1952 Ferrari 250 Sport
Ferrari prepared the 250 Sport as a factory race car for the 1952 Season. The sole car debuted at the 1952 Mille Miglia where Giovanni Bracco and Alfonso Rolfo piloted it to outright victory.
During the Mille Miglia, Ferrari was up against the recently-released 300 SL from Mercedes-Benz. One driven by Karl Kling dominated nearly the entire race, but was passed on the Futa Pass by Braco near the end of the race. Braco was a regular hill-climb racer and could use the 250 Sport to its full potential.
Their car was a small sports coupe developed by Vignale for outright performance. Like other Berlinettas, it had a very low-set roof and canted front windscreen. Having a roof was particularly advantageous for the wet edition of the 1952 Mille Miglia.
The 250 Sport was largely based on the 225 Sport and both models were an evolution of the 212 Export racing models with slightly larger engines. The engine was enlarged from a bore of 70 to 73mm and this model became the first in a successful series of Ferrari 250s.
After the Mille Miglia, Ferrari used the car for Alberto Ascari and Villoresi to drive. Ascari said it was “the best car I have driven since I started racing!.”2 He beat the lap record at an average speed of 107.59 mph, but failed just three hours into the race with clutch problems. For Le Mans the car was fitted with rear fender scoops to cool the differential and small rear wheel flares to satisfy the regulations.
Photos & Image Gallery
See full 1952 Ferrari 250 Sport Gallery here
Specs & Performance
| type | Racing Car |
| built at | Maranello, Italy |
| coachbuilder | Vignale |
| production | 1 |
| engine | 60° V12 |
| position | Front, Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | SOHC, 2 Valves per CYl |
| displacement | 2953 cc / 180.20 in³ |
| bore | 73 mm / 2.9 in |
| stroke | 58.8 mm / 2.3 in |
| compression | 9.0:1 |
| power | 171.5 kw / 230 bhp @ 7500 rpm |
| specific output | 77.89 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 270.59 bhp per tonne |
| body / frame | Aluminum Body over Steel Tube Frame |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Transverse Leaf Spring, Coil Springs |
| r suspension | Live Axle w/Leaf Springs |
| curb weight | 850 kg / 1874 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2250 mm / 88.6 in |
| front track | 1278 mm / 50.3 in |
| rear track | 1250 mm / 49.2 in |
| transmission | 5-Speed Manual |
| tran clutch | Dry, Single-Plate |
| top speed | ~250 kph / 155.25 mph |
| fuel capacity | 150 litres or 39.60 gal. |
Sources & Further Reading.
1. Marzotto, Giannino.Red Arrows Ferraris at the Mille Miglia. Giorgio Nada Editore: 2001.
2. Ludvigsen, Karl. Ferrari by Mailander. Dalton Watson: 2005.
