The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961. It was introduced at the end of the 1957 racing season in response to rule changes that enforced a maximum engine displacement of 3 litres for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Sports Car Championship races.
The car was designed to offer customers already racing with the 500 TRC a much more powerful engine on a similar chassis to help retain the former model’s great handling.
The 250 Testa Rossa engine was based on Colombo-designed 3.0L V12 used in 250 GT road and racing cars. Carlo Chiti and other Ferrari engineers made several modifications to increase the performance of this already proven engine.
The starting point was a 1953-style cylinder block with an overall capacity of 2953 cc, a 73 mm bore and 58.8 mm stroke. The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa featured a water-cooled 2953cc V-12 engine producing 300 horsepower.
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a racing sports car built by Ferrari from 1957 to 1961. It was introduced at the end of the 1957 racing season in response to rule changes that enforced a maximum engine displacement of 3 litres for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Sports Car Championship races.
The 250 Testa Rossa finished the year with enough success to take the 1958 World Sports Car constructors’ title for Ferrari. In 1958, the 250 Testa Rossa would dominate the World Sportscar Championship, winning four out of the six races, including the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the open-road Targa Florio. By 1960, the victories came again, including that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is one of Maranello’s most successful racing cars of all time, and a classic example of how Enzo Ferrari’s vision helped the Scuderia achieve so much. Only 33 were built, and they are now worth millions of dollars. The car is still considered to be one of the greatest racing cars of all time.
