<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Production commenced early in 1964 even though there still was no green light from the FIA; 250 LM customers were forced to race in the prototype class and Ferrari had to upgrade the front engined 250 GTO once more for the World Championship. The redesigned body fitted to four old and three new chassis bore a close resemblance to the 250 LM's. Although 'Series 2' GTOs did not win its class at Le Mans, it proved to be sufficiently quick to win the championship for Ferrari once more.
There was plenty of interest in the mid-engined 'GT', but it was still no indication that production would ever reach the triple figure number required and homologation became less likely by the day. In a final attempt to boost sales figures, Ferrari handed chassis number 6025 to Pininfarina with the request to turn it into a road car. Traditionally Ferrari road cars were little more than upholstered racers, but Pininfarina took their job seriously and carried through a series of modifications to make their car distinctly different and more user friendly than the racer.
The biggest change was lengthening the wheelbase to 2600 mm, allowing for some more interior space. To keep the car's original proportions, the overall length and width were also slightly increased. To make cockpit access easier parts of the roof were cut out and covered with steel panels that could be opened. The biggest visual difference was the large plexiglas window, which covered most of the engine cover. There are many more small differences that distinguish 6025 from all other 250 LMs.
Painted in a striking white with a blue stripe, Pininfarina debuted the 250 LM 'Stradale' at the 1965 Geneva Motorshow. The paint scheme was carefully chosen to appeal to customers in the biggest market; the United States. At the end of the show Pininfarina claimed sixteen cars were on order, but 6025 remained a one-off. Eventually only 32 250 LMs were constructed and it was never homologated as a GT car. In 1965 a privately entered 250 LM took a surprise victory at Le Mans, which until this day is Ferrari's last overall win in the legendary race. One of the Scaglietti bodied cars was later converted for road use, but not as extensively as the original Pininfarina 250 LM. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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250 LM Pininfarina Stradale Speciale
Production commenced early in 1964 even though there still was no green light from the FIA; 250 LM customers were forced to race in the prototype class and Ferrari had to upgrade the front engined 250 GTO once more for the World Championship. The redesigned body fitted to four old and three new chassis bore a close resemblance to the 250 LM's. Although 'Series 2' GTOs did not win its class at Le Mans, it proved to be sufficiently quick to win the championship for Ferrari once more.