Ferrari Racing Legends
My love affair with cars, Ferrari in particular, has diminished over the years- it's not a focus of my photography. But I couldn't resist the opportunity to see a display of some of the greatest racing Ferraris. Philadelphia is home to the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum- developed and run by Dr. Fred Simeone. What really makes this museum special is that they have Demo Days. A collection of cars of a specific theme are brought outside. People can get up close and personal with the cars which are fired up and driven. Seeing the motion and hearing the music is a great experience.
For this Demo Day there were five racing Ferraris. Three were of particular interest to me as they represent the golden age of Ferrari sports racing cars- late 50's to mid 60's, the height of my Ferrari passion. Two of the cars are arguably the most sought-after Ferraris ever, bringing stratospheric values at auction.... As you look at these images, think less that these are just very old race cars, but rather see them for what they really are- works of art! Fred Simeone spoke of them as paintings. I hope this essay will give viewers a sense of why millions of enthusiasts have a spiritual reaction to these cars.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For this Demo Day there were five racing Ferraris. Three were of particular interest to me as they represent the golden age of Ferrari sports racing cars- late 50's to mid 60's, the height of my Ferrari passion. Two of the cars are arguably the most sought-after Ferraris ever, bringing stratospheric values at auction.... As you look at these images, think less that these are just very old race cars, but rather see them for what they really are- works of art! Fred Simeone spoke of them as paintings. I hope this essay will give viewers a sense of why millions of enthusiasts have a spiritual reaction to these cars.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prancing Horse: All major brands have their icons. The best immediately identify the company without saying a word. This is the case for Ferrari's famous symbol. As you will see in many of the images, it is typically a black horse on a yellow background. Most Ferraris have a metal prancing horse at the center of the front grill. This horse, which adorns the Ferrari GTO shown below, has seen many 160 mile per hour days.
Dr. Simeone: Fred was master of ceremonies of the Demo Day. He spoke eloquently about the cars, explaining their technical details and racing histories. He told the group to listen carefully to the engines- "the note of each engine is different"... Not even the Mona Lisa comes with her own orchestra.
________________________________________________________________________________________
250 Testa Rossa: The name "Red Head" relates to the engine's red cam covers (see below) and an unmistakable female connotation. This version of the Testa Rossa is notable for its pontoon front fenders that were designed to bring maximum cooling air to the front brakes. Removing so much metal from the shape could have been a hatchet job. But its designer was a sculptor. There are so many things to see in this design: the flow of the fenders from front to back; the two rear fenders and similarly shaped extended head rest which are complimented by the front fenders and hood blister. The only way to fully appreciate this shape would be to run your hands across every curve- but alas we were not allowed to touch.... A measure of this car's importance is the price it can bring at auction. A similar Testa Rossa recently sold for almost $40 million dollars!
250 Testa Rossa: The name "Red Head" relates to the engine's red cam covers (see below) and an unmistakable female connotation. This version of the Testa Rossa is notable for its pontoon front fenders that were designed to bring maximum cooling air to the front brakes. Removing so much metal from the shape could have been a hatchet job. But its designer was a sculptor. There are so many things to see in this design: the flow of the fenders from front to back; the two rear fenders and similarly shaped extended head rest which are complimented by the front fenders and hood blister. The only way to fully appreciate this shape would be to run your hands across every curve- but alas we were not allowed to touch.... A measure of this car's importance is the price it can bring at auction. A similar Testa Rossa recently sold for almost $40 million dollars!
Pontoons: Form follows function, or is it the other way around? It's remarkable that something so functional could be so beautiful. Air enters between the fenders and nose, passes across the brakes and exists behind the the front wheels. The combination of the nose, fenders, and hood blister is exquisite.
Orchestra: The heart and sole of a Ferrari is its engine- the V12 Red Head is revealed. The 250 (represents the size of each cylinder: 250 c.c.) is the engine that defines Ferrari: beautiful to look at, powerful, blinding throttle response, and oh the sound of this orchestra- note the trumpet section.
Follow the Lines: Every angle reveals something new- the fenders and hood blister look like dolphins just above the surface... And the lovely line of the pontoon fender.
Hourglass: From above the shape of this Red Head is revealed... One aesthetic disappointment is the bolted on nose that leaves a nasty seam.
Predator: From this view it's obvious that the Testa Rossa was meant to consume the competition... Note the massive finned brakes just inside the wheels. These are what all the cooling air is about.
Throne: If looking at the 250 Testa Rossa is exciting, it doesn't compare with the view from the inside. While spartan, every Ferrari of this era, both racers and street cars, had this magnificent Nardi wood rimmed steering wheel with prancing horse horn button. Another feature of the breed is the massive gearshift knob which sits at the same height as the horn button- makes hand movement from steering wheel to shifter fast and fluid. In today's exotics the gearshift has been replaced by steering wheel paddles. No doubt better performance, but that will never replace the beauty and feel of this arrangement.
Poetry in Motion: Fred takes his red headed beauty out for a spin. The grin on his face speaks volumes.... Notice the angle of the steering wheel. In most cars the steering wheel is closer to vertical- this is a bit more like a bus. For some reason this angle just feels better.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
250 GTO: As wonderful as the Testa Rossa is, it's not the #1 Ferrari. That honor goes to the 250 GTO. One recently sold for $52 million dollars- remember, this is a painting with its own orchestra. There are a number of reasons why the GTO is so revered: its beauty, its racing record, its similarity to street Ferraris, and its name. Those three letters G-T-O just work. So much so that Pontiac "borrowed" the name for its muscle car- Ferrari enthusiasts were incensed! And there's even a song: Little GTO, but that was about the Pontiac... Actually GTO is a functional term (Gran Turismo Omologato) that defined its racing class. Whatever the reason for the GTO's extraordinary popularity, this is one amazing car... In the images of this car, notice how design elements enhance each other.
250 GTO: As wonderful as the Testa Rossa is, it's not the #1 Ferrari. That honor goes to the 250 GTO. One recently sold for $52 million dollars- remember, this is a painting with its own orchestra. There are a number of reasons why the GTO is so revered: its beauty, its racing record, its similarity to street Ferraris, and its name. Those three letters G-T-O just work. So much so that Pontiac "borrowed" the name for its muscle car- Ferrari enthusiasts were incensed! And there's even a song: Little GTO, but that was about the Pontiac... Actually GTO is a functional term (Gran Turismo Omologato) that defined its racing class. Whatever the reason for the GTO's extraordinary popularity, this is one amazing car... In the images of this car, notice how design elements enhance each other.
Pipes: Another functional system that became an iconic Ferrari styling cue is the four tail pipes. When done in chrome, they really make a statement- both to the eye and the ear.... Notice the match between the two sets of pipes and the two sets of tail lights.
Repeating Elements: Notice how the three air intakes match the headlight covers; the closed flap over the badge matches the air intakes; the two small air intakes near the windshield mirror the larger air intakes; the oval grill perfectly enhances the air intakes- the painter must have had a plan.
Touch: Beyond the exhilarating sounds from the engine, the other sense that is provoked by a Ferrari is touch: the Nardi steering wheel feels like fine furniture; the shifter is almost beyond explanation... Note that the wheel and shifter are almost exactly like those of the Testa Rossa- why change something when it works so well.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
250 LM: Ferrari's final assault on sports car racing brought about a major change in design. Reluctantly, Ferrari moved the orchestra from the front to just behind the driver- known as a mid-engine car. Performance demanded the change, but the traditional front engine beauty was gone. A 250 LM (stands for Le Mans) delivered Ferrari's last Le Mans victory in 1965.
250 LM: Ferrari's final assault on sports car racing brought about a major change in design. Reluctantly, Ferrari moved the orchestra from the front to just behind the driver- known as a mid-engine car. Performance demanded the change, but the traditional front engine beauty was gone. A 250 LM (stands for Le Mans) delivered Ferrari's last Le Mans victory in 1965.
Beautiful?: Mid-engine exotic cars are commonplace today- many showing a resemblance to the LM. This is an amazing machine and I'm always excited to see one, but somehow I've never been able to warm up to this deign. As to value, a recent example sold at auction for $14 million dollars. While this is no GTO, the owner of this 250 LM, who bought it in the early 1970's, has built up quite a return on his investment. So top examples of the three cars shown in this essay have a combined value of over $100 million dollars! That would surely bring a smile to Enzo Ferrari's face.
Competitor's View
Through the Looking Glass: Looks like riding on the back of a stingray- the animal, not the Corvette.
Beauty or Beast: I really can't decide. I can imagine Enzo Ferrari asking himself the same question.
NART: Emblem of the North American Racing Team that entered the 1965 Le Mans winning 250 LM.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the mid-1960's I heard a Ferrari owner say- "driving a Ferrari for the first time is like having sex for the first time"... at that moment I wasn't qualified to comment on either. But after having joined both clubs I would add- "but it takes practice to get either of them right!"
I hope you enjoyed this little journey into Ferrari passion. If you ever get to Philadelphia, be sure to visit the Simeone Museum- especially on a Demo Day.
In the mid-1960's I heard a Ferrari owner say- "driving a Ferrari for the first time is like having sex for the first time"... at that moment I wasn't qualified to comment on either. But after having joined both clubs I would add- "but it takes practice to get either of them right!"
I hope you enjoyed this little journey into Ferrari passion. If you ever get to Philadelphia, be sure to visit the Simeone Museum- especially on a Demo Day.