Ferrari 340MM

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The Ferrari 340MM with the original start number 547; Winning car from Gianni Marzotto and Marco Crosara in the 1953 Mille Miglia

The Ferrari 340MM was a racing car that was used in sports car races from 1953 to 1959.

Development and technology

In 1953, the 340MM was one of four sports car types that Scuderia Ferrari used itself or offered to private drivers for sale. The 340MM were open Spider, the most important component of the 4.1-liter V12 - Lampredi -Motor was. 3-Weber quadruple carburetors provided the mixture for the engine, which had an output of approx. 300 hp (220 kW) at 6000 rpm. There were some changes during the year. Some engines received the simpler Weber twin carburetors and the susceptible 5-speed gearbox was replaced by a 4-speed variant.

Ten chassis, all with right-hand drive, were built by Ferrari. The bodies came from Pininfarina and Vignale .

Racing history

The 340MM made its racing debut at the Giro di Sicilia in 1953 with a race win; at the wheel Luigi Villoresi .

In the spring of 1953, with the introduction of the world championship for sports cars , the FIA made a far-reaching decision, firstly to put the large number of races under one racing system and secondly to create a counterweight to the world championship for Formula 1 vehicles . While the world championship of the monopostos always honored the victorious driver, this newly created championship should expressly distinguish the brand. For the overall ranking, it was also irrelevant which racing team reported the vehicles of the respective brand - an advantage for the Scuderia, as many privateers drove with Ferraris.

In 1953 there were seven races, five of them in Europe, one in the USA and one in Mexico. The season began on March 8, 1953 with the Sebring 12 Hours . The Scuderia did without a factory assignment on the fast but bumpy airfield and left it to four private teams to represent the brand. At the Mille Miglia , the second race, a 340MM was used for the second time. The victory went to Ferrari for the sixth time in a row, Gianni Marzotto won for the Scuderia.

The appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended tragically for Ferrari. The American Tom Cole came off the track in his Ferrari 340MM at 06:14 in the morning at the fast Maison Blanche curve, was thrown out of the car in the following accident and died at the scene of the accident. The 340MM from Ascari / Villoresi retired after a gearbox failure and Mike Hawthorn in the third 340MM was disqualified for refueling too early. His teammate Giuseppe Farina did not get to drive. Only the brothers Gianni and Paolo Marzotto completed the 24 hours with a 340MM; they finished fifth overall.

In the weeks leading up to the endurance race in western France, there were two wins with a 340MM. The French private driver Pierre Boncompagni , who drove his races under the pseudonym Pierre Pagnibon , won the 3-hour race of Algeria and the Coupe de Printemps .

After the Scuderia reported the 375MM at the following world championship races in Spa and on the Nürburgring and did not take part in the Tourist Trophy and the Carrera Panamericana , almost all of the 340MM were sold to other private drivers and teams.

Until 1959, 340MM were driven mainly in US sports car races. Sterling Edwards won two racing events in 1954 that were part of the SCCA championship.

Literature and Sources

  • 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 340MM  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Giro di Sicilia 1953
  2. ↑ 3-hour race of Algeria in 1953
  3. ^ Coupé de Printemps 1953