Ferrari Arno XI
The Ferrari Arno XI is a historic racing boat designed by the Italian engineer and motorboat racer Achille Castoldi and built as a one-off in 1953 by the Cantiere Timossi shipyard in Azzano on Lake Como . The boat is equipped with a Ferrari V12 engine that Ferrari modified specifically for this purpose.
The model is the last development stage in the Arno racing boat series. Castoldi planned to use this boat to set various world speed records and to break the dominance of Alfa Romeo and Maserati engines in this area at the time. That is why he persuaded the Ferrari factory drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi to persuade Enzo Ferrari to provide him with a suitable unit. He was left with the engine that gave Ferrari its first Grand Prix victory with the Ferrari 375 F1 at the Silverstone Circuit in 1951 . The engine was built into a Timossi three-point hull , a so-called "Hydroplan".
technology
The engine used is a " Lampredi V12" with 4.5 liter displacement, which was previously installed in a Ferrari 375 F1. By adding two compressors and special quadruple gasifiers as well as converting to methanol operation , it was possible to further increase the output. Ultimately, the previous 380 hp (280 kW) of the basic unit were compared to well over 500 hp. In this version, Castoldi renamed the engine "GP 52/1 Nautico" and built it into the specially designed three-point hull, which is 6.20 m long and 2.47 m wide and is painted Mahogany veneer is planked . The consistent lightweight construction enabled an operating weight of less than 800 kg.
Records
This configuration enabled Achille Castoldi to set the world speed record for motorboats in the under 800 kg category on October 15, 1953 at a speed of 242.708 km / h (131.051 kn) on Lake Iseo . This record is still valid today, also because the category to which the Arno XI belongs is no longer advertised.
More Achievements:
- 43 wins from 1953 to 1970, including:
- 1st place in the World Water Speed Championship for motor boats up to 900 kg in 1953, an unbeaten record.
- 1963 three-time record holder
- 2nd place in the motorboat world championship up to 900 kg in 1965
Another story
After a serious accident during another record attempt with another boat, Castoldi ended his career. As early as 1954 he sold the Arno XI to the wealthy Italian industrial engineer Nando Dell'Orto, who improved it aerodynamically and ran the boat successfully in various competitions for more than ten years, with numerous victories, including a victory at the European Championship in 1960 before he ended his sports career in 1968. The boat was then parked in a warehouse on the outskirts of Milan and was almost forgotten until it was rediscovered in the late 1990s.
Then the racing boat was sold to a collector who had it completely restored. After the restoration at Ferrari in Maranello, the engine achieved an output of 700 hp.
In 2012 it was sold at auction at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco during the Monaco Grand Prix . It has since been exhibited in the Ferrari Museum in Modena .
gallery
Trivia
According to a report by an Italian TV magazine, no speeds over 120 km / h were driven during the test drives after the restoration (see web links) for safety reasons. That lets the record speed of 242.708 km / h appear in a different light.
Web links
Links (films):
- YouTube: "1953 Timossi-Ferrari 'Arno XI' Racing Hydroplane" : Promotion video on the occasion of the 2012 auction
- YouTube: "Loď Ferrari Arno XI (press video)" : Press and promotional video about the restoration
- YouTube: "Timossi - Ferrari 'Arno XI' Hyrdoplane: Original Footage" : Unedited onboard material from a test drive
- YouTube: "Ferrari Arno XI, Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, Modena" : So-called "walk around" around the boat
Individual evidence
- ^ Mathias Brunner: Crazy: racing boat with Formula 1 engine from Ferrari. SPEEDWEEK, August 19, 2019, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Tom Grünweg: Water March ! SPIEGEL, April 30, 2012, accessed December 1, 2020 .
- ↑ Thomas Gerhardt: A Ferrari for the water. auto motor sport, August 22, 2019, accessed January 13, 2020 .
- ↑ Sotheby's: 1953 Timossi-Ferrari 'Arno XI' Racing Hydroplane Sold For € 868,000. Sotheby's, May 12, 2012, accessed January 13, 2020 .