The 1954 250 Monza Pinin Farina
roadster with a $6.48 million price tag.
Originally raced in Italy and South America, it was left to
rot in Uruguay until it was eventually discovered in the late 1970s. Since
then, it has been reunited with its three-liter V12 engine and now awaits a
brave new custodian to complete the mother of all restorations. This person
also needs deep pockets as the reported asking price for the Pinin Farina
bodied 250 Monza is a hefty 5 million Euro ($6.58 million).
The remains of the aluminum-bodied Monza presents a very-expensive restoration challenge. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
The remains of the aluminum-bodied Monza presents a very-expensive restoration challenge. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
The remains of the aluminum-bodied Monza presents a very-expensive restoration challenge. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Along with two of its three sister cars, chassis 0466M was
bought new from the factory by Franco Cornacchia for his Scuderia Guastalla.
Like the first two, this the final 250 Monza produced was clothed by Pinin
Farina with an aluminum roadster body.
It was raced with limited success in Italy before it was sold to South America. After a brief spell in Venezuela, it ended it up in Brazil where it was campaigned for the remainder of the decade.
History of the Ferrari 250 Monza:
It was raced with limited success in Italy before it was sold to South America. After a brief spell in Venezuela, it ended it up in Brazil where it was campaigned for the remainder of the decade.
History of the Ferrari 250 Monza:
The Ferrari has been reunited with its original 3-liter V12 engine. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Up until 1953, Ferrari sports racers, despite all of their type names and
numbers, shared the same basic ladder-type chassis with independent front
suspension and a live rear axle. The only significant difference was the use of
the Colombo-designed short-block or the Lampredi-designed long-block V12
engine.
All this changed in 1953 when a brand new four-cylinder
engine was introduced. Inspired by the British fours, the new Ferrari engine
was used to great effect in the F1/F2 World Championship where Alberto Ascari
won all the races in 1952. More single-seater technology was carried over to
the sports-car range a year later when the DeDion-type rear suspension was
introduced.
Although the focus seemed to be on the four-cylinder engines, Ferrari did not discard the V12 engine completely. The big fours might have had superior low-end torque, but they could not match the peak horsepower of the high-revving V12s.
Using the latest, three-liter version of the Colombo engine and a slightly lengthened 750 Monza chassis, the Ferrari engineers created the 250 Monza. The V12 was of a similar specification as used in the 250 MM constructed early in 1953. Breathing through three quad-choke Weber Carburetors, it was good for at least 240 horsepower.
Four of these “hybrid” chassis were eventually constructed. Two of them were clothed by Pinin Farina with a design similar to that fitted on the 500 Mondial, and the other two received Scaglietti bodies in the style of the 750 Monza.
Although the focus seemed to be on the four-cylinder engines, Ferrari did not discard the V12 engine completely. The big fours might have had superior low-end torque, but they could not match the peak horsepower of the high-revving V12s.
Using the latest, three-liter version of the Colombo engine and a slightly lengthened 750 Monza chassis, the Ferrari engineers created the 250 Monza. The V12 was of a similar specification as used in the 250 MM constructed early in 1953. Breathing through three quad-choke Weber Carburetors, it was good for at least 240 horsepower.
Four of these “hybrid” chassis were eventually constructed. Two of them were clothed by Pinin Farina with a design similar to that fitted on the 500 Mondial, and the other two received Scaglietti bodies in the style of the 750 Monza.
The first chassis was retained to be used by the Works team
while the other three were sold to Italian customers. The privateer cars were
quite successfully raced in local Italian events from March 1954, taking
victory in a variety of races. The first came on June 2 when Gerino Gerini
drove one of the Scaglietti-bodied cars to a victory in the Giro dell'Umbria.
The 250 Monza was reced for a decade in Venezuela and Brazil. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
This same chassis was raced later that year to a commendable
fifth overall and third in class in the grueling Carrera Pan Americana. The
Pinin Farina-bodied Works car scored the type's biggest victory: the Hyeres 6
Hours on June 6 in the hands of Trintignant and Piotti.
After 1954, the days of the Colombo V12 as a competition engine really seemed over. Ferrari had expanded their line-up with two six-cylinder models, which were blisteringly quick but a little fragile. While Ferrari raced the four-cylinder, six-cylinder and long-block V12 sports racers, the short-block engine had found a new home in the popular and very successful 250 GT model.
Rule changes at the end of the 1956 season brought Ferrari's attention back on the three-liter V12 engine and following the basic design of the 250 Monza, the Italians rolled out the 250 Testa Rossa for 1957 and the rest, so they say, is history.
source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-an-amazing-ferrari-barn-findAfter 1954, the days of the Colombo V12 as a competition engine really seemed over. Ferrari had expanded their line-up with two six-cylinder models, which were blisteringly quick but a little fragile. While Ferrari raced the four-cylinder, six-cylinder and long-block V12 sports racers, the short-block engine had found a new home in the popular and very successful 250 GT model.
Rule changes at the end of the 1956 season brought Ferrari's attention back on the three-liter V12 engine and following the basic design of the 250 Monza, the Italians rolled out the 250 Testa Rossa for 1957 and the rest, so they say, is history.
by Wouter Melissen
http://www.fzrestoration.com
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