Few specimens are as unique as this Ferrari 1962.
At the end of the fifties is imposed the tendency of the central engine in the sports competition, initiated by the small british manufacturers in Formula 1. Ferrari is not adapted to this new configuration until 1960, 246P and 156P of Formula 1, and with more success, starting in 1961 with the new 156, with the who would get the championship of pilots and builders that same season.
This new architecture, effectively tested in the Formula 1, was also put in practice in other disciplines, such as the Resistance. And in the case of Ferrari with the new series of models SP, born in the early sixties and originally rode the 6-cylinder engines to 65 degrees baptized with the name Dino, in honor of Alfredo Ferrari, the deceased first-born son of the founder of the brand, which had collaborated in the design of these new mechanics with the engineer Vittorio Jano.
were Initially presented only two prototypes, numbers of frame 0790 and 0796. These had a new block V6 2.4-liter and a frame derived from the chassis Type 561, designed for the single-seater 156 Formula 1. Were presented in February 1961, obtaining great success in competition, however, this was only the first part of a program that gave rise to some of the models most legendary of the Italian brand.
In fact, of the prototype Dino SP they were just made 6 copies, who all his life suffered several modifications, resulting in the iconic P-series prototypes of the signature. One of the modifications most serious was the adoption of a motor of 8 cylinders in V, that originally had a 2.4-liter but that was later raised to 2.6 liters, thanks to the adoption of a new crankshaft, bringing the power up to around 267 HP. The model shown in the photographs is precisely one of the two unique chassis that used this mechanical configuration of eight cylinders at 90 degrees between 1961 and 1962.
These new engines, they were basically two-thirds of the V12 engine that we could find in the vain front of the Ferrari 400 Superamerica. Initially designed with a 2.4 litres, its performance was rather weak, achieving disappointing results in the race, so the Italian manufacturer decided to raise the displacement to 2.6 liters, changing the denomination 248 original by the new 268. The first two numbers referred to the engine displacement and the latter figure to the number of cylinders, instead of using the number that pointed to the displacement unit, as was done by Ferrari since its inception.
This exemplary, since with its new engine of 2.6 litres was used by the Scuderia as test vehicle to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1962. In those moments were his commanders big names such as Ricardo Rodriguez, Lorenzo Bandini, Mike Parkes, Olivier Gendebien, or Willy Mairesse. During the test, it was piloted by the legendary Giancarlo Baghetti and Ludovico Scarfotti, that they were forced to leave after completing 230 spins to have a clutch.
His body was modified several times during their sporting life.
But here not just the history of the sport chassis 0798, as Ferrari sold this unit at the end of 1962 to Luigi Chinetti, distributor of the brand in north America and owner of the racing team North American Racing Team, known as NART.
Running under the colors of the NART, the 268 SP number 0798 played great racing with such names as Lorenzo Bandini to their controls, for shortly after, in 1964, returned to sell. On this occasion the private pilot Tom O’brien, who used to participate in various races of the SCCA in 1964, achieving several victories and other great results. The following two years it was owned by one of the employees of O’brien, Robert Hutchins, who competed with the 268 SP with little success between 1965 and 1966, which ended up selling it back to Luigi Chinetti in exchange of a Ferrari 275 GTB/C competition.
Chinetti remained in his personal collection until the end of that decade, when it was sold to the famous French collector Pierre Bardinon, owner of one of the finest collections of the Italian brand. Not in vain, himself when Enzo Ferrari was challenged by the lack of care he had had with the documentation and the preservation of the legacy of your brand, this answered breezily “Bardinon has already done it for my”.
One of the rarities of the collection Bardinon for decades.
Ferrari only produced 6 units of the SP series of prototypes, and of these, only 2 were equipped with the mechanical V8.
The collection Bardinon, also known by the name of the estate where it was, Mas du Clos, has always been considered as one of the most important of the brand. During the time that the 268 SP was in the hands of Bardinon received not only excellent care but was restored by Fantuzzi in the early 1970’s. These works have changed their body to the original configuration of the model and that we can still see today in the specimen.
This remained within the collection Bardinon until mid-1996, at which time it was put on sale. Be purchased finally in 1997 by the collector Bernard Carl, of the united States, the current owner and seller. Since after about 20 years off the market, the 268 SP 0798 again be put up for sale, this time by RM Sotheby’s, in the events that will take place on the Monterey peninsula in the coming month of August.
In these two decades has been seen in many exclusive events in the world of engine all over the planet, including competitions and festivals of the own brand Italian or the Festival of Goodwood, this same decade.
This unit is one of the best examples we can find of the
sporting competition of the Italian brand from the 60’s, the
most important period in Ferrari’s Classic is concerned.
Having in addition to an excellent track record sports, which joined your
extreme exclusivity, a copy of only two made with these
features, will raise considerably your quote.
Figure that by the time it is reserved, being accessible only under
request.
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