Ferrari 330LMB

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The former Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari 330LMB with the chassis number 4725SA 2007 in Mallory Park
A 330LMB at the 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

The Ferrari 330LMB was a racing car that Scuderia Ferrari developed in 1963 and used in sports car races.

Background and technology

The 330LMB was developed in the spring of 1963. The basis for the engine was the twelve-cylinder designed by Aurelio Lampredi in the 1940s . In 1963 a four-liter SOHC-V12 (bore × stroke 77 × 71 mm, displacement 3967 cm³) with single ignition and six Weber 42DCN carburettors was created. The reason for building the vehicle was a change in the regulations by the ACO for the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1963 . With the reintroduction of the prototype classes, Ferrari needed a 4-liter car in order to be able to submit entries in this racing class.

The chassis of the 250 GTO has been extended to accommodate the larger engine. The front end of these vehicles was similar to that of the 250 GTO, and the roof and rear were similar to the Ferrari 250 Lusso. Another typical feature of the 330 LMB were the air scoops placed on the rear fenders.

Racing history

The 330LMB made its racing debut at the Sebring 12-hour race in 1963 . The Scuderia had brought a works car - chassis number 4381SA - to the Sebring International Raceway and entrusted the racing car to the two works drivers Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini . The race had to be ended prematurely after a defect due to a spin. The petrol tank at the bottom of the car - Mike Parkes was behind the wheel - had been damaged so badly that it couldn't be repaired in the box. The car was repaired in the factory and sold to the Belgian racing driver Pierre Noblet . Noblet and his teammate Jean Guichet contested the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1963 on this chassis, which the duo was unable to finish after damage to the oil pump.

In 1963, in addition to the Noblet car, two other 330LMB cars were at the start in Le Mans. Chassis 4453SA has been to the North American Racing Team from Luigi Chinetti delivered. Dan Gurney and Jim Hall drove this car at Le Mans . This vehicle did not finish either; Failure after 126 laps due to gearbox damage. The third 330LMB with chassis number 4725SA was reported by the British Ferrari importer Ronnie Hoare and his racing team Maranello Concessionaires . With this, Jack Sears and Mike Salmon finished fifth in the overall classification of the 24-hour race of 1963 and won the class for GT vehicles up to 4 liters.

After the race at Le Mans, the 330LMB only made two more races. Lorenzo Bandini finished eighth in the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch with a Maranello Concessionares 330 and Dan Gurney finished third in the NART car in the 500 km race in Bridgehampton .

literature

  • Pino Casamassima: Storia della Scuderia Ferrari. Nada Editore, Vimodrome 1998, ISBN 88-7911-179-5 .
  • Peter Braun, Gregor Schulz: The great Ferrari manual. Heel, Königswinter 2006, ISBN 3-89880-501-8 .

Web links

Commons : Ferrari 330 LMB  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files