<< Prev Page 2 of 2 The first ever Ferrari Testa Rossa debuted in Africa in the hands of the great Belgian privateer Jacques Swaters. He immediately scored a class win, beating the previously dominant Maseratis. While the factory produced the customer cars, the works team developed a 2.5 litre version specifically for Le Mans. Known as the 625 LM, three were entered in the race and the fastest placed an impressive third behind the winning 3.4 litre Jaguar and the second placed 3 litre Aston Martin. Easily distinguishable by their Touring bodywork, they were later sold by the factory with the 'standard' two litre engine.
In addition to the three 625 LMs, seventeen 500 TRs were sold to customers in 1956. For the 1957 season, the 'Appendix C' was added to the international sporting regulations, which specified that sports cars should should have full width windscreens and two doors. As a response Ferrari developed the 500 TRC. In addition to the obvious changes to the Pinin Farina styled body, it also featured a slightly more powerful version of the engine and a beefed up chassis. Ferrari produced a total of nineteen examples, two of which were powered by the 625 engine.
In the hugely popular two litre class, the conventional 500 TR (C) faced increasing competition from the more sophisticated Lotus and Porsche sports racers. Raw power and reliability were no longer enough to dominate. At the end of the 1957 season, the four cylinder Ferrari was phased out and replaced by various V6 engined models. The 500 TRC in particular remains as one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever built and the 'Testa Rossa' name would become stuff of legends courtesy of the V12 engined 250 TR that headed Ferrari's sports car program with great success between 1957 and 1962. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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The first ever Ferrari Testa Rossa debuted in Africa in the hands of the great Belgian privateer Jacques Swaters. He immediately scored a class win, beating the previously dominant Maseratis. While the factory produced the customer cars, the works team developed a 2.5 litre version specifically for Le Mans. Known as the 625 LM, three were entered in the race and the fastest placed an impressive third behind the winning 3.4 litre Jaguar and the second placed 3 litre Aston Martin. Easily distinguishable by their Touring bodywork, they were later sold by the factory with the 'standard' two litre engine.