Ferrari P
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The Ferrari P series were prototype sports cars in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move even with Cooper dominating F1, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1960 with the Ferrari Dino-V6-engine Formula 2 156, which would be turned into the Formula 1-winner of 1961.
Sports car racers followed in 1963. Although these cars shared their names (based on engine displacement) with road models, they were almost entirely dissimilar. The first Ferrari mid-engine in a road car did not arrive until the 1967 Dino, and it was 1971 before a Ferrari V12 was placed behind a road-going driver in the 365 GT4 BB.
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[edit] 250 P
The 250 P was a Prototype racer produced in 1963, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the manufacturers' championship. It was a mid-engined sports car racer with a single-cam 3.0 L 250 Testa Rossa V12 engine and almost entirely unrelated to the other 250 cars.
The 275 P and 330 P were evolutions of the 250 P with 3.3 L and 4.0 L engines, respectively. These raced during 1963 and 1964.
[edit] 250 LM
The 250 P evolved into a saleable mid-engined racer for the public, the 250 LM. Introduced at Paris in November, 1963, the LM was successful for privately-entered racers around the world. About 32 models were built in 1964 and 1965, with all but the first few powered by 3.3 L 320 hp (238 kW) engines, though the name did not change with the increase in displacement. A fully-independent double wishbone suspension was specified with rack and pinion steering and four wheel disc brakes.
[edit] 330 P2
An entirely new car, the 330 P2, followed in 1965. It featured a lower and lighter chassis and more aerodynamic body, paired with a 410 hp (305 kW) version of the 330 V12. It was first used by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) in the Daytona race that year. Some of NART's P2 cars also used the 4.4 L engine and thus were named 365 P2. The P2 was not a great success for Ferrari, however, so it was replaced by the P3 for 1966.
[edit] 330 P4
1967 saw the ultimate mid-engined 330 P, the 330 P4[1]. With a 3-valve cylinder head (taken from the Italian Grand Prix-winning Formula 1 cars) added to the P3's fuel injection system, output was up to 450 hp (335 kW). Only one P 3/4 and three 330 P4's were ever made.
The 330 P4 electrified the racing world when one P 3/4, one P4 and one 412P crossed the finish line together (in first, second, and third place) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona and became a symbol of victory over arch-enemy Ford GT40. Surprisingly the 330 P4 had poor aerodynamics even in comparison with its rivals, but its sexy looks continue to grab attention.
The original P4 cars are estimated to be worth about US$10 million each.
All of the P4's built are accounted for and P 3/4 0846 is surrounded in controversy. 0856 remains in its original state and is owned by a Canadian collector, 0858 was converted into a 350 Can Am and is owned by American Walter Medlin, and 0860 was also converted to a 350 Can Am but is presently wearing a P4 Spyder body and is in a French automobile museum. The fourth of the original cars, chassis number 0846, was originally built as a P3 by Ferrari but was modified in December 1966 to accept a P4 engine while retaining its P3 chassis and nose. This P3/4 was subsequently badly damaged in an accident at Le Mans and was discarded by Ferrari[2].
Recently, many components of P3/4 0846 appear to have resurfaced in the possession of exotic car collector and enthusiast James Glickenhaus, a former movie director and stock exchange magnate. Although both he and David Piper (from whom he acquired the car) thought it was one of four replica chassis constructed with the blessing of Enzo Ferrari in the late 1960s, it appears that nearly all of the tube frame chassis and some other components from the wrecked P3/4 were used in this car[3]. This seeming discovery has stirred much controversy[4] among Ferrari enthusiasts, and the Ferrari company is unable or unwilling to officially identify the car except to note that their records hold that it was destroyed. This tube frame appears to be a P3 modified to hold a P4 engine, as was the case with 0846 exclusively, and the damage from two contemporary racing accidents appears in the frame as well. The car's transmission, engine heads, and steering rack also include the correct Le Mans scrutineering marks, linking them to P3 0846 and P 3/4 0846 of 1966 and 1967.
One original 330 P 3/4 and three original 330 P4s were built in total:
- 0846 was a converted P3 (see above)
- 0856 remains in its original state and is owned by a Canadian collector
- 0858 was converted into a 350 Can Am and is owned by American Walter Medlin
- 0860 was also converted to a 350 Can am and is in a French automobile museum
- 0900 was a continuation comissioned and currently owned by David Piper and authorized by Enzo Ferrari
- 0900a is another currently unfinished continuation by Piper
- "0003" is claimed to be a third continuation by Piper but has been determined by owner James Glickenhaus to be 0846
- 0900b is a fourth continuation still under construction the frame of which was made in the 2000s by Piper for an American customer.
Due to its great fame and good looks, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g. a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) may be sold for $50,000.
[edit] 312 P
After boycotting sports cars racing in 1968 to protest the rule change, Ferrari built another 3000cc prototype in 1969, named the 312 P.
The 3.0 Ferrari 312P Barchetta and 3.0 Ferrari 312P Berlinetta were hardly more than a 3-litre F1 Ferrari 312 with a prototype body. At the 12 Hours of Sebring the spyder finished 2nd to a JWA Gulf Ford GT40. At the BOAC 500 in Brands Hatch the same spyder was 4th behind three Porsche 908-01. At 1000km Monza, Chris Amon took the pole with the 312P spyder, ahead of Jo Siffert's 908-01, but had to retire. At the 1000km Spa, a 312P was second behind the Siffert-Redman 908-01LH. At Le Mans two 312P Berlinettas were entered. They were 5 and 6 on the grid, but didn't finish. At the end of the season the 312Ps were sold to N.A.R.T., the American Ferrari importer of Luigi Chinetti.
[edit] 512 S and 512 M
These were not designated with P as they were not built for the 3000cc Prototype category, but with S as 5000cc Sports cars, of which at least 25 had to be built. Porsche had made that investment in early 1969 with the new Porsche 917. Ferrari answered with the Ferrari 512 which was introduced for 1970, and later modified as 512 M.
[edit] 312 PB
In 1971, another rule change was announced for 1972, and Ferrari abandoned further development of the 512 in order to focus on a new 3L prototype based on the F1 car.
In 1972, this Ferrari 312PB with the flat boxer engine was very successful and won all races of the World Sportscar Championship in which it raced. Ferrari didn't enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972 though as the F1-based engine would not last for sure.
They had to enter in 1973, though, and finished second behind Matra, same as in the championship. At the end of the 1973 season, Ferrari abandoned sports car racing to focus on F1.
[edit] 333 SP
In the 1990s, the Ferrari 333 SP was built, but not raced by the factory itself.
[edit] P4/5
In 2005, James Glickenhaus commissioned Pininfarina to rebody an Enzo as a special one-off custom car[5]. It is inspired by the early P racers, and especially Glickenhaus' own reconstructed P3/4[6][7].
[edit] References
- ^ "Ferrari 330/P4". Road & Track (May 1967): 114–116.
- ^ 330 P3/4 Chassis 0846. Veloce Today. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
- ^ Ferrari P3/4 Chassis 0846. James Glickenhaus. Retrieved on July 31, 2006.
- ^ The (one and only) 0846 debate thread. Ferrarichat.com. Retrieved on July 31, 2006.
- ^ "The Beast of Turin". Car and Driver (September 2006): 86–93.
- ^ Ferrari P 4/5 by Pininfarina and James Glickenhaus. FerrariP45.com. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
- ^ Ferrari 612 P4/5. AutoExpress. Retrieved on August 9, 2006.
