What do the letter/number combinations stand for?

I'm sure there's a reason. I'm as clueless as you though. Even more so in fact

 

Alas, there isn't a reason: not *A* reason. The terms have changed over the years.

The 250, 275, etc., were cubic centimeters per cylinder. Multiply by 12 to get displacement in ccs.

But then came 6 and 8 cyl Ferraris. The 246 was a 24 decilitre (2.4L) 6 cyl.

Then came the 550 and the 360 and the 456 and the 433, based on ... um, er -- something.

But it could be worse. Anyone else remember when the Triumph Spitfire went from the Mk.III to the Mk.IV to the 1500 ... and shifted to metric?

 

355 3.5 litres 5valves per cylinder
360 3.6 litres
430 4.3 litres
550 5.5 litres
288 2.8litres 8cylinders
M normally stands for Modificato
/4 for the number of camshafts

 

All of the 12-cylinder road cars used the "cubic centimeters of one cylinder" method until the 512BB, which used the newer "total capacity plus number of cylinders" method.

The 6- and 8-cylinder cars have always used the latter method, except that from the 355 onward the last digit meant something other than number of cylinders. (In its case "5" meant valves per cylinder; for the 360 and 430 the last "0" means nothing, as far as I know.)

The 2+2 12-cylinder cars continued to use the old method through the 456; only with the 612 did they switch to the newer method.

I believe that in the case of the 550, 575 and 599 the digits all indicate total engine capacity (roughly 5500, 5750 and 5990cc's, respectively?). This was probably done to avoid confusion with other models of similar capacity; for instance the 599 could just as easily been called 612 as well, except that the designation was already in use!

 

I think someone has all but GTO which stand for Grand Touring "Omologato" (which means Homologated, which was a racing designation for competing in the GT class, had to manufacture at least a particular number to be homogated) I am sure my spelling is off.

 

Buy the DVD "50 years of Ferrari" they explain it all.

 

Gran Turismo Omologata

Everything sounds great in Italian.

 

"/4 for the number of camshafts?" I always assumed it was valves per cylinder? Interesting!

 

Don't forget the good old Mondial which I think means world, meaning Ferrari for the world
combinations
8 =V8
3.0 3L oviously
3.2 3.2L obviously
Qv Quatrovavole
T Transverse

 

Ahh And dont forget the king of the supercars...

F40 40th anniversary as a manufacturer....

 

AAh How could we forget that and the F50