Ferrari 375 Plus

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Ferrari 375 Plus Pinin Farina
The fuel tank of the 375 Plus

The Ferrari 375 Plus , also known as the Ferrari 375 Plus Pinin Farina Spider , was Scuderia Ferrari's works car in the 1954 World Sports Car Championship .

Development history

In 1954, the 375 Plus was only available to the Scuderia factory pilots. The private drivers had to make do with the Ferrari 375MM . The 375 Plus had a 330 hp V12 engine that was derived from the engine of the Formula 1 - 375F1 . The original 4.4-liter unit was drilled to 4954 cm³. This additional half liter displacement resulted in the "plus" in the type designation. The cylinder liners were screwed into the block and, unlike the 375MM, which had a rigid axle , the Scuderia technicians built a De-Dion axle into the 375 Plus . However, since this axle required more space in the vehicle, the fuel tank had to be integrated higher into the body than was intended for the MM. This led to a huge bulge above the trunk, which gave the car its characteristic shape and made it easier to distinguish the Plus from the MM.

Racing history

Pininfarina bodyworked six copies that were used in the world championship. With the 375 Plus, Scuderia celebrated three major international victories in 1954. Giuseppe Farina and Umberto Maglioli won the 1000 km race in Buenos Aires , Maurice Trintignant and José Froilán González won the Le Mans 24-hour race and Umberto Maglioli triumphed at the Carrera Panamericana . In 1955 some of the vehicles were sold and the Argentinian private driver team Ibanez / Saenz-Valiente won the 1000 km race in Buenos Aires with a 375 plus.

The Ferrari 375 Plus Scaglietti Spider remained a one-off , the only 375 Plus that Scaglietti had bodied. The car was sold in the USA in 1956 and had an accident at the Sebring 12-hour race . The owner had the car rebuilt and given a body from the small US company Sutton. Today this car is one of the few Ferraris that does not have a body from Italy.

The Ferrari 375 Plus Pinin Farina Cabriolet , made for the Belgian King Leopold III. was built.

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 375 Plus  - collection of images