My Car Quest

March 29, 2024

The Ferrari 250 LM – What A Race Car!

by Mike –

This 1964 Ferrari 250 LM Scaglietti Berlinetta was at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2013. This Ferrari model is always an attraction because of the unusual style and of course they were a racing success.

Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari 250 LM at Pebble Beach

Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari 250 LM at Pebble Beach

The Pebble Beach Car Guide had this to say about this Ferrari,

The Ferrari 250 LM made its debut at the 1963 Paris Auto Salon and first competed the following year. Designed for the GT class at Le Mans, 100 cars were needed to obey the homologation rules, but not surprisingly only 32 cars were finished; the LM was therefore only eligible for the prototype class against more powerful cars.

Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari 250 LM on the Tour D’Elegnace

Despite that, the Ferrari 250 LMs performed well, including a win at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 250 LM used the 250 GTO 3-liter, V12 engine bored out to 3.3 liters and repositioned in the middle of the chassis. This Ferrari 250 LM (5909) had a hectic racing career driven by some very famous drivers. It was entered by the North American Racing Team and driven by David Piper and Jochen Rindt in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the following year, it was second overall in the 12 Hours of Reims driven by John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini. Bob Grossman also drove it at races in the United States and Nassau in 1964 and 1965.

Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari 250 LM at Pebble Beach

This Ferrari 250 LM below was the last Ferrari to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright.

Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari 250 LM at Amelia Island

Note the similarity in design style to the Ferrari 250 GTO below at the Ferrari Museum.

Ferrari 250 GTO

Ferrari 250 GTO at the Ferrari Museum

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

 

 

My friend Ken Phillips is seen with a Ferrari 250 LM below at Nassau Speed Weeks many years ago.

Ferrari 250 LM and Ken Phillips

Ferrari 250 LM and Ken Phillips – This photo was taken at the dock on the way to Nassau Speed Weeks.

ferrari logo

Summary
The Ferrari 250 LM - What A Race Car!
Article Name
The Ferrari 250 LM - What A Race Car!
Description
A Ferrari 250 LM was the last Ferrari to win Le Mans outright.
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Comments

  1. Back in the day, I bought 5909 in SF Bay area, and drove it home to Hollywood Hills. Along the way, I picked up a CHP car in my mirrors, and kept it at a steady 55 MPH. He dropped off and back on at least 4 times, but I cleverly held my speed.

    By the time I got home, I was exhausted and wringing wet. It was a hot summer day, and LM had coolant running through the frame tubes. Combine that with the sharply slanted w/s, the engine right behind your butt, and worn-out rubber boots around the pedals, letting the radiator heat into the interior, and you have a rolling sauna. Whew!

    I ended up selling it to Sonny Bono (Sonny and Cher), but that’s a tale for another day. I probably got around $5,000, the going price for a used Ferrari in those days. Just shoot me!

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