Ferrari type designations, namely F92A and 126Cs

Hello all!

Over the years, Ferrari changed their F1 type designations a lot, starting with a single cylinder capacity up to today's season-based ones. Their meaning is more-less clear with the two notable exceptions:

why did the F92A have "A" in its designation? Did Ferrari hope for introducing active suspension later in the year? Or a "B" variation? F93A also carried same suffix.

Also, 126C series cars puzzle me with "2" as they were 1.5-litre cars. Did the "12" stand for 120 degree vee of the engine? In 1985 Ferrari introduced the 156/85, seemingly reverting to the1960s/1970s practice....

Thanks a lot!

Originally posted by Speed_A
Hello all!

Over the years, Ferrari changed their F1 type designations a lot, starting with a single cylinder capacity up to today's season-based ones. Their meaning is more-less clear with the two notable exceptions:

why did the F92A have "A" in its designation? Did Ferrari hope for introducing active suspension later in the year? Or a "B" variation? F93A also carried same suffix.

Also, 126C series cars puzzle me with "2" as they were 1.5-litre cars. Did the "12" stand for 120 degree vee of the engine? In 1985 Ferrari introduced the 156/85, seemingly reverting to the1960s/1970s practice....

Thanks a lot!

it has been suggested that, because of Ferrari's previously used supercharged engine within F1 was the 125, the 126 was a logical follow up number....
But to the best of my Knowledges 120 was indeed the combination of 120 degree V angle 6 cylinder engine.

About the 156 designation, wasn't it in 1985 that Ferrar went to exxhaust and turbos located within the sidepods and Inlets within the V, like all other V type F1 engines had, or ws that in 1986?
If it was 1985 indeed, then the 156 may well have been introduced to designate the structural difference between the center exhaust&turbo V6'es of '80-'84 and the new, more common lay-out V6 introduced that year.


Henri

I thought that some of the F1 cars had two numbers, the traditional, next number out of the project book number, and then a designation?

Originally posted by f1steveuk
I thought that some of the F1 cars had two numbers, the traditional, next number out of the project book number, and then a designation?

Yes, of course, Ferrari chassis have their ordinal three-digit project numbers....now around 657. Some companies also used those type numbers as official designations (e.g. Lotus).

Originally posted by Henri Greuter



it has been suggested that, because of Ferrari's previously used supercharged engine within F1 was the 125, the 126 was a logical follow up number....
But to the best of my Knowledges 120 was indeed the combination of 120 degree V angle 6 cylinder engine.

About the 156 designation, wasn't it in 1985 that Ferrar went to exxhaust and turbos located within the sidepods and Inlets within the V, like all other V type F1 engines had, or ws that in 1986?
If it was 1985 indeed, then the 156 may well have been introduced to designate the structural difference between the center exhaust&turbo V6'es of '80-'84 and the new, more common lay-out V6 introduced that year.


Henri

Thanks Henri. Yes, I'm sure that Ferrari moved turbos from within the vee to the sidepods in 1985, that might generated their wish for different designation, instead of 126C5.

I would never think of 126 as being a sequel of 125, supercharging-wise, it's an interesting explanation possibility.

Originally posted by Speed_A
Yes, of course, Ferrari chassis have their ordinal three-digit project numbers....now around 657. Some companies also used those type numbers as official designations (e.g. Lotus).

I thought so, thanks, a friend of mine (Arthur Benjamins) was commissioned to do a painting by Ferrari, and it was issued a project number from "the big book", just like any other project, he was very proud of that!

Originally posted by f1steveuk


I thought so, thanks, a friend of mine (Arthur Benjamins) was commissioned to do a painting by Ferrari, and it was issued a project number from "the big book", just like any other project, he was very proud of that!

Very nice comission! I would be proud as well ;)

Originally posted by Speed_A

why did the F92A have "A" in its designation?

I would guess that 'A' might just have been for Agnelli, after all there were BIG! FIAT logos on the cars then... but why was the revised version the F92AT? Or (brain clicks in here) was it something to do with the 'A'erodynamics on it, that tricky twin-floor malarkey?

T used to stand for transverse gearbox, but that was in the days of the 312, but maybe...........

It's not just F1; Ferrari and others have actually used the same Tipo number more than one....with Ferrari and the number 412, it's at least 4 times (if you count the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa 412, and the 412 designation sometimes used for the Alfa Romeo 12c37)

Ferrari designations has always been a mess IMHO...

There was also a Tipo 154 in 1985, I suppose it was a 156 with a four-banger?

Originally posted by Speed_A
Yes, of course, Ferrari chassis have their ordinal three-digit project numbers....now around 657. Some companies also used those type numbers as official designations (e.g. Lotus).

As far as I know, the first Ferrari with such designations was the 639, the first atmospheric F.1 built in summer 1988 that never raced.
I don't know any previous known project number, I think they were only for internal use.

As regards 126, as far as I know it was a 120 degrees, V6; while 156 was a 1500 cc, V6.
The 154 (1500 cc, 4 cylinders) was announced but never built, and this name was unofficial.

I don't this there is a any relationship between Ferrari 126 C and Fiat 126

Both Autosprint and Rombo didn't mention the meaning of A on F92A.

Ciao,
Guido

Originally posted by f1steveuk
T used to stand for transverse gearbox, but that was in the days of the 312, but maybe...........

IIRC, F92AT was designated with a "T" with exactly the same reason. New gearbox was transversal, in contrast with the original longitudinal 1992 gearbox.

Originally posted by gdecarli
The 154 (1500 cc, 4 cylinders) was announced but never built, and this name was unofficial.


Ciao,
Guido

I had read that the 154 had been built and dyno-tested too but eventually shelved after all, primarilly because of logistic reasons: a V6 being more symmetrical in lay-out, thus enhancing the simplicity of the design of the entire car, particularly within the sidepods.
Als to have two exhaust flows to `play with`instead of one.

Henri