Ferrari P
Encyclopedia
The Ferrari P series were prototype sports cars in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Although Enzo Ferrari
resisted the move even with Cooper
dominating F1, Ferrari
began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1960 with the Ferrari Dino-V6-engine Formula Two
156, which would be turned into the Formula One
-winner of 1961.
Sports car racers followed in 1963. Although these cars shared their names (based on engine displacement) with road models, they were almost entirely dissimilar. The first Ferrari mid-engine in a road car did not arrive until the 1967 Dino, and it was 1971 before a Ferrari 12-cylinder engine was placed behind a road-going driver in the 365 GT4 BB
.
The 250 P was a Prototype racer produced in 1963, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring
, 1000 km Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
in that year. It was an open cockpit mid-engined design with a single-cam 3.0 L 250 Testa Rossa V12 engine
and was almost entirely unrelated to the other 250 cars
.
The 275 P and 330 P were evolutions of the 250 P with 3.3 L and 4.0 L engines, respectively. These raced during 1963 and 1964.
The 250 P evolved into a saleable mid-engined racer for the public, the 250 Le Mans. Introduced at Paris in November, 1963, the LM was successful for privately entered racers around the world. Notably, a 250 LM entered by the North American Racing Team
won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
driven by Jochen Rindt
and Masten Gregory
, which remains as Ferrari's last overall victory in the endurance classic. About 32 models were built in 1964 and 1965, with all but the first few powered by 3.3 L 320 hp (238 kW) engines, though the name did not change with the increase in displacement. A fully independent double wishbone suspension
was specified with rack and pinion
steering and four wheel disc brakes. Ferrari
had intended that the 250 LM be homologated for racing as a Group 3 Grand Touring Car
, however in April 1964 the FIA refused to do so as Ferrari had built considerably fewer than the required 100 units. The 250 LM thus had to run as a Prototype until it was homologated as a Group 4 Sports Car
for the 1966 season.
An entirely new car, the 330 P2, followed in 1965. It featured a lower and lighter chassis
and more aerodynamic body, paired with a 410 hp (305 kW) version of the 330 V12. It was first used by Luigi Chinetti
's North American Racing Team
(NART) in the Daytona race
that year. Some of NART's P2 cars also used the 4.4 L engine and thus were named 365 P2. The P2 was not a great success for Ferrari, however, so it was replaced by the P3 for 1966.
to the Ferrari stable. It also used a P3 (Type 593) transmission
that was prone to failure and was replaced by a ZF transmission when P3 0844 and 0848 were converted to 412P's, another Ferrari first that would only last one season when the ZF's were replaced by 603R P4 transmissions in all the 412P's.
There are no longer any Ferrari P3's existent as original P3 0846 was converted to a P 3/4 and P3's 0844 and 0848 were converted to 412P's by Ferrari.
The Ferrari 412P was a "customer version" of the famous 330 P3 race car, built for independent teams like NART (0844), Scuderia Filipinetti (0848), Francorchamps (0850), and Maranello Concessionaires (0854). These cars had carburetor engines instead of the factory Lucas fuel injection. Surviving 412P cars are worth approximately $8 millionat auction.
(at Silverstone Classic 2011, 0844's suggested value (by the mechanic working on it) was quoted at UK£12m (US$18m)
There are only 2 cars that were originally built as 412P's: 0850 and 0854. P3 chassis. P3 Typo Motors except for Carburetors in place of FI. P4 suspension
but P3 wheelbase
2412mm vs. 2400mm (P4 and P 3/4 0846) 0844 and 0848 were originally P3 Factory Racecars but when Ferrari sold them to customers they removed the Lucas Mechanical Fuel Injection and replaced it with Weber carburetors which reduced their output, something Ferrari wanted to do so that they would win points but not beat the factory
cars which were then P 3/4 0846 (See Above), P4 0856, P4 0858, and P4 0860.
The P3's and 412P had the same 4 liter block which is different from the P4 4 liter block and all had P3 not P4 chassis. P 3/4 0846 is unique having, after modification by Ferrari for the 1967 race season, a P3 chassis with a P4 engine
.
The 412P and related 330 P3/4 and P4 models weren't eligible for the International Championship of Makes
in 1968 as their engines were too large for the new 3 litre Group 6 Prototype
category and too few examples had been built to allow homologation
for the 5 litre Group 4 Sports Car
category which required production of at least 50 units. Ferrari did not contest the championship for a year in protest.
Four 412 Ps were built:
Only four Ferrari P4-engined cars were ever made: one P 3/4 and three 330 P4's. Their 3-valve cylinder head was modeled after those of Italian Grand Prix-winning Formula One cars. To this was added the same fuel injection system from the P3 for an output of up to 450 hp (335 kW).
The P 3/4, one of the P4's, and one 412P electrified the racing world when they crossed the finish line together (in first 0846, second 0856, and third place 0844) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona
, for a photo finish to counter Ford's photo of the Ford GT 40 MK II's crossing the finish line together First, Second, and Third at Le Mans in 1966.
Since then, the fate of the these four nearly legendary cars has been the subject of much attention. All of the P4's built are accounted for, although P 3/4 0846 is surrounded in controversy. By chassis number:
The Ferrari 330P4 made a notable appearance in the video game Forza Motorsport 2
. The vehicle received a rarity rating of 10.0-signifying its uniqueness and in Forza Motorsport 3 where it costs 11 million. The P 4 in Forza Motorsport 3 is patterned on P 3/4 0846 which James Glickenhaus made available to Microsoft and James Glickenhaus is credited by Microsoft in Forza Motorsport for making his P 3/4 0846 available to them for this purpose.
The P4 also appears in the video game Gran Turismo 5, as one of the most expensive 20 million classics on the game.
P4 Replicas
Due to the great fame and sleek appearance of the original design, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g., a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) fetch around $50,000.
There have also been replica chassis built:
After boycotting sports cars racing in 1968 to protest the rule change, Ferrari built another 3000cc prototype in 1969, named the 312 P.
The 3.0 Ferrari 312
P Barchetta and 3.0 Ferrari 312
P Berlinetta were hardly more than a 3-litre F1 Ferrari 312
with a prototype body. At the 12 Hours of Sebring
the spyder
finished 2nd to a JWA Gulf Ford GT40
. At the BOAC 500
in Brands Hatch
the same spyder was 4th behind three Porsche 908
-01. At 1000km Monza
, Chris Amon
took the pole with the 312P spyder, ahead of Jo Siffert
's 908-01, but had to retire. At the 1000km Spa
, a 312P was second behind the Siffert-Redman 908-01LH. At Le Mans two 312P Berlinettas were entered. They were 5 and 6 on the grid, but didn't finish. At the end of the season the 312Ps were sold to N.A.R.T., the American Ferrari importer of Luigi Chinetti.
These were not designated with P as they were not built for the 3000cc Prototype category, but with S as 5000cc Sports cars, of which at least 25 had to be built. Porsche had made that investment in early 1969 with the new Porsche 917
. Ferrari answered with the Ferrari 512
which was introduced for 1970, and later modified as 512 M.
In 1971, another rule change was announced for 1972, and Ferrari abandoned further development of the 512 in order to focus on a new 3 Litre prototype based on the F1 car. The 312PB would prove fast but fragile in its debut at the 1971 Sebring 12 hours. Further development over the 1971 season brought reliability, with the speed.
In 1972, the312PB's with the flat boxer engine was very successful and won all races of the World Championship for Makes
in which it competed. Ferrari didn't enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans
in 1972, as Enzo Ferrari thought that the F1-based engine could not last the full 24 hours. He would be proven wrong.
They had to enter Le Mans in 1973, though, and finished second behind Matra
, same as in the championship. At the end of the 1973 season, Ferrari forced to abandoned sports car racing, by FIAT, and ordered to focus on F1.
In the 1990s, the Ferrari 333 SP
was built, but not raced by the factory itself.
In 2005, James Glickenhaus
commissioned Pininfarina
to rebody an Enzo
as a special one-off custom car. It is inspired by the early P racers, and especially Glickenhaus' own resurrected P3/4.
In May 2010 Glickenhaus announced that P 4/5 Competizione a new car based on P 4/5's designs but built to FIA GT2 Standards would be built and Raced at the 2011 24 Hours of Nurburgring by Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in an Experimental Class under the Direction of Paolo Garella Former Head of Special Projects at Pininfarina.
At The 2011 24 Hours of Nurburgring P 4/5 Competizione finished 2 in class and received a special Constructor's Trophy. After The 24 Hours of Nurburgring P 4/5 Competizione was displayed in The National Auto Museum of Italy in Torino for a month.
Although Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
resisted the move even with Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
dominating F1, Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1960 with the Ferrari Dino-V6-engine Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
156, which would be turned into the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
-winner of 1961.
Sports car racers followed in 1963. Although these cars shared their names (based on engine displacement) with road models, they were almost entirely dissimilar. The first Ferrari mid-engine in a road car did not arrive until the 1967 Dino, and it was 1971 before a Ferrari 12-cylinder engine was placed behind a road-going driver in the 365 GT4 BB
Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer
A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.Production of the...
.
250 P
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
, 1000 km Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in that year. It was an open cockpit mid-engined design with a single-cam 3.0 L 250 Testa Rossa V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
and was almost entirely unrelated to the other 250 cars
Ferrari 250
The Ferrari 250 is a sports car built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. It was replaced by the 275 and the 330.-Similarities:...
.
The 275 P and 330 P were evolutions of the 250 P with 3.3 L and 4.0 L engines, respectively. These raced during 1963 and 1964.
250 LM
North American Racing Team
The North American Racing Team was created by Luigi Chinetti to promote the Ferrari marque in America through success in Gran Turismo motorsport....
won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 33rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20 1965. It was also the twelfth round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Pre-race:...
driven by Jochen Rindt
Jochen Rindt
Karl Jochen Rindt was a German racing driver who represented Austria during his career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship , after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix...
and Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory was a racing driver from the United States. He raced in Formula One between and , participating in 43 World Championship races, and numerous non-Championship races....
, which remains as Ferrari's last overall victory in the endurance classic. About 32 models were built in 1964 and 1965, with all but the first few powered by 3.3 L 320 hp (238 kW) engines, though the name did not change with the increase in displacement. A fully independent double wishbone suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
was specified with rack and pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
steering and four wheel disc brakes. Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
had intended that the 250 LM be homologated for racing as a Group 3 Grand Touring Car
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
, however in April 1964 the FIA refused to do so as Ferrari had built considerably fewer than the required 100 units. The 250 LM thus had to run as a Prototype until it was homologated as a Group 4 Sports Car
Group 4 (racing)
The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...
for the 1966 season.
330 P2
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
and more aerodynamic body, paired with a 410 hp (305 kW) version of the 330 V12. It was first used by Luigi Chinetti
Luigi Chinetti
Luigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen....
's North American Racing Team
North American Racing Team
The North American Racing Team was created by Luigi Chinetti to promote the Ferrari marque in America through success in Gran Turismo motorsport....
(NART) in the Daytona race
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
that year. Some of NART's P2 cars also used the 4.4 L engine and thus were named 365 P2. The P2 was not a great success for Ferrari, however, so it was replaced by the P3 for 1966.
330 P3
The 1966 330 P3 introduced fuel injectionFuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
to the Ferrari stable. It also used a P3 (Type 593) transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
that was prone to failure and was replaced by a ZF transmission when P3 0844 and 0848 were converted to 412P's, another Ferrari first that would only last one season when the ZF's were replaced by 603R P4 transmissions in all the 412P's.
There are no longer any Ferrari P3's existent as original P3 0846 was converted to a P 3/4 and P3's 0844 and 0848 were converted to 412P's by Ferrari.
412P
(at Silverstone Classic 2011, 0844's suggested value (by the mechanic working on it) was quoted at UK£12m (US$18m)
There are only 2 cars that were originally built as 412P's: 0850 and 0854. P3 chassis. P3 Typo Motors except for Carburetors in place of FI. P4 suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
but P3 wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
2412mm vs. 2400mm (P4 and P 3/4 0846) 0844 and 0848 were originally P3 Factory Racecars but when Ferrari sold them to customers they removed the Lucas Mechanical Fuel Injection and replaced it with Weber carburetors which reduced their output, something Ferrari wanted to do so that they would win points but not beat the factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
cars which were then P 3/4 0846 (See Above), P4 0856, P4 0858, and P4 0860.
The P3's and 412P had the same 4 liter block which is different from the P4 4 liter block and all had P3 not P4 chassis. P 3/4 0846 is unique having, after modification by Ferrari for the 1967 race season, a P3 chassis with a P4 engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
.
The 412P and related 330 P3/4 and P4 models weren't eligible for the International Championship of Makes
1968 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1968 World Sportscar Championship season was the 16th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship racing and featured the 1968 International Championship for Makes and the 1968 International Cup for GT Cars. The former was contested by Group 6 Sports Prototypes, Group 4 Sports Cars and Group 3...
in 1968 as their engines were too large for the new 3 litre Group 6 Prototype
Group 6 (racing)
Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two-Seater Racing Cars class from 1976 to 1982.-Group 6 Prototype-Sports Cars :...
category and too few examples had been built to allow homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
for the 5 litre Group 4 Sports Car
Group 4 (racing)
The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...
category which required production of at least 50 units. Ferrari did not contest the championship for a year in protest.
Four 412 Ps were built:
- 0844 was a converted P3 and is currently in the UK owned by Harry Leventis
- 0848 was a converted P3 and is currently in Switzerland
- 0850 is currently owned by an American
- 0854 is currently owned by James Glickenhaus, who also commissioned and owns the Ferrari P4/5
330 P 3/4 and P4
1967 was a banner year for the Enzo Ferrari motor company, as it saw the production of the mid-engined 330 P4, a renowned V12 endurance car meant to replace the previous year's P3.Only four Ferrari P4-engined cars were ever made: one P 3/4 and three 330 P4's. Their 3-valve cylinder head was modeled after those of Italian Grand Prix-winning Formula One cars. To this was added the same fuel injection system from the P3 for an output of up to 450 hp (335 kW).
The P 3/4, one of the P4's, and one 412P electrified the racing world when they crossed the finish line together (in first 0846, second 0856, and third place 0844) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
, for a photo finish to counter Ford's photo of the Ford GT 40 MK II's crossing the finish line together First, Second, and Third at Le Mans in 1966.
Since then, the fate of the these four nearly legendary cars has been the subject of much attention. All of the P4's built are accounted for, although P 3/4 0846 is surrounded in controversy. By chassis number:
- 0856 remains in its original state and is owned by Raj Pancholi
- 0858 was converted into a 350 Can-Am by Ferrari and is owned by American Walter Medlin
- 0860 was also converted by Ferrari to a 350 Can-Am but is presently wearing a P4 Spyder body and is in a French automobile museum
- 0846, known as the P 3/4 because though it was originally built as a P3 by Ferrari, it was modified in December 1966 to accept a P4 engine while retaining its P3 nose and chassis. This vehicle was damaged in an accident at Le Mans and was discarded by Ferrari. Recently, many components of the original P 3/4 0846 appear to have resurfaced in the possession of exotic car collector and enthusiast James GlickenhausJames GlickenhausJames Glickenhaus is an American investment professional at Glickenhaus & Co., the finance firm started by his father, Seth Glickenhaus. He was formerly a movie director before entering the finance world....
, a former movie director and stock exchange magnate. Although both he and David PiperDavid Piper-References:...
(from whom he acquired the car) thought it one of four replica chassis constructed with the blessing of Enzo Ferrari in the late 1960s, it appears that nearly all of the tube frame chassis and some other components from the wrecked P3/4 were used in this car. This seeming discovery has stirred much controversy, Ferrari Market Letter recently reported: "While Ferrari insists that 0846 was scrapped and is no more, a car exists with strong claims to be the resurrection of that car." Its tube frame chassis appears to be a P3 modified to hold a P4 engine, as was the case with 0846 exclusively, and the damage from two contemporary racing accidents appears in the frame as well. The car's transmission, engine heads, and steering rack also include the correct Le Mans scrutineering marks, linking them to P3 0846 and P 3/4 0846 of 1966 and 1967. P 3/4 0846 was road tested by Car and Driver magazine.
The Ferrari 330P4 made a notable appearance in the video game Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3 .The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z...
. The vehicle received a rarity rating of 10.0-signifying its uniqueness and in Forza Motorsport 3 where it costs 11 million. The P 4 in Forza Motorsport 3 is patterned on P 3/4 0846 which James Glickenhaus made available to Microsoft and James Glickenhaus is credited by Microsoft in Forza Motorsport for making his P 3/4 0846 available to them for this purpose.
The P4 also appears in the video game Gran Turismo 5, as one of the most expensive 20 million classics on the game.
P4 Replicas
Due to the great fame and sleek appearance of the original design, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g., a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) fetch around $50,000.
There have also been replica chassis built:
- 0900 was a continuation commissioned and currently owned by David Piper
- 0900a is another currently unfinished continuation also owned by Piper
- 0900b is a third continuation, but is still under construction. Its frame was made in the 2000s by Piper for an American customer.
312 P
The 3.0 Ferrari 312
Ferrari 312
The Ferrari 312 was a racing car used in Formula One from 1966 to 1969, designed by Mauro Forghieri.For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3000 cm³ engines...
P Barchetta and 3.0 Ferrari 312
Ferrari 312
The Ferrari 312 was a racing car used in Formula One from 1966 to 1969, designed by Mauro Forghieri.For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3000 cm³ engines...
P Berlinetta were hardly more than a 3-litre F1 Ferrari 312
Ferrari 312
The Ferrari 312 was a racing car used in Formula One from 1966 to 1969, designed by Mauro Forghieri.For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3000 cm³ engines...
with a prototype body. At the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
the spyder
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
finished 2nd to a JWA Gulf Ford GT40
Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969...
. At the BOAC 500
BOAC 500
The 1000 km Brands Hatch was an endurance sports car event that was part of the World Sportscar Championship for varying years from 1967 until 1989...
in Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
the same spyder was 4th behind three Porsche 908
Porsche 908
The Porsche 908 was a racing car from Porsche, introduced in 1968 to continue the Porsche 906/Porsche 910/Porsche 907 series of models designed under Ferdinand Piech....
-01. At 1000km Monza
1000km Monza
The 1000 Kilometres of Monza is an endurance race mainly for sports cars held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.The "Coppa Inter-Europa" was first held in 1949, on the circuit. The race expanded to 1000 kilometres in 1954, and moved to the 10-kilometre circuit in 1956. The event was...
, Chris Amon
Chris Amon
Christopher Arthur Amon MBE is a former motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One - racing in the 1960s and 1970s - and is widely regarded to be one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix...
took the pole with the 312P spyder, ahead of Jo Siffert
Jo Siffert
Joseph Siffert was a Swiss racing driver.Affectionately known as "Seppi" to his family and close friends, Siffert was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, the son of a dairy owner...
's 908-01, but had to retire. At the 1000km Spa
1000km Spa
The 1000 Kilometres of Spa-Francorchamps is an endurance race for sports cars held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.- History :The Spa 24 Hours had been introduced in 1924, and other races followed. As on the Nürburgring, both a 24-hour race for touring cars and GTs is held, and an...
, a 312P was second behind the Siffert-Redman 908-01LH. At Le Mans two 312P Berlinettas were entered. They were 5 and 6 on the grid, but didn't finish. At the end of the season the 312Ps were sold to N.A.R.T., the American Ferrari importer of Luigi Chinetti.
512 S and 512 M
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
. Ferrari answered with the Ferrari 512
Ferrari 512
Ferrari 512 S was the designation of 25 five litre sports cars built until January 1970, related to the Ferrari P sports prototypes. The V12-powered cars were entered in the 1970 International Championship for Makes by the factory Scuderia Ferrari and private teams...
which was introduced for 1970, and later modified as 512 M.
312 PB
In 1972, the312PB's with the flat boxer engine was very successful and won all races of the World Championship for Makes
1972 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1972 World Championship for Makes and International Grand Touring Trophy seasons were the 20th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for FIA Group 5 Sports Cars and FIA Group 4 Grand Touring Cars...
in which it competed. Ferrari didn't enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in 1972, as Enzo Ferrari thought that the F1-based engine could not last the full 24 hours. He would be proven wrong.
They had to enter Le Mans in 1973, though, and finished second behind Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
, same as in the championship. At the end of the 1973 season, Ferrari forced to abandoned sports car racing, by FIAT, and ordered to focus on F1.
333 SP
Ferrari 333 SP
The Ferrari 333 SP was a sports prototype car built by Michelotto to World Sports Car regulations for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur racer Giampiero Moretti , the 333 SP marked Ferrari's official return to sports car racing after a 20 year absence...
was built, but not raced by the factory itself.
P4/5
James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus is an American investment professional at Glickenhaus & Co., the finance firm started by his father, Seth Glickenhaus. He was formerly a movie director before entering the finance world....
commissioned Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
to rebody an Enzo
Enzo Ferrari (car)
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
as a special one-off custom car. It is inspired by the early P racers, and especially Glickenhaus' own resurrected P3/4.
In May 2010 Glickenhaus announced that P 4/5 Competizione a new car based on P 4/5's designs but built to FIA GT2 Standards would be built and Raced at the 2011 24 Hours of Nurburgring by Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in an Experimental Class under the Direction of Paolo Garella Former Head of Special Projects at Pininfarina.
At The 2011 24 Hours of Nurburgring P 4/5 Competizione finished 2 in class and received a special Constructor's Trophy. After The 24 Hours of Nurburgring P 4/5 Competizione was displayed in The National Auto Museum of Italy in Torino for a month.