 DCN carburettors.
1962 Le Mans 24 Hours
Like at the Nurburgring, Scuderia Ferrari entered four cars for the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours (June 23rd and 24th). The big front-engined 330 TRI/LM was wheeled out for Phil Hill / Olivier Gendebien. The 330 LM was allocated to Mike Parkes / Lorenzo Bandini. There were also a brace of three-litre SP models (a 246 SP for Pedro Rodriguez / Ricardo Rodriguez and a 268 SP for Giancarlo Baghetti / Ludovico Scarfiotti).
Three Experimental class Maserati Tipo 151s were in attendance along with the solitary Aston Martin DP212.
In practice, there was little to separate any of these cars.
Starting positions were decided on engine size with the biggest first. The 330 LM would begin from sixth.
When the flagged dropped, Graham Hill’s Aston DP212 took the lead, closely pursued by Parkes in the 330 LM and Gendebien in the 330 TRI/LM.
Gendebien then looked to go passed Parkes at the end of the Mulsanne Straight and the Belgian cut in front as they approached the corner which led Parkes to momentarily lose control.
The 330 LM ended up beached in the Tertre Rouge sand bank at the end of the Mulsanne Straight on the opening lap.
Around half an hour later, an exhausted Parkes had dug the 330 LM out and the lead cars were on their seventh lap.
Parkes headed straight to the pits for the car to be checked and Bandini to take over.
However, before the car had covered 20 laps, it began circulating at a reduced speed owing to abnormally high water temperature. The problem was a terminally leaking radiator. By the time it was eventually retired, just after the six hour mark, the 330 LM was many laps in arrears.
Phil Hill / Olivier Gendebien went on to win the race in their 330 TRI/LM. Second and third positions were claimed by the 250 GTOs of privateer Pierre Noblet and Equipe Nationale Belge.
Close Season & Subsequent Examples
Despite the disappointment of Le Mans, chassis 3765 LM had shown sufficient promise that a batch of new cars was commissioned for the 1963 campaign.
Five additional cars were subsequently built., four of which were to competition 330 LMB specification with revamped Pininfarina bodywork.
The other example was a specially commissioned road car with a 250 GTO-style body on a Tipo 538 400 Superamerica chassis (4561 SA). It was ordered by VIP customer, Michel Paul-Cavallier from Pont-a-Mousson, France.
By this time, chassis 3765 LM had long since been sold off. Prior to departing the factory it was fitted with a three-litre engine and five-speed gearbox, after which it was sold to Pietro Ferraro (Cantiere del Timavo SpA) Trieste.
Ferraro contested one hillclimb with the car in 1964. Chassis 3765 LM was then sold to Ferdinando Latteri who successfully entered around ten hillclimbs with it between 1965 and 1966.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com
