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1962 Ferrari 250 GT0 |
With little doubt, Ferrari
250GTO is the most desirable post-war collection today. In 1990, it set a
world record auction price at US$10.7 million. Today this record is
still yet to be matched by any other cars. Why is the GTO so desirable?
Because it combines beautiful style, exotic performance, great racing
history and rarity. Only 39 GTOs were made between 1962 and 64, and even
fewer of them remain alive today after hundreds of great battles on
race tracks.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT0 Black |
No other Ferraris road-race cars
could match the success of 250GTO on race tracks. Named “Gran Turismo
Omologata”, or Grand Tourer Homologated in English, its target couldn’t
be any clearer. While the 250 SWB Berlinetta was designed to be a road
and race dual-purpose machine, the GTO set its sight firmly on race
tracks – although it was still reasonably comfortable on regular roads.
Based on the 250GT SWB Berlinetta, Ferrari kept the short wheelbase but
changed much of the tubular steel frames bracing and suspension mounting
joints to create extra stiffness. Suspension also was stiffened. As a
result, it provided exceptional poise and balance on race tracks,
although with some tradeoffs in ride comfort on public roads.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Frame |
To compensate the extra weight due to the reinforcement, the GTO employed thinner steel tubes for its chassis
frame, racing Plexiglass for side and rear windows and an almost
stripped-out cockpit. However, the driving environment remained a
masterpiece, thanks to a good-looking Nardi wooden steering wheel,
chromed gauges and classic aluminum gated shifter. GTO was probably the last racing car with a desirable interior.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Engine |
For power, GTO adopted the 3-litre Colombo V12 used in the racing 250TR
but made some modifications, such as bigger valves, 9.5:1 compression
and dry sump lubrication so that it would fit the lower bonnet. The
high-revving V12 produced 300 horsepower at 7500 rpm, or 100 hp per
litre ! If any engines did not develop between 296 and 302hp on
dynamometers, they would be rebuilt. The V12 was not only powerful but
also surprisingly tractable and linear in its power delivery. It mated
with a new 5-speed gearbox, versus the SWB Berlinetta’s 4-speeder.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Front Right View |
Considering the GTO weighed just over 1 ton, such power should translate
into astonishing performance – people talked about 160 mph top speed
and 0-60 mph in the low 5-seconds. In fact, the performance depended on
the choice of final drive ratios (there were 8 of them to choose from).
Choose the lowest ratio as the Le Mans-spec GTO and it could top 176 mph
at the Mulsanne straight. Choose the highest ratio and top speed became
only 129 mph, but acceleration from 0-60 mph could be done in an
eye-poping 4.9 seconds. Unfortunately, it seems that no one was given
the chance to verify the actual performance until 20 years later – in
1982, Motor magazine finally did a test, recorded 147 mph and 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. That was remarkable for a 20-year-old vintage.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Rear Left View |
Nevertheless,
the most extraordinary part of GTO was aerodynamics. At that time, wind
tunnel was not available to motor industry. However, Ferrari’s
chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini borrowed university’s wind tunnel and
spent a lot of time examining penetration, drag, lift and adhesion. Step by step, the GTO’s body evolved into a slippery shape with a body-integrated rear spoiler,
which was first ever used on a road car. Unlike other Ferraris, the GTO
was not styled by Pininfarina or Scaglietti, but the engineers based on
laws of physics !
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Interior |
The work paid off on race tracks,
as the car ran faster yet far more stable than the SWB Berlinetta. The
GTO dominated nearly all events, most notably the 3 consecutive World GT
Championships from 1962-64.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Dashboard |
Some automotive historians regard 250 GTO as the world’s first supercar. Some see it as the last front-engined sports car
to dominate the motorsport world. Some said it was, and still is, the
greatest Ferrari ever built. However, most agree it was the definitive
Ferrari built by Enzo Ferrari, as it had all the ingredients he loved:
front-engine, V12 and countless of race victories.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Green |
Specification :
Model |
250GTO |
Year of production |
1962-64 |
No. produced |
39 units |
Layout, Gearbox |
Front-engined, Rwd, 5M |
Engine |
V12, sohc, 2v/cyl |
Engine capacity |
2953 cc |
Power |
300 hp |
Torque |
216 lbft |
Weight |
1078 kg |
Top speed |
160 mph (est) / 147 mph |
0-60 mph |
5.9 sec / 5.8 sec |
0-100 mph |
12.7 sec |
I love the Ferrari F40
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