Ferrari 340 America
The Ferrari 340 America is a sports car that Ferrari developed in 1951. Originally designed as a road vehicle, this Ferrari model was also used as a racing car for Scuderia Ferrari . He founded the Ferrari "America" line .
Development history and technology
In contrast to its competitors, Ferrari manufactured sports and racing cars in a large variety of models in the 1950s. However, the number of pieces of the individual models always remained low, which was mainly due to the lack of structural and financial resources. In the present, this reduction in vehicle quantities leads to maximum prices at auctions and vehicle sales. In 1950 Ferrari engineers designed the first model that was related to the US automobile market. The type designation "America" was also influenced by Luigi Chinetti . Chinetti was a successful racing driver in the 1920s and 1930s; among other things, he had in 1932 and 1934 , the 24-hour race at Le Mans won and managed the first race at Le Mans after the end of World War II, the first win for a Ferrari model at this event. His partner on a Ferrari 166MM was the British Lord Selsdon . Chinetti emigrated to the United States during the war and became a US citizen. Close friends with Enzo Ferrari , he built up the first Ferrari dealer network in the USA in the early 1950s.
The 340 America had a Lampredi -4.1-liter V12 engine (bore × stroke: 70 × 68 mm), the unit made with three Weber 40DCF double carburetors and 8: 1 compressed 220 hp (160 kW) at 6000 / min. Later models received dry sump lubrication instead of wet lubrication . Otherwise, the technology with box frame, front double wishbones, a rear rigid axle and drum brakes all around corresponded to the other contemporary Ferrari models.
A total of 5 coupés with Ghia bodies, 7 barchettes and two coupés from Touring as well as 5 coupés, 5 Spider and a convertible from Vignale (based on designs by Giovanni Michelotti ), a total of 25 examples of the 340 America were built on the short wheelbase of 2,420 mm in 1951 .
A modification of the 340 America was the Ferrari 342 America , built from 1952 and designed as a luxury model. The successor to the 340 America was the 375 America with a Lampredi engine enlarged to 4.5 liters.
Races and successes
The 340 America was used in a total of 84 racing events between 1951 and 1958. Reported by different racing teams, the type of racing car celebrated 15 overall victories.
In 1951 the 340 America was used on the one hand by the works team and on the other hand delivered to wealthy private racing team owners. So was Vittorio Marzotto the vehicle with the VIN 0030MT for the Scuderia Marzotto, which he shared with his brothers Gianni , Paolo Marzotto and Umberto led. After a failure of Giovanni Bracco at the Giro di Sicilia 1951 there were in the Mille Miglia the overall victory of Luigi Villoresi in the chassis 0082A. The other two Scuderia-340-America crashed out as well as the Marzotto car. The career of Dorino Serafini , who had a serious accident at the Mille Miglia and had to end his career, ended in a 340 America (chassis 0116A) .
When 24-hour race at Le Mans four 340 America were reported; only one came to the finish and in the evaluation. Luigi Chinetti finished eighth with Jean Lucas . 1951 followed two more successes in sports car races. Luigi Villoresi won the Senigallia sports car race and Bill Spear won a national sports car race in the United States.
From 1952, Luigi Chinetti's original idea of building a Ferrari model for the North American sports car scene worked and caused publicity for the young sports car brand. Drivers like Jim Kimberly , Bill Spear, Jack McAfee and Ed Lunken enjoyed success with the 340 America until the mid-1950s.
At the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1952 , André Simon and Lucien Vincent finished fifth overall, and finished second at the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti (Paolo Marzotto) and the Senigallia sports car race ( Piero Scotti ). The last time a 340 America was driven in a race was the 1958 Angola Grand Prix by Belgian Yves Tassin , who retired from the race.
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 .
