Why Ferrari was the Team to Beat

Ferrari’s prototype race cars of the 1960s are some of the most recognisable and evocative machines ever to see a chequered flag. Scuderia Ferrari utterly dominated the first half of the decade with back-to-back Le Mans victories from 1960 to 1964 (with a 250LM run by the North American Racing Team winning outright in 1965). Ford would achieve its goal, of course – but it couldn’t match Ferrari’s streak, taking just four wins from 1966 to 1969.

The golden age of sports car racing had arrived, and the illustrious P series of Ferrari racers were at the forefront. Born out of the introduction of the FIA’s prototype class in 1963, just engine displacement split the field with makers freed from the requirement to build road-legal examples. This had the effect the FIA had desired; it forced open the formula to more manufacturers (namely those based in North America).

Right from the start Ferrari was the team to beat, with its 250 P winning the Nürburgring 1000km (driven by John Surtees), Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours in its debut year. The following year, the new 275 P and 330 P cars went one better, taking a one-two-three finish at Le Mans.

The pictures in this post are the 365 P that I saw at the Concours of Elegance in 2020. Chassis no.0828, it emerged from Scuderia Ferrari at the start of 1965 as a 275 P. Its first taste of action was at a Le Mans test day in April John Surtees gave the Ferrari its shakedown and clearly got on with it – he would finish second in the car at the Monza 1000km a few weeks later.

The following month it was entered in the Targa Florio, where Italian driver pairing Nino Vaccarella and Lorenzo Bandini steered the Ferrari to its first major victory. It evolved during the season to 4.4-litre 365 P specification, and as such won the Nürburgring 1000km with John Surtees once again behind the wheel.

That was to be the car’s final victory before it passed from Scuderia Ferrari ownership to the famed Belgian Ecurie Francorchamps team – with which it went on to compete during 1966 in the Monza 1000km, the 1000km de Francorchamps and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

ENGINE

4.4-litre, V12, overhead camshaft, 410bhp, six carburetors

CONFIGURATION

Mid-engine, five-speed manual transmission, spaceframe chassis,

independent double-wishbone suspension, disc brakes all round

Please follow and like us: