Ferrari 553 Squalo

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Ferrari 553 Squalo

The Ferrari 553 Squalo was a monoposto racing car built by Ferrari in 1953 and used in the 1953 and 1954 World Cup .

Development history

The 553 was developed as a Formula 2 car back in 1953 and was used for the first time at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza in the same year. Umberto Maglioli was eighth in the 553, Piero Carini retired with engine failure.

The 553 was the first Ferrari with a tubular space frame. The additional designation "Squalo" (in German "Haifisch") was given to the racing car by the bulges on the sides in the middle section. The car originally had a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2 liters. In 1954, the regulations of the drivers' world championship were changed. Now vehicles of the Formula 1 class could be used again. The 553 got a new engine with a displacement of 2.5 liters that made 240 hp.

The car was unpopular with the drivers because it was difficult to drive. In 1954, the Scuderia also used the 625F1 in the world championship and the drivers switched between the types. As a result, the resources within the Scuderia were split up, not exactly beneficial for the further development of the vehicles. It was only by moving the engine to the rear within the tubular space frame and installing coil springs on the front axle that the 553's driving characteristics could be significantly improved.

Racing history

The drivers' world championship had long been decided in favor of Juan Manuel Fangio and Mercedes-Benz when Mike Hawthorn won the last race of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix . It remained the only victory of the 553 in the world championship, which was replaced by the Ferrari 555 in 1955 .

literature

  • David Hodges: Racing cars from A to Z after 1945. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
  • Pino Casamassima: Storia della Scuderia Ferrari. Nada Editore, Vimodrome 1998, ISBN 88-7911-179-5 .
  • Leonardo Acerbi: 60 years of Ferrari. Heel, Königswinter 2007, ISBN 978-3-89880-815-6 .

Web links

Commons : Ferrari 553 Squalo  - Collection of images, videos and audio files