While in 1957 Ferrari's best racing car was the 335S, with a large block V12 engine and dual camshaft technology at the head, the technical regulations of the World Championship changed for the 1958 season, so Ferrari had to prepare a new car.
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was designed to withstand extensive endurance competitions such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After testing four, eight and twelve cylinder engines throughout the 1950s on cars like the 735 S and the Ferrari 250 S , Ferrari engineers concluded that the most reliable and winning engine was the V12.
The restriction on engine displacement imposed by the regulation forced Ferrari to adapt the V12 small-block engine of 2.953 cm3 designed by Colombo. This reliable engine was already successfully tested on the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta.
Ferrari's intention was to provide racing teams with a mechanically simple car that did not require constant factory attention, as was the case with the previous 335S model. The criterion applied to the new 250 Testa Rossa gave more importance to reliability over performance, so they could conquer enduro races.
The official Ferrari team would perform with the 250 Testa Rossa in the main competitions, while the private teams would do so in minor European races and in the American SCCA championship.
The aluminium body of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was designed by Sergio Scaglietti. There were two versions, the first had the front section similar to the contemporary Formula 1, separating the pontoon from the front wheels to allow air to enter the brakes. However, this design resulted in instability at high speeds. The design was modified by integrating the pontoons and the problem was solved.
The chassis used was the “Type 526B” with steel tubes. The cars sold to the private teams had a chassis similar to the 500 TR with rear bridge suspension with coil springs and adjustable shock absorbers. While not using the latest technology available, the 250 Testa Rossa bet on safe and reliable elements. And the results were positive.
To secure the World Sport Car Championship, Ferrari optimized the 250 and provided its customers with improvements such as De Dion bridge in the rear suspensions and bodywork with modifications as described above to improve its stability. The engines also continued their evolution, although the developments only reached the Ferrari of the official team.
The 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was equipped with a 2,953 cm3 24-valve V12 “Type 128LM” front engine (SOHC). With six Weber-38 DCN double-end carburettors and a 9.8-to-1 compression ratio, the Colombo designed V12 delivered a maximum power of 300 hp at 7,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 281 lbs ft at 5,500 rpm. This impeller and the reduced total weight of less than 800 kg allowed the Testa Rossa to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6 seconds and reach a top speed of 270 km/h.
After winning the competition of Le Mans Ferrari secured the victory in the Championship and dedicated his efforts to Formula 1. No more units were manufactured although private teams continued to be catered for and gained more victories. The improvement of the Aston Martin DBR1 forced Ferrari to optimize the 250 and then the TR59 was introduced as a replacement in 1959.
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa participated in the World Sport Car Championship in 1958, both in private teams and the official team. The official Ferrari team presented a total of four cars called TR58. Each of them had slight differences in intentional specifications made throughout the season.
The most important victories of the season were obtained by the cars of the official team. These remarkable triumphs took place in the 1000 Kilometers of Buenos Aires, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
While most of the cars were Ferrari, there were high-caliber rivals like Aston Martin with his DBR1 model. The Aston Martin DBR1 won the 1000 Kilometers Nurburgring with English riders Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham. But its reliability was a weak point, so conquering the championship was not so difficult for Ferrari.
Other Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa competed in the SCCA championship in the United States, where they earned meritorious victories in their categories. The most deserving thing was that, while they did not get victories in the overall table, this enduro or endurance competition car was contesting the top positions with cars prepared for shorter, pure speed competitions.
Rear wheel drive
Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: 6 s
Top speed: 270 km/h
Aluminium drum brakes on 4 wheels
© Adrián Blanco 2006 — Prohibited the total or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —
Ferrari 250 GTO
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