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In
the 1961 Phil Hill won the World Championship in the mid engined F1 car for Ferrari. In
spite of Enzo's stubbornness it showed Ferrari designers that mid engine design was the
right way if Scuderia was to stay competitive in road races and win overall in Le Mans.
That led to the mean looking 250 P (for Prototipo) which of course was powered by an even
more souped up Colombo of the 250 GTO sports car racer. The car won the 1963 Le Mans (4th
in a row), 12hrs Sebring and gained the coveted LM sign. But Fords juggernaut the GT 40
was becoming faster by the minute, and their resources were bottomless so was the goal to
finally finish of the Scuderia. Mind you, that GT40 raced an engine twice the displacement
(<7lt) of Ferrari for the 64
and 65 Le Mans the 275 P and Scuderia’s top racer the 330P P. Both of those cars were
powered by Colombo small blocks V12s and the 4.0 litre puffed out close to 480 horses for
the 24 hrs event. Ford showed up in force, already winning for the most of the season with
the big GT40.
At the 1965 Le Mans sure money was on Ford, hopeless Ferrari addicts were betting petty
cash on works Ferrari team and theirs 330 P-s, but they were clear outsiders to mighty
Fords. Enzos old friend and main importer for Ferrari in the USA, Luigi Chinneti (former
race driver for Alfa, and Scuderia Ferrari) entered a hopelessly obsolete and underpowered
250 LM, a 63 design car, actually the original car that won the 63 event at Sebring (only
32 of the 250 Lm design cars were built) as NART (North American racing team). Nobody laid
their money on that privately entered Cavallino who was set to do battle with the mighty
Fords, and new Ferraris the 330 P cars. What happened was one of the most memorable upsets
in racing history, and one of the most emotional moments in Enzos lifetime (according to
his autobiography "My terrible joys").
NARTs drivers Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory drove the wheels off their little 250
Cavallino, and in spite of GT40 fords, 330P crashing out, blowing transmissions, and with
all the faster cars droping out, come Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock, the NART 250 LM
Ferrari took it home, first overall at the Le Mans for the Scuderia’s 9th time. The
car was a busted up overraced wreck, but on the penultimate lap Rindt shrieked past the Le
Mans straight close to 190mph with the little Colombo 3.0 litre redlining at 9500 rpm,
romancing with the spectators and its driver with a sound of the ripping canvas. After
that, dowshifting through 5 gear non-synchromesh gearbox with the car leaving puffs of
burnt oil smoke, sliding beneath the chequered flag into motor racing legend. That was the
last Ferrari Le Mans victory in Enzos lifetime.
Enzo aware of the upcoming onslaught by corporate car makers, tried to homologate
250,330P cars into sports car category, but FIA insisted that a minimum of 100 cars must
be produced. Enzo had no intention (and no funds) of doing so, and in 1964 he has
withdrawn from Formula World Championship series. Sort of. He overpainted the
Scuderia’s red Cavalinos with US white/blue racing scheme, and entered them as NART
Formula team, and won the 64 championship. Eventually FIA agreed upon homolagation but it
was too late, cause the cars were obsolete in design.
The cost of racing saw Ferrari s road car division sell out to Fiat in 1969 cause the
cost of modern racing has seriously hurt the Scuderia. Enzo always said that he was
producing so called "road cars" only to pay the racing bills.
Agreement with Fiat left Enzo in full control over Scuderia Ferrari, and Fiat money to
spend on racing. The deal was called in "In Vitalizzio", which meant Fiat paid
Ferrari shares, and a lifetime rent every month to Enzo himself. If he had no choice but
to sell to Fiat, crafty old devil Enzo lived to be 90, a long enough time to rob Agnelli
of enormous sums of money.
:: Part Three
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