3765SA, this time at the Nürburgring 1000km, earlier in May. Driven by Mike Parkes & Willy Mairesse, it took 2nd place overall. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry, not true Factory records confirm 3765LM Ran the Ring and Lemans in 1962 3673SA is a super America street car with swb body . Wasn't even built until 10/10/1962!! After both races were over by than.
Tom, Dyke Ridgely and others who have researched this are unanimous that it is 3765. Best Regards, Dave
The engine is not quite the same as a Superamerica as it's more powerful, has been dry sumped and has 6 double choke Weber carbs rather than the 3 of the Superamerica engine. From Ferrari's website: "The 330 LMs saw plenty of competition use, especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from which they take the LM suffix to their name."
Attached a pic of what I believe was the 4-litre Superamerica engine in 3765 taken at the 1962 Nurburgring 1000... This looks like the stock Weber 46 DCF carbs, which explain why the power bulge was smaller than the same car at Le Mans. I suspect that the carbs were changed for Le Mans to the taller 42 DCN, therefore the much bigger power bulge... Then again I could be wrong ;-) Image Unavailable, Please Login
Another rare GTO, in fact unique. 4713GT is the only 250 GTO with this 330 LMB type body. Here a the 1963 Goodwood TT driven by Roger Penske to 9th place. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I have this picture I always had the feeling it was 2053GT but nothing on the back of the picture .Thank you Mr Massini
Léon DERNIER was "Eldé ",and" Beurlys" is Jean Blaton who raced 2053GT at La Coupe de Bruxelles in 1962
Don't shoot the messenger. See Ferrari web site here: http://auto.ferrari.com/en_EN/sports-cars-models/past-models/250-gto/ "Early development of the new model was shrouded in secrecy, with Giotto Bizzarrini charged with developing a car to take on and beat the Jaguar E Type. In various interviews over the years he has said he was given an old 250 GT Boano chassis as a basis for the project. However, internal factory records show that he was provided with a 250 GT ‘passo corto’ (chassis 1791GT) on which to base the new car."
Some of the 400 Superamaricas may have used the big double choke 46mm Webers X3 but generally I believe they used smaller double choke 40mm, 42mm Webers X 3 or even Solex carbs??? The engine in 3765LM and 330 LMBs was the competition application of the 400 Superamerica tipo 163 engine.
According to Marcel Massini, Ferrari may be wrong in their statement: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/posts/145612658/ (post #285) Best.
Who knows what it was! All existing factory papers would be shredded if the car was modified or destroyed. I would expect the chassis number to have been issued in 4/62 so there is a possibility it had a secret life preceding the one we know. It is also possible that the frame was put aside for a reason or another and put into production when not needed for that purpose anymore (there are other cases like this).
All factory records on these cars are in the files. I have inspected them myself. They do not shred records!! All the serial number mods etc that were done in the past are still in the records.
According to Keith Bluemels 250GTO book there are two quite different theories about 3673SA, one of which where it was only ever a special 400SA (same Tipo 539 chassis as a 330LM/GTO) with Passo Corto bodywork ala mode the Short Wheelbase supplied to Italy and soon sold to the USA. In that 1st scenario the car raced at Nurburgring was #3765LM, the second scenario is based on the much more contentious claim is that #3673SA was built to 330GTO spec in early 1962 and raced at the Nurburgring before Willy Mairesse took it for a drive in June 1962 and destroyed it in a crash outside the factory. Either it was rebuilt to Passo Corto spec or was that all along but either way by late 1962 that is how it was and remained that way until the 1980s when DK Engineering restored it as a GTO for Paul Vestey and it remains so to this day. There are noted detail differences between the Nurburgring and Le Mans 330GTO and there is no significant reason for a change to vents and lights so where they the same car (or not). Various expert members of Ferrarichat have had access to the Maranello archives and other materials and some still believe in the separate cars scenario but most seem to believe that it was #3765LM that was at both events. Perhaps the biggest issue is that the knowledge of these cars in the 1980s was much less than even a decade later and it is very possible that the knowledge vacuum and a little wishful thinking could easily account for why the story of #3673SA as a lost 330GTO was created. I must say the jury is out but one scenario is more likely than the other.
Would love to see the earlier ones, the ones that may have existed and got shredded. Ferrari archive it a technical archive, not a historical one. They primarily kept documents that were valid, old docs would only create confusion so they were usually destroyed. I am sure the Nürburgring car (#120) was 3765/LM. The nose was changed to meet Le Mans light rules. Many GTOs were changed too. However I would love to know what 3673/SA really was and where it was kept from April to October. The serial number was created in April and I am sure they did not create it for being written on a piece of paper so it could be used 6 months later! It could have been a reference chassis kept alongside for dimensions, or then they started to build a racing car upon it and soon decided to use a modified racing chassis instead. One day we might find out, or then not, who cares!!!
According to Bleumel's GTO book chassis tipo for the 400 Superamerica was 538 and the 330 LM 539/566. Engine used in 3765LM was the competition tipo 163/566. Standard 400 Superamerica engine is tipo 163. It has been stated here that 3673SA was in the last few years at the factory having its original and correct SWB body reunited with it.