Posted 30 November 2010 - 15:03
This may be an appropriate time and place to ask a question that has long vexed me, concerning 250F wheelbases.
The usually quoted length is 2280mm. This is quoted in Denis Jenkinson's book. All editions of the Racing Car Review during the period quote 7ft 6ins. In Doug Nye's History of the Grand Prix car he says that in the later cars, two wheelbases were available, 2280mm and 2200mm. He doesn't say which year he is referring to but he says that Fangio preferred the long car and Behra the short, so I think we can assume 1957 and the Tipo 2 works lightweights.
David McKinney mentions none of this (unless I missed it) but he does say that the 1958 Piccolo was 76mm shorter than the 1957 cars. Is that the LWB or SWB 1957 cars?
Karl Ludvigsen, in Classic Grand Prix Cars, quotes wheelbases in inches: 89.8 (2280mm) for a 1954 car, 87.6 (2225mm) in 1957, and 90.6 (2301mm)for a V12. I used 2.54 cms:inch.
For what it's worth, Setright's The Grand Prix Car quotes 90inches for both 1954 and '57 cars.
There seems to be some consensus around 2280mm/90ins for most cars, but some confusion around the 1957/58 cars. Can anybody help?
I know these were Maseratis so I'm not expecting a simple answer.