From the Blackhawk Collection. This 625 LM is one of three built, and the 3rd place overall finisher in the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The first pic is the label plate at the Museum, and I can't be bothered to copy the whole thing right now.
From the Blackhawk Collection. This 625 LM is one of three built, and the 3rd place overall finisher in the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The first pic is the label plate at the Museum, and I can't be bothered to copy the whole thing right now.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Etcetera.
625lm #2
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Etcetera.
As something of an extra thank you for sharing your photos (having previously only found a couple of small ones) i've taken some time + typed it up for you to show my appreciation.
1956 Ferrari
625 Le Mans Spyder by Touring - 1 of 3 built
In 1956 Ferrari replaced the 500 Mondial with the 500 Testa Rossa (500 TR) design. The
4-cylinder 2-litre engine was not greatly altered from the 500 Mondial, but the chassis was
simplified and more closely resembled standard Ferrari production cars.
Grand Prix cars with 4-cylinder engines had shown great potential in the late 1940's, and in
1950 Ferrari designer Aurelio Lampredi illustrated this point by building an incredible Ferrari
4-cylinder engine with 1984 cubic centimetres (2-litre) displacement.
Only three 625 Le Mans Spyders were built and bodied by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, and
had the designation 500 TR/625 LM as the 625 LM was built on the 500 TR chassis; raced only
twice by Ferrari's factory team, the 500 TR/625 LM had a strong career. The original version
equipped with the 2-litre Testa Rossa 4-cylinder engine celebrated victory at the hands of
Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn at the Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore at Monza in 1956.
The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was run under a new regulation that restricted the Prototype
class to 2.5-litre displacement; the Ferrari team equipped the three cars with the 4-cylinder
Grand Prix engine which fit into the Prototype class, and the designation became "625 LM".
The driving team of Gendebien-Trintingant placed third overall behind a D-Type Jaguar with a
3.4-litre engine and an Aston Martin DB3S with a 3.0-litre engine.
The Phil Hill - Andre Simon 625 LM developed transmission problems during the ninth hour
while in fourth place and withdrew, and the Alfonso "Fon" De Portago - Duncan Hamilton 625
LM collided with two other cars during the first lap ... causing all three cars to not finish!
Last edited by RSOWNER; 09-05-2008 at 06:15 PM. Reason: Grammatical errors
Does anybody know if it still has the 625 engine?
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
625 LM s/n 0632MDTR
Doesn't seem to be any reference to any latter engine changes since the 2.5 was installed when it became the 625 LM according to my usual source of Ferrari information.
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
625 lm
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Etcetera.
As far as I know, the car pictured is chassis # 0642MD of D.Hamilton/ A-de Portago at the '56 Le Mans (race nē 11) i.e.:not the one came 3rd (Chassis # 0644, race nē 12).
Ferrari prepared three official 500 TRs with 625 engines for the race, (chassis nēs 0632MD, 0642MD and 0644MD), hence the nickname "625 Le Mans", all based on 500 TR cars, one of which had already dominated the Monza race held a few days earlier on June 24.
For the Le Mans race they swapped the 2-litre engine for the 625 unit mounted on the 625 F1.
Soon after the French race, the three cars got their 2-litre engines back at the factory works and were sold as "500 TRCTesta Rossa".
#0642MD went to the USA, changed hands a number of times, was rebuilt, owned by a Japanese collector for a while before being part of BH Collection.
These cars were the last Ferraris to sport a body designed and built by Carrozzeria TOURING of Milano.
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