Ferrari 500

Blast! Once again interdomin and I have prepared posts on the very same car at the same time!

A little history

The World Championship for Drivers was not yet two years old when it faced its first crisis: with the pending withdrawal of the all-conquering Alfa Romeo team for 1952, starting grids would be rather slim. As an answer, the FIA therefore took the decision of running the third Formula One championship season under F2 regulations. This solved the problem, and even allowed for some of the largest fields ever seen in the sports. In turn, this induced a new predicament: most Formula Two cars of the time were built by artisans, most of them from England and, to some extent, from Germany. This situation paved the way to triumph for the only serious entrant, Ferrari.

The Maranello constructor easily understood the edge on the competition that it enjoyed. The car Aurelio Lampredi designed, the Tipo 500, was extremely conventional; its faultless preparation was to be the key of success over its amateurish rivals.

Made of welded tubes, the chassis was of ladder-frame type, a choice that was as predictable as the double-wishbone / de Dion axle front and rear suspension arrangement. Engine was a compact inline four displacing two litres; this light block was rated at a good 185 bhp. Better yet, it was small enough to be placed well behind the front axle, allowing for an excellent weight balance. The car was ready on time to make its debut at the very end of the 1951 Formula Two season, guaranteeing it to be fully developed when the next Formula One season would start.

A great car would be nothing without great pilots, and here again the Scuderia, which fielded some of the sport’s fastest and most experienced drivers, seemed to enjoy an advantage. Giuseppe Farina had just arrived from the departing Alfa team, joining forces with Alberto Ascari, Luigi Villoresi and the “Silver Fox”, Piero Taruffi.

The two-litre transitional formula remained in effect for two years until the scheduled 2.5-litre Formula One rules came into force in 1954. During these two seasons, Ferrari enjoyed a complete walk over. Out of fifteen Grand Prix, all but the very last one were won by the Scuderia’s cars. Of these, eleven went to the amazing Alberto Ascari, who clinched both championships and set a still-standing record of nine straight successes.

The Tipo 500’s career didn’t end with the introduction of the new Formula One rules. Formula Two cars being only at a small disadvantage in terms of performances, they were regular entrants for years to come in F1 events. In this particular case, Ferrari 500s continued to race until 1957, when the very last of them was entered by the Scuderia Centro-Sud – Mimmo Dei’s team would make itself a specialty over the years to enter racers in their faded glory.

About the model

Model: Ferrari 500
Year: 1952
Event: 1952 German Grand Prix, driven by Giuseppe Farina (finished 2nd)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo (see below)
Acquired: brand new, in June 2008, in Manila, Philippines

No, Ascari wasn’t the only Ferrari pilot in 1952-53. Sure, he took another victory at the Ring (see his winning #101 Tipo 500 on interdomin’s excellent blog), but his teammate Nino Farina, the first F1 world champion in history, clinched the second spot with its sister car – actually, all four first finishers were Tipo 500s. Ixo reproduced this car with taste. Its die-cast isn’t exactly teeming with details, but is well assembled and – an Ixo tradition – seats on beautiful photo-etched wheels. My rating: 14/20.

That would usually be all, but there’s more to say about this model. It came to me in an Ixo “Ferrari Collection” box, but without any marking nor reference. Why? I think the answer can be found by comparing the models pictured, for example, on this page with the one on Ixo’s official site. Do you see the difference? Both models are sold in the “La Storia” collection under reference SF11/52, but sport different numbers. Nonetheless, in both cases they are clumsily advertised as #102… My bet is that Ixo started producing Ascari’s car for their La Storia collection with the erroneous number 102 (as far as I know Ixo’s catalog never included Farina’s car), until someone noticed – whoops! – that the Chinese company could have done well spending a little more time doing basic researches. The mistake was corrected (but not the written presentation on their site) and wrong models (which by chance tally another existing Ferrari entrant) were sold in plain “Ferrari” boxes, fooling buyers in the process as everyone involved in their distribution let prospective buyers believe they buy Ascari’s car.

“From enthusiasts to enthousiast”, reads their Ixo’s homepage. Mmm… it leaves me wondering. Perhaps “From your bank account to our bank account” would be more appropriate…

Model: Ferrari 500
Year: 1952
Event: 1953 British Grand Prix, driven by Alberto Ascari (finished 1st)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

Despite being rivalled by the Maseratis of both Fangio and Gonzalez, Ascari took another win with his Tipo 500 at Silverstone in 1953. The corresponding model is overly simplified, even to Brumm already simple standards. My rating is 8/20.

Ferrari F2002

Welcome to our newest follower, Danny.

A little history

The brand-new F2002 received the difficult task of extending Ferrari’s long domination upon Formula One – the Maranello company then held the Constructors’ championship since 1999, and the Pilots’ championship since 2000. Though Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello started the 2002 season with the previous year’s F2001, the first F2002 appeared for the Brazilian GP, the third round of the season. Despite being similar to its predecessor overall – strict rules and computer-assisted design don’t allow much originality anyway – the F2002 was a totally new car. Its new V10 “051” engine wasn’t the most powerful that year, but this handicap was easily compensated by excellent aerodynamics and a low centre of gravity which gave the car superior handling. As a result, Michael Schumacher once again crushed all opposition on its way to his fourth crown in top-class open-wheel racing. Better than this, he perhaps signed his best season ever in Formula One, finishing every race out of seventeen on the podium, and being crowned as early as July. Beaten by McLaren in Monaco, the F2002 would win every other race it entered during the season.

Before the arrival of the new F2003, the F2002 (slightly updated as the “B” version) defended Ferrari’s colours during the first four races of 2003. Though less commanding than during the previous season, the F2002B succeeded in clinching one last victory in San Marino before retiring for good, and its successor the F2003, despite a stronger challenge from both Williams and McLaren, renewed both Schumacher’s and Ferrari’s titles at the end of the year.

About the model

Model: Ferrari F2002
Year: 2002
Event: 2002 Formula One Championship, driven by Michael Schumacher (championship’s winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.3 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2005, in Souillac, France

Competition is hard for modern Formula One die-casts, all the more for Ferraris. Ixo didn’t fare poorly though, and deserves a 13/20 for its efforts.

Enzo Ferrari

Today, a car of exception will celebrate this blog’s 200th post.

A little history

Though its cars can be hardly considered anything else than outstanding, Ferrari made it a tradition, starting with the 1984 GTO, to propose on a regular basis really exceptional machines to a selected few. The first of these cars to appear in the third millennium was the Enzo, presented during the 2002 Paris motor show. Priced at 665,000 euros, the Enzo nevertheless attracted well enough potential buyers, so all the production was pre-sold even before the first car left the Maranello factory. Being able to draw a check of such an amount wasn’t the only requirement to become the happy owner of an Enzo. Ferrari chose those among its most faithful customers – having bought at least five new cars from Maranello was a pre-requisite… Still, success was such that the construction of an extra batch of fifty cars, an addition to the initial 349 units which hardly made the car less exclusive.

So, what made the Enzo so exceptional? Certainly not its disputed styling. I read somewhere on a forum (no, I won’t give names) the opinion that the Enzo is “sexy”. I would have imagined that it takes some more curves for something to be called sexy, so the Enzo, with its protuberant nose and its stealth fighter’s look, hardly qualifies… More probably the exclusivity of this limited-run machine, and the appeal of its “bodied Formula One” approach were the ones to do the trick. Guaranteed performances also helped, thanks to a 6-litre, 660 hp V12, though it is probable that very few of its owners ever used the full potential of their rocket-on-wheels.

The last Enzo was delivered in 2004. This car also served as the base for the non-road legal FXX, possibly the most expensive toy on earth, and the Maserati MC12.

About the model

Model: Enzo Ferrari
Year: 2002
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.14 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Fabbri proposed this correct Ixo-built, nero Daytona Enzo in its dedicated collection of Ferraris. If as myself you favour vintage and classic cars above modern ones, this is a choice your budget will thank you for. My rating is 12/20.

Ferrari Superamerica

A little history

Early in the history of Ferrari, North America became an important export market for the Italian company thanks to its local importer Luigi Chinetti. But while Europeans were driving small and economic family saloons during the Fifties, Americans perceived automobiles as chromed and finned monsters. With such discrepancies in the tastes of its potential customers, Ferrari soon developed two lines of automobiles: the famous 250s were rather aimed at the European market, while a new, larger America would be sent beyond the Atlantic.

Starting as a 4.0-litre car the America soon evolved into a 4.5-litre machine when it received the Lampredi V12, originally designed for racing. Apparently this still wasn’t enough, and in 1955 the America gave way to the Superamerica – the name says it all.

The first Superamerica, the 410, was set into motion by a huge 5.0-litre, 335-hp V12 engine. Prices were extremely high, all the more as the car was fitted with custom-built bodies. Only three dozens of them left the Maranello factory until 1959, when the 410 was replaced by the 400 Superamerica, fitted with a smaller 4.0-litre engine but capable of similar performances. Going fast is nice, but being able to stop when needed is equally important, so four disk brakes were made standard equipment. The 400 was the largest-volume Superamerica… though the final tally didn’t exceed fifty copies of the car… In 1964, the 400 Superamerica was replaced by the 500 Superfast. By then custom automobiles were becoming unthinkable, so all Superfasts received a similar Pininfarina coupe body. Two years later, production was stopped for good after 37 Superfast had been built – the need for especially designed models for the American market was no longer as obvious as it had been fifteen years before.

About the model

Model: Ferrari 400 Superamerica
Year: 1960
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.19 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

Ixo proposes a fine model of a Pininfarina-bodied 400 SA. Its blue paint is superb and most details correctly reproduced. My rating is 14/20.

Ferrari 125

Welcome to JB, who after posting several comments has decided to join this blog as a follower.

A little history

Though Enzo Ferrari wasn’t able to baptize the first car produced by his small workshop with his own name, this pre-war Auto Avio was followed after World War Two by the first real Ferrari, the 125.

Reportedly, the Commendatore dislike road cars, and only built such automobiles in order to finance the racing activities of his company. Unsurprisingly then, the 125 was a racing car.

The very first 125 was a spyder named 125 S. The light structure of this sportscar was made of steel tubes but, apart from this, it was a rather conventional machine. Again, no surprise here as Enzo Ferrari also favoured engine development over any other technical aspect. While the Auto Avio had used a Fiat engine, the Ferrari 125 was powered by a brilliant 1.5-litre DOHC V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo. With three double-barrel carbs, the little block was rated at no less than 100 bhp, a decent output in the Forties. Colombo knew his business: his previous creation, the supercharged 1.5-litre engine powering the Alfa 158 single-seater, was already a remarkable creation.

The Ferrari 125 S first appeared at a modest sportscars race at Piacenza. At its wheel was Franco Cortese, a potent veteran driver who had made his debut in the Twenties with Itala. Despite his long career and strong records Cortese is forgotten by most today, so Ferrari’s first step in motor racing as a full-time constructor can appear modest nowadays. The Ferrari didn’t win, though it showed promises. Those materialized two weeks later at the Rome Grand Prix, which Cortese won. Several successes followed during the next few months, all in national events. Nonetheless Ferrari felt its spyder was underpowered against the competition offered by the Maseratis, and a few months after the 125 had been introduced, its replacement the 159 entered the scene. As the 125 before it, the 159 took its name from the individual displacement of a single cylinder, thus its displacement had been enlarged to 1.9-litre, good for 125 bhp. The 159 finished the season, before a new 166 took over for 1948.

The 125 S was gone, but the 125 F1 soon entered the limelight. Competing in sportscar racing was one thing, but Enzo Ferrari was eager to defy its former partner Alfa Romeo in the most prominent class, Formula One. Note here that unlike what is so commonly, but totally erroneously written, Formula One wasn’t created in 1950 (the World Championship for Drivers was, hence the confusion) but in 1946.

Constructors willing to enter Formula One had the choice between two options: normally-aspired 4.5-litre or supercharged 1.5-litre engines. Alfa Romeo had opted for the latter and was dominant, and furthermore Ferrari already had a 1500 cc engine on hand, so it followed suit.

Colombo’s engine was reduced to a single carburettor and SOHC, but a single-stage Roots supercharger was grafted onto it. Ferrari’s V12 could peek at 230 bhp: it can seem impressive, but was still way below what the Alfas could rely on. Unsurprisingly, the 125 F1 was dominated by its rival from its first race, the Valentino Grand Prix held in September 1948. The Ferrari 125s could generally approach the Alfettas on smaller tracks, though a brilliant exception was the victory of Alberto Ascari at Monza in 1949, the first ever success of the prancing horse in an Italian Grand Prix. By then Ferrari had already took notice of its inferiority, and had tried to remedy this by reverting to DOHC and switching to a two-stage supercharger. The latter allowed outputs up to 280 bhp, but proved troublesome, so Ferrari decided to replace its 125 by a simpler 4.5-litre 375 model for 1950. Some privateers continued to race 125 F1s until the current Formula One rules were abrogated, at the end of the 1951 season.

About the models

Note that the first three models below represent the very same car: Ferrari 125 S chassis #01C, a spyder built by minor coachbuilder Peiretti, possibly working on blueprints provided by Touring. Only two 125 S were ever constructed.

Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.16 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Fabbri released this plain 125 S as part of its Ferrari series. It is correctly done but it is rather disturbing to see a car designed with racing in mind devoid of any race number – presentation models prepared for the introduction to the press didn’t exist in those days. My second concern is the bright red colour Ixo chose. One day that I had a Brumm Ferrari 125 (see below) to sell, a potential buyer refused it saying that it wasn’t red, or so he said. I suppose that Brumm has good reasons to paint its 125s a brownish sort of red, while Ixo prefers to cater to “collectors” preferring legend and tales than historical accuracy – too bad. My rating is 10/20.

Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Event: 1947 Mille Miglia, driven by Franco Cortese, co-pilot Adelmo Marchetti (see below)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm, ref. R182
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

Here Brumm gives me some problems to identify this car, along with the next one. It is presented as the Ferrari 125 S that Cortese drove at the 1947 Mille Miglia. Cortese and Marchetti indeed entered that race, but their car sported number 219. The following year, the same pair had number 10. Hooray!… except this time their car was a Ferrari 166 S. In both years they retired, so at least we get this right… Otherwise this is typical Brumm, rather simple, not very well assembled, but correct enough – nice wire wheels, among the best plastic ones. Until I can identify this car better, I’ll have to limit my rating to 9/20.

Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Event: 1947 Circuito di Pescara, driven by Franco Cortese (see below)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm, ref. R183
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

This time, based on quality alone, a rating of 12/20 is justified.

Model: Ferrari 125 F1
Year: 1949
Event: 1949 Italian Grand Prix, driven by Alberto Ascari (finished 1st)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo “La Storia” series, ref. SF05/49
Acquired: brand new, in June 2008, in Manila, Philippines

Ixo included this model in its collection of Ferrari milestones “La Storia”. Having the ambition of being more exclusive than plain Ixo die-casts, La Storia models have to offer utmost quality, and in this respect this 125 F1 fulfils its promises. Ixo makes good use of photo-etched parts for the superb wire wheels and the spectacular front grille. My rating is 15/20.

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

A little history

After swimming against the stream of technical evolution for years, Ferrari finally introduced its first 12-cylinder mid-engine GT in 1971. This car, the 365 GT4 BB (“Berlinetta Boxer”) was first seen at the Turin motor show in 1971, though two more years would be necessary to unveil its final production version at the 1973 Paris motor show.

The BB’s predecessor, the Daytona, had received critics regarding its front-mounted engine. The Lamborghini Miura had shown the way several years back, and with the appearance of the Maserati Bora, Ferrari had no longer any excuse for not proposing to its customers a better-balanced high-performance machine. Sitting in a framework of steel tubing, the engine was a 4.4-litre developed from the 365 GTC/4’s block, but had its two banks of pistons set 180° apart – for the very first time a road-going Ferrari wouldn’t be a V12. With no less than four three-barrel carburettors to feed it, this flat twelve was reportedly able to deliver 380 hp.

Pininfarina designed a modern body of wide and low proportions. Pop-up lights were used at the front, while the rear was highly distinguishable with its six taillights and six exhaust tips. Weight was saved by the extensive use of aluminium and fibreglass, though some panels, as the roof, remained in steel. Performances were astounding, with a top speed of no less than 302 kph. Nonetheless the production BB was detuned to 360 hp, but still advertised for 302 kph – apparently old Enzo held on to the claim that his newest car had broken the 300 kph barrier for publicity purposes, but this groundless boasting disappointed some of the BB’s first customers. Anyway few of the car’s drivers dared pushing their machines beyond 240 kph, at which speed the BB became notoriously unstable.

In 1976, the BB saw its displacement increased to 4.9-litre, which justified its new name: BB 512. The car’s body was slightly modified, now featuring only four taillights and receiving a small spoiler that reduced the aerodynamic problems mentioned above. Found rather difficult to operate in earlier BBs, the clutch was also modified in order to improve its ease of use. But even in its second incarnation, Ferrari’s flagship wasn’t perfect. Another concern was the extreme difficulty to tune the large bank of carburettors, which demanded constant care in order to deliver the promised performances. This issue was solved in mid-1981, when a Bosch injection system replaced the four Weber carburettors on the 512i BB, which was officially introduced during the Frankfurt motor show a few months after entering production.

The last BB was produced in 1984, the last of a series of 2,323 cars. The eagerly-awaited Testarossa succeeded it.

About the models

Model: Ferrari 512 BB
Year: 1976
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.28 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Nice paint – an Ixo specialty – and elegant wheels. Detailed enough to be worth 13/20.

Model: Ferrari 512 BB/LM
Year: 1981
Event: 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Claude Andruet and Claude Ballot-Léna (finished 5th overall, class winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.32 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

A good model, but alas lacking many details (cockpit, engine compartment…) due to its plebeian origin. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Ferrari 512 BB/LM
Year: 1982
Event: 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Claude Andruet, Claude Ballot-Léna and Hervé Regout (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo “Ferrari” series, ref. FER006
Acquired: brand new, in June 2008, in Manila, Philippines

Same model as the previous one, but with all the little additions that make it deserve a 14/20.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

A little history

Ferrari’s 2+2 coupe, the 456, was withdrawn from production in 2004, and replaced by the 612 Scaglietti. Despite being a real 4-seater, the 612 could offer very high performances – including a 315 kph top speed and only 4.2 seconds from 0 to 100 khp – thanks to its V12 inherited from the Maranello, a 5.7-litre block rated at 540 hp. Transmission was to the rear wheels through a 6-speed gearbox, either manual or semi-automatic. Body styling was co-authored by Frank Stephenson, Ferrari’s in-house designer, and its traditional partner Pininfarina, reportedly inspired by a special 375 MM built during the Fifties. Not only the passenger compartment had been enlarged in order to comfortably accommodate the car’s occupants, the front section had been elongated to such an extent that, in my opinion, made the car’s profile terribly unbalanced.

Another nostalgic touch, the name of the new model was intended to celebrate both the 612, the late Sixties Can-Am spyder, and the coachbuilder Scaglietti, which regularly collaborated with Ferrari since the Fifties and was actually given the task of producing its namesake’s bodies.

The 612 Scaglietti is still currently in production.

About the model

Model: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Year: 2004
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.49 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

A model good enough to be given a 13/20 rating.

Ferrari 246

A little history

The Ferrari 246 went through some of the best and worst times for the Scuderia. After a successful 1958 season, this single-seater rapidly turned into a dinosaur during a period of rapid changes.

The 246 model was designed by two of the greatest names in Formula One history: Carlo Chiti and Vittorio Jano. While the former drew the blueprints of the chassis, the latter, who had recently joined Ferrari after the Scuderia had taken over Lancia’s racing activities, was responsible for a radically new engine. Ferrari had been viscerally attached to V12 blocks up to then. Dino Ferrari, the Commendatore’s son, insisted on the development of a V6, a revolution at Maranello. Jano, to whom should be credited the world’s first production V6 (as the Lancia Aurelia’s engine) was obviously keen to give satisfaction to his employers, and designed a 1.5-litre block with a 65° “V” answering Formula Two rules. The original idea being credited to Dino Ferrari who had prematurely died in the meantime, the decision was taken to name “Dino” all non-V12 engines assembled in Maranello.

The success of this engine during the 1957 season prompted Ferrari to develop a Formula One variant, the Tipo 143, a DOHC engine enlarged to 2.4 litres. Fed on 100/130 AvGas, this engine was rated at 280 hp, and was developed on time for the opening of the 1958 season.

Seen for years as a simple curiosity, the rear-engined Cooper didn’t make anyone laugh anymore after winning the first two Grand Prix of the season. Caught off guard in Argentina, outclassed in the twisty streets of Monte-Carlo, the front-engined Formula One re-established their supremacy afterwards. The Vanwalls driven by Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks seemed to outclass the Ferraris. Fortune also played against Ferrari, which lost two of its pilots, Luigi Musso and Peter Collins, respectively killed during the ACF and German Grand Prix. Therefore the eventual success of Mike Hawthorn, who bagged only one win but proved extremely regular throughout the year, came almost as a surprise. Moss and Brooks totalled seven victories, which was well enough to give the very first title for manufacturers attributed in Formula One to their British employer.

For the next season, Ferrari’s workhorse in Formula One remained the 246, but re-engined with another of Jano’s creations, a 2.5-litre, 60° V6. The 2.4-litre, 65° engine’s career was far from over though, as it would be the very same engine that would later equip the road-going Dino 246. During 1959, the Coopers stood one step above the Ferraris, and no one could pretend to beat Jack Brabham for the title. The 246 still proved superior on very fast circuits, winning at Rheims and at the Avus, but the fact that the Scuderia was beaten on its very own Monza track, though itself anything but a slow circuit, was a peek at things to come during the following season.

Totally outshone in 1960, the 246 was easy game for the nimble Coopers and Lotuses. Wouldn’t it be for the cunning organizers of the Italian Grand Prix who bent the rules to advantage their beloved Scuderia, and in the process caused a massive boycott by the British teams, Ferrari wouldn’t have won even a single race. The machine’s obsolescence was acknowledged by the appearance of a new 246P, built around the same engine, but now placed at the rear à la Cooper, a first for Ferrari. Richie Ginther only raced a few times at the wheel of this car, which was never fully developed – Ferrari had better things to do, preferring to concentrate on the 1961 season for which it would unveil an effective weapon: the 156.

About the models

Model: Ferrari 246 – Dino
Year: 1958
Event: 1958 Formula One Championship (see below)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.18 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in November 2005, in Souillac, France

Despite the thick plastic wheels replacing the photo-etched metal ones used on genuine Ixos, this is a correct model worth 12/20.

Note: Fabbri doesn’t provide any indication regarding the event entered by this car. Pictures of Ferrari 246s during the 1958 season would help identifying this car – I have a few ones somewhere but didn’t take the time yet to look for them. Number 4 was used four times by the Scuderia during World Championship races that year: during the Dutch Grand Prix (Peter Collins, retired), the ACF Grand Prix (Mike Hawthorn, finished 1st, as die-cast makers like winners I’d bet this is the one), German Grand Prix (Wolfgang von Trips, finished 4th), and Moroccan Grand Prix (Phil Hill, finished 3rd)

Model: Ferrari 246 – Dino
Year: 1958
Event: 1958 Italian Grand Prix (see below)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

Brumm’s main trait isn’t necessarily the quality of its models, but rather the originality of most models among its wide range. Furthermore the Italian seems to have made its specialty of reproducing very correct wire wheels in plastic. On the other hand, the cockpit is traditionnally poorly detailed. I’d give 11/20 to this model.

Note: This model is presented as having raced in the Italian Grand Prix, but no Ferrari was given number 1 during this event. In those times, the habit was to give only even numbers to Formula One cars, though there were exceptions. During that season, a lone Ferrari 246 received number 1 during a World Championship race: this was Peter Collins’ car at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. Pictures of the original car are welcome in order to confirm this.

Model: Ferrari 246 – Dino
Year: 1959
Event: 1959 Monaco Grand Prix, driven by Tony Brooks (finished 2nd)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo “Ferrari” series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2008, in Manila, Philippines

A very nice “short-nose” 246. The wire wheels are superb but take care of their spinners, which are all too often badly centered. My rating is 14/20.

Dino 206 and 246

A little history

The company from Maranello decided early on to reserve the “Ferrari” name to V12 cars exclusively. When a V6 was designed, it was named “Dino”, honouring the memory of Enzo Ferrari’s late son Alfredo, whose nickname was Dino and to whom is credited the idea of this very first V6.

For several years Dinos were racing cars, but the idea of building a cheaper road-going GT powered by a similar V6 was tempting enough. Engineer Vittorio Jano was its main proponent, but he insisted on a central engine – Enzo stubbornly refused. Jano’s resolve finally won over Ferrari’s obduracy.

The first Dino would be the 206 GT, introduced at Turin in 1967. Aurelio Lampredi had converted the V6 racing engine for road use; it sat in a central, transversal position on the chassis. Though officially rated at 180 hp, its actual output should have been closer to 160 hp. With all-independent suspension and disk brakes on all four wheels, the handling promised much, but styling wasn’t neglected. Pininfarina signed a perfectly balanced design, reminiscent of the racing Ferraris of the time, bulged over the wheels, extended up front by a long protruding nose flanked by headlights set deep in the wings, and pierced by side air intakes that were so appreciated that they would be carried over several generations of Ferraris. Entirely made of aluminium, the body was built at Scaglietti’s, a long-time partner of Ferrari. Though a Ferrari design, the Dino V6 engine wouldn’t be made in Maranello either. After an agreement had been signed allowing its use in the Fiat Dino car, the Italian giant took over its construction, and sent back to Ferrari the blocks needed for the Dino 206.

In this initial form, the junior Ferrari was produced until the end of 1969 in small numbers, sales being hampered by the reputation for unreliability its engine soon earned. To correct this problem, the alloy-built 2.0-litre was replaced by a more durable cast-iron 2.4-litre V6 for model year 1970. Fiat followed suit and adopted the new engine for its Dino model. Ultimately, this block would also equip the Lancia Stratos a few years later. Though heavier, this engine was also more powerful, even if Ferrari’s claimed figure of 195 hp was probably over-estimated once again. Now dubbed the 246 GT, the car’s sales finally took off, even more after a convertible version, the 246 GTS was introduced in 1972. Rather than a true “spider”, the GTS was rather a removable-top “targa”, if it isn’t a disgrace to describe this car with a term coined by Ferrari’s archrival.

The Dino 246’s production ended in 1974. A 4-passenger Dino 308 GT4 had been introduced shortly before, but its highly controversial design, atypically signed by Bertone in the angular style this studio had became known for, was universally rejected. This failure, coupled with the everlasting difficulties Ferrari had to sell a car bearing neither its famous name nor its prancing horse, drove the company into discarding the Dino brand. The 246’s real successor, the 308 GTB introduced in October 1975, was a Ferrari, while the clumsy 308 GT4 was renamed Ferrari during the following year.

About the model

Model: Dino 246 GTS
Year: 1972
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.7 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

My regret, as of now, is to have let passed the opportunity of purchasing a nice model of a 206 GT coupe a few years back. Therefore I have to content myself with this Altaya-distributed 246 GTS. This model isn’t bad, but suffers from that common flaw many models by Ixo share: either the body shell lacks detailing, or the paint is thick and hides these details, I don’t know for sure, but there’s definitely something disturbing. My rating is 11/20.

Ferrari 330

A little history

The long and successful career of the Ferrari 250, both on the road and on the track, couldn’t last forever. In 1963 its replacement finally entered the stage: the 330 model. There was nothing revolutionary about the new car, though. Enzo Ferrari’s attention was as ever focussed on engines – he had close to contempt for any other aspect of a car. Therefore the main difference between the 250 and its successor was the bigger engine of the latter, period. The 330 was set in motion by a 4.0-litre V12, a derived but heavily reworked version of the 400 Superamerica’s block. Under the 330’s bonnet, the 4.0-litre was rated at 300 bhp. On the other hand, chassis and bodies were almost identical to the previous models.

After a small series of “interim” 330 America models, the 330 production started in earnest in January 1964, while a smaller 275 received the task of replacing the two-seater 250s. Not including the short-lived America, the first 330 was the GT 2+2, which heavy-looking quad-light front end received dire reviews. Pininfarina immediately corrected its design, and in 1965 the car got a more restrained fascia. This mistake wasn’t repeated when the 330 GTC was introduced next, at Geneva in March 1966. This 2-seat berlinetta had the engine from the 330 GT 2+2, the chassis from the 275 GTB, while its body was a mix of 400 Superamerica up front and 275 GTS at the rear… Top speed was claimed to be 240 kph, while the car could accelerate from 0 to 100 in just 7 seconds – not so impressive today, but another story back then. Seven months later, a convertible, the 330 GTS, was introduced during the Paris motor show, replacing the short-lived 275 GTS.

Though the 330 wasn’t designed with motor racing in mind, the Ferrari sportscars of the era, the famous 330 P series, were constructed around its engine, pushed to up to 450 bhp in its latest evolutions. They shared little else, the “P” being a central-engined racer while the road 330 stuck to the classic front engine/rear wheel drive layout.

The 330’s production extended until 1968, when it was replaced by the 365, again roughly identical, but powered by a larger 4.4-litre, 320 bhp V12. All three GT 2+2, GTB and GTS versions were carried over, until they were joined a few months later by a brand new coupe that was about to overshadow them all: the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”.

About the model

Model: Ferrari 330 GTS
Year: 1967
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.30 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Good Fabbri and Ixo thought of including this 330 GTS, not the best remembered of all Ferraris today, in their press collection. This model is rather correctly made, with correct wire wheels when considering the sacrifices made in this respect in order to cut the cost of press models, yet none of its features truly is overwhelming. A good 13/20 still.