13 replies to this topic

[rolando]

I`ve just read an article in Road & Track about the fantastic Ferrari 335 S written by Phil Hill, he says that is his favorite Ferrari of all-time, it was a 4 liter 490 hp 4-cams V12. However, I've known that the Moss's Maserati 300 S was fastest but unreliable, Could you please give me some reference about that Sport Car World Championship year?

[Ray Bell]

Sounds like 1958.

[GT Action Photo]

The 335 Sport were raced by the Ferrari Factory in
1957. The next year (1958), the CSI had limited sport
car engine capacities to three (3) litres displacement.

De Portago drove one in the Mille Migla against Moss in
a 450S Maserati.

The end of the season race, The Venezuelan GP, in Caracas
saw the Ferrari 335 Sport finish first and second
(s/n 0700 and 0674) shared by Collins/Hill and
Hawthorn/Musso.Sadly, the Maserati Team crashed and burned.

Late in 1958 another version of the 335 Sport was made
for John Von Neumann (412MI) to race against the Scarabs.

With kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh

[Ray Bell]

Thanks, Gary, I was forgetting that 3-litre limit... then came the high windscreens...

[Ray Bell]

You've got me thinking... 4-litres and 490hp, I don't think so, not in that era and not in a sports car for endurance races. GP cars were around 260-280hp from 2.5-litres once they went over to Avgas (1958), and the Sports Cars were on Avgas all along. And the V12 was a single-cam, was it not?
My doubts are increasing.

[GT Action Photo]

Looks like I will have to get that issue of "Road & Track".
I have not readed it lately, it's just not the same after
the Bonds sold it.

The engine in the 335 Sport had a bore and stroke of
77mm x 72mm giving a displacement of 4022cc with a power
output of 447bhp at 7700rpm.
Source :"Ferrari" by Hans Tanner and Doug Nye, Sixth Edition.

with kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh

[GT Action Photo]

The engine in the 335 Sport was a 60 degree V-12 with
twin cams per bank and ran on "petrol".

with kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh

[Don Capps]

1957 was the year Officine Alfieri Maserati almost got the Championship away from Scuderia Ferrari. However, when it came to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Orsi family had to wondering what next...?

Round 1, Buenos Aires 1000 Kms / 1st: Ferrari 290S shared by Masten Gregory, Cesare Perdisa, Eugenio Castellotti & Luigi Musso with 2nd: Maserati 300S shared by Jean Behra, Carlos Menditeguy & Stirling Moss

Ferrari = 8 pts
Maserati = 6 pts
Jaguar = 3 pts


Round 2, Sebring 12 Hours / 1st: Maseari 450S shared by Juan Fangio & Jean Behra with 2nd: Maserati 300S shared by Stirling Moss & Harry Schell

Maserati = 15 pts (6 + 8)
Ferrari = 11 pts (8 + 3)
Jaguar = 7 pts (3 + 4)


Round 3, Mille Miglia / 1st Ferrari 315S driven by Piero Taruffi and 2nd: another 315S driven by Wolfgang von Trips

Ferrari = 19 pts (8 + 3 + 8)
Maserati = 17 pts (6 + 8 + 3)
Jaguar = 7 pts (3 + 4 + 0)
Porsche = 2 pts (0 + 0 + 2)

Round 4, Nurburgring 1000 Kms / 1st: Aston Martin DBR1/300 shared by Tony Brooks & Noel Cunningham-Reid with 2nd: Ferrari 335S shared by Peter Collins & Olivier Gendebien

Ferrari = 27 pts (8 + 3 + 8 + 8)
Maserati = 19 pts (6 + 8 + 3 + 2)
Aston Martin = 8 pts (0 + 0 + 0+ 8)
Jaguar = 7 pts (3 + 4 + 0 + 0)
Porsche = 5 pts (0 + 0 + 2 + 3)

Round 5, Le Mans 24 Hours / 1st: Jaguar D shared by Ivor Bueb & Ron Flockhart with 2nd: Ninian Sanderson & John Lawrence

Ferrari = 27 pts (8 + 3 + 8 + 8 + /2/)
Maserati = 19 pts (6 + 8 + 3 + 2 + 0)
Jaguar = 15 pts (3 + 4 + 0 + 0 + 8)
Aston Martin = 8 pts (0 + 0 + 0+ 8 + 0)
Porsche = 5 pts (0 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 0)


Round 6, Kristianstad (6 Hours) / 1st: Maserati 450S shared by Jean Behra & Stirling Moss with 2nd: Ferrari 335S shared by Phil Hill & Peter Collins

Ferrari = 30 pts (8 + /3/ + 8 + 8 + /2/ + 6)
Maserati = 25 pts (6 + 8 + 3 + /2/ + 0 + 8)
Jaguar = 17 pts (3 + 4 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 2)
Aston Martin = 8 pts (0 + 0 + 0+ 8 + 0)
Porsche = 5 pts (0 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 0)


Round 7, Caracas 1000 Kms / Ferrari 335S shared by Peter Collins & Phil Hill with another 335S 2nd: shared bby Mike Hawthorn & Luigi Musso

Ferrari = 32 pts (8 + /3/ + 8 + 8 + /2/ + /6/ + 8)
Maserati = 25 pts (6 + 8 + 3 + /2/ + 0 + 8 + 0)
Jaguar = 17 pts (3 + 4 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 2 + 0)
Aston Martin = 8 pts (0 + 0 + 0+ 8 + 0 + 0)
Porsche = 7 pts (0 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 0 + 2)

Hope this gives at least a glimpse into 1957... We've discussed the Caracas race (or maybe it was on the Maserati Telaio...) and it was a real ding-dong!

[rolando]

Thank you for all your comments, and sorry it was indeed 1957 before CSI introduced limits on the Word Sports Cars Championship. After checking again the specs of the V12, Phil Hill says it develops 390hp... he says also that's his favorite era in which he competed before any kind of limits in size of the engines.

[Ray Bell]

Regarding 'Petrol' and 'Avgas,' I think you'll find that the wording of the fuel rules specified something like "gasoline complying with the recognised specification for 100/130 Avgas" as the upper limit for acceptable race fule. This would have applied to F1 and Sports Cars, Sports Cars from a much earlier date than the January 1, 1958 introduction of the rule for F1.
A glimpse of this restriction in Sports Cars is seen where, in 1955, after the Le Mans crash there was speculation that the fuel had been illegal in Bouillon's car. MB were able to produce a small sample still safely tucked away in the injector pipes of the car to prove that it was 'petrol.'

[GT Action Photo]

Here is a photo of Ferrari 412 MI (s/n 0744) at
the Riverside Times G.P. on October 15,1960.
The diver was Richie Ginther,the car was a d.n.f.
in the race due to broken gears.This car had the
4 liter dohc V-12 engine from the 335 Sport family.




Photo credit: J.W.LaTourrett
1416 S.W. 15th. Terrace
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

With kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh

[Ray Bell]

Just waiting for the picture load, Gary, I was struck by how un-1960 that Ford in the background looks... more like 61 or 62. Now I may be wrong, we didn't get those models here, but are you sure?
Richie looks young, however... a great driver, really, with his testing abilities.

[GT Action Photo]

Hi Ray,

The date of the photo is correct.( October,1960 )
In the states, the new cars were produced in the
fall of the year and titled with the next year's date.
So,the car in the background could be a 1961 model.

With kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh

[Ray Bell]

It is a 1961 model, though, isn't it? Just very new (still shiny, eh?).