Ferrari 250 GT Coupé

The Ferrari 250 GT Coupé represented a series of road-going, grand touring cars produced by Ferrari between 1954 and 1960. Presented at the 1954 Paris Motor Show, the 250 Europa GT was the first in the GT-lineage. The design by Pinin Farina was seen as a more civilised version of their sporty Berlinetta 250 MM. Series built cars were an answer to the wealthy clientele demands of a sporty and luxurious Ferrari Gran Turismo, that is also easier to use daily.

Common among all the 250 GT cars was the 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine and the fact that all were two-seaters. The predecessor to the series was the Lampredi-engined 250 Europa, built in very limited numbers.

The Europa GT was soon followed by the Pinin Farina-designed 250 GT Coupé. As the Carrozzeria Pinin Farina's production capacities were being expanded at that time, the cars were initially bodied at the Carrozzeria Boano, then the Carrozzeria Ellena. After the body production was carried over to Pinin Farina, Ferrari could produce the Coupé in greater numbers than before. This series of models marked the production process transition from hand-crafted to semi-series production.

Even though great strides were taken to standardise the production, there was still a number of individual cars produced identified as Speciale. The successor, manufactured in even greater numbers was the four-seater, Ferrari 250 GT 2+2. __TOC__

250 Europa GT

The Ferrari 250 Europa GT was a grand touring car produced by Ferrari in 1954 and 1955. It was the first real GT car manufactured by Ferrari and the first in a long lineage of Ferrari road-cars with Gran Turismo moniker in their name. They were also the first to have GT suffix in the chassis number instead of EU.

The 250 Europa GT was seen as a road-going version of the 250 MM race car, and also as a second series to the 250 Europa. Most of the Europa GT cars had Pinin Farina designed and built bodywork and those had a similar, near identical established style. In total only 35 Europa GTs were manufactured.

Development

History

Up to this point, Ferrari offered semi-race car models that could be driven on the roads. Those were the past Inter-series offered from Maranello, but were not as practical for the elite clientele to be able to use every day. The start of the true road-car trend for Ferrari was the 250 Europa, which was soon followed by Europa GT, sporting ubiquitous Colombo 250-series 3.0-litre V12 engine. The idea was to create more comfortable and accommodating cars with adequate luggage space. This led to the emergence of a consolidated style towards standardized production.

Production

The introduction of the 250 GT series was a major turning point in the rise of Ferrari as a serial manufacturer. Product standard and uniformity was essential for the company's profitability and Ferrari had to design the emerging 250 GT series with this in mind. Ferrari grew their road-going production, expanded their factory and light-alloy foundry. With it and a reliable power unit, Ferrari could meet the needs of more customers, with an unchanging goal to finance the racing activities.

Ferrari chose Pinin Farina as their coachbuilder to realise the bodywork. This cooperation, that begun with a historic meeting of Enzo Ferrari and Battista Farina in a restaurant in 1951, will remain fruitful for many decades for Ferrari production cars.

Design

The exterior design was mostly carried over from the Europa, from which it was developed. Pinin Farina offered two body variants of the Europa GT. The three-window, two-door coupé with panoramic rear window and the other with additional rear side windows. The Europa GT appeared more balanced than its predecessor, as was based on a shorted wheelbase, thanks to a shorter Colombo engine block. Inside of the car remained unchanged in terms of dimensions and space.

Externally only the distance from the front wheel arch to the A-post was reduced. The front of the car remained unchanged with a dominant egg-crate grille that became a strong identifying feature. Sides were almost devoid of any additional decoration.

Notable examples

The very first example produced, s/n 0357GT bodied by Pinin Farina, represented not only the emergence of the Europa GT but also of the whole lineage of 250 GT cars. It was first presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1954. The car was unusual for having two small rear seats, as others had a luggage parcel shelf. It was also one of two coupés originally bodied in aluminium. From 1956 the car was owned by Olivier Gendebien who campaigned the car in Tour de France automobile to a third place overall, with Michel Ringoir. Ringoir then owned the car from 1957 and also raced it further in France and Belgium. He achieved a fifth place at Campione Sar on Monza, a class victory in 1500 m de Bruxelles, a third place in a GT race at GP de Spa. He also won the GT-class in GP MG Car Club race on Zandvoort and scored a sixth place overall at GP Germany on Nürburgring in a GT race.

Chassis 0359GT was the second example produced. It sported a unique coupé coachwork designed by Giovanni Michelotti and realized by Vignale. The extraordinary shape included a wrap-around front and rear windscreens. The front received a large oval grille and the rear fenders had small fins protruding upwards. The one-off 250 Europa GT was sold new to Princess Lilian, Princess of Réthy, the second wife of King Leopold III of Belgium.

Coupé s/n 0375GT, was the only one example built as a right hand drive car.

Chassis 0407GT, realized in 1955, was a turning point in the design style for Pinin Farina. It represented a transition between the Europa GT body and upcoming 250 GT Coupé cars. This Europa GT received a reworked front end with flatter, lower and longer nose and more elliptical grille with a silver prancing horse and additional fog lamps inside it. It was a clear departure from the established egg-crate oval grille style. The rear was no longer rounded with the fenders, instead, the fender tips protruded behind the rear deck and were ended with vertical tail lights. The panoramic rear window incorporated dual windshield wipers.

Europa GT Berlinetta

Between 1954 and 1955 Ferrari and Pinin Farina created several lightweight aluminium bodied cars, the Europa GT Berlinettas, with rounded shapes and improved aerodynamics. Four of them were fitted with competition berlinetta bodies similar to those of the 250 MM, with short, rounded rear, fastback profile and panoramic rear window. Using an evolution of the 250 MM engine called the Tipo 112 A, they could produce up to and 275 Nm. Even though the cars were competition-ready, none of them scored any major victories and mostly were denied any track use.

S/n 0369GT, was the first of the Berlinetta Speciale series and the only one from 1954, it was destroyed in 1958.

The Berlinetta Speciale, chassis 0383GT, was created in 1955 as a second car in the series. Body, similar to the 250 MM, had no rear louvres and only small vents on the front fenders. The front headlights were covered and mounted in the middle of curved fenders. It combined a type 508 chassis with type 112 A engine, and is considered as the first ‘Tour de France’ Berlinetta prototype. In 1956, Paolo Lena and Orlando Palanga entered it in Tour de France automobile race, but failed to finish it. Later the same year, Lena managed a second in class and third overall at the Serravalle–San Marino hillclimb and a third place at Coppa InterEuropa GT race on Monza. From 1958, Frank Adams campaigned the car in the United States, winning the SCCA Bridgehampton preliminary GT race.

S/n 0385GT was a third Berlinetta Speciale, finished in silver and presented at the 1955 Turin Motor Show. Just as some of the competition models, this car did not have any sort of boot lid. It was later sold to the President of the Italian Automobile Club.

S/n 0393GT was the last of the series and the only with a different body style. Instead of a short rounded rear portion, it featured prominent double-stepped rear fins, reminiscent of the 375 MM Pinin Farina Coupé Speciale s/n 0490AM. The car was displayed at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, and after the show was sold to a Parisian Andre Dubonnet. For the 1956 edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was registered to race with Michel Dubonnet and Maurice Trintignant, but they failed to arrive.

Europa GT Competizione

Later in 1955, Ferrari and Pinin Farina produced another three special bodied cars that are often also regarded as prototypes for the upcoming 250 GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ models produced between 1956 and 1959. All of the three Europa GT Competitziones had different body styles, wheelbase measurements and details.

The first Competition Berlinetta Speciale, s/n 0403GT, was bodied in alloy by Pinin Farina on a wheelbase. The rear section, that incorporated boot lid, fins and rear window, was created in the style known from the 375 MM Coupé Speciale, s/n 0456AM, for actress Ingrid Bergman. The car also sported a type 342 rear axle.

The second car of the series, chassis 0415GT, was bodied in the 250 MM style, with short rear and fastback profile. Lightweight aluminium body was based on a shorter, , wheelbase. It received an uprated type 112 A engine and was raced briefly by Marquis Alfonso de Portago and later Gleb Derujinsky in the United States. De Portago's only race in Nassau yielded a fourth place overall.

S/n 0425GT was the last of the series. Designed and bodied either by Pinin Farina or Scaglietti on a wheelbase chassis, it is considered as a '14 louvre' style 'Tour de France' Berlinetta prototype. In 1956 it was presented at the Geneva Motor Show and later at the Turin Motor Show, but despite being a competition car, it never raced, and by 1959 was exported to the United States.

Specifications

Engine

The 250 Europa GT sported a Colombo-designed V12 engine, instead of a Lampredi unit from the preceding 250 Europa. The original Colombo block used smaller bore-spacing then Lampredi and hence was called a 'short-block'. The engine was mounted in the front behind front axle. The type 112, 60° V12 unit had a bore and stroke of , and the resulting total capacity was . Unitary displacement measured 246.10 cc, which rounded up gave the basis for the name of the series, the 250, as was the naming convention used by Ferrari.

With 8.5:1 compression ratio the maximum power generated was at 7000 rpm. Torque figures were approximately 265 Nm at 5000 rpm. Valves were actuated by a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank with two valves per cylinder. Fuel was fed by a bank of three Weber 36DCZ/3 carburettors, or optionally a 42DCZ type. The ignition system consisted of a single spark plug per cylinder, served by two coils and horizontal mounted distributor. Lubrication employed a wet sump oil system and the clutch was a twin-plate type. The Europa GT was capable of top speed.

Chassis

The tubular steel chassis of the type 508 was built around two main longitudinal members with cross bracing and body supports. Unlike the predecessors, the rear portion passed above the rear axle. The wheelbase was shortened by to and the front are rear tracks were widened by . This chassis and engine setup will be used on various road and race Ferrari models from 250 GT-family.

Suspension and transmission

The front suspension was independent with twin wishbones, transverse leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. Leaf springs will later give way to helical spring setup. The rear suspension sported a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and lever type hydraulic shock absorbers. Brakes were hydraulically operated drum type all round. The Europa GT used a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, like on 250 MM, coupled to the rear axle by a propeller shaft. The fuel tank had a capacity of 100 litres.

250 GT Coupé