Ferrari – 250 Testa Rossa (1959)

Enzo Ferrari always had the ambition for the cars of his Scuderia team to cross the finishing line in first place. After Commendatore Ferrari was already victorious a number of times with the 166 in Le Mans, the mission became increasingly difficult during the 1950s because the competition was getting stronger and stronger, as the major manufacturers were now also making a commitment to endurance motor sport.

From 1958, the regulations were made more restrictive and displacement of the vehicles was limited to three litres. Scuderia lined up at the starting grid with a 250 TR (Testa Rossa describes the red cylinder cover). The car bodied by Fantuzzi was powered by a three-litre twelve-cylinder engine. This example bearing chassis number 0774 TR is one of five works cars that Ferrari produced for the motor-sport season in 1959. Success did not come when Ferrari first lined up at the start but in the following year, 1960, after the car had been optimised, Paul Frère and Olivier Gendebien earned success and the team ended the 24 Hours of Le Mans as overall winner after 24 hours and 314 laps. As part of an early, comprehensive restoration in Italy, the original protagonists like coachbuilder Mettardo Fantuzzi and chassis specialist Giovanni Vacarri contributed to achieving a sublime result.