Ferrari Lampredi engine
Encyclopedia
Aurelio Lampredi
designed a number of racing engines for Ferrari
. He was brought on to hedge the company's bets with a different engine family than the small V12s designed by Gioacchino Colombo
. Lampredi went on to design a number of different straight-4
, straight-6
, and V12 engine
s through the 1950s, and it was these that would power the company's string of world championships that decade. All were quickly abandoned, however, with the Dino V6 and V8
taking the place of the fours and sixes and evolution of the older Colombo V12
continuing as the company's preeminent V12.
and Lampredi were interested in creating extremely reliable engines for racing use. In 1955, after seeing the success of Lampredi's straight-4
engines, the pair considered a straight-2
engine for the slowest racing courses. Lampredi built a prototype with 4 valves per cylinder and 2.5 L (2493 cc) of displacement. It produced 175 hp (130 kW) on the test bench, but broke the crankshaft due to poor balance. The project was shortly abandoned in favor of more-conventional I4 engines.
engine for Formula Two
use. This was later adopted for Formula One
and sports car racing
cars through the 1950s. The original 2.0 L engine of 1951 would prove to be the longest-lived, continuing through 1957 in various cars.
. The aluminium engine produced 165 hp (123 kW) with four Weber
45DOE carburettors, with power growing in 1953 to 185 hp (138 kW) with two 50DCOA carbs. It was a high-tech marvel for the time with dual overhead camshafts pushing 2 valves per cylinder and twin-plug ignition.
An entirely different "500" four cylinder appeared in 1953 in the 553 F2 car. This time, bore was 93 mm (3.7 in) and stroke was 73.5 mm (2.9 in) for a total of 1997 cc. Two Weber 52DCOA3 carbs produced 190 hp (142 kW).
The original 1951 Formula Two engine was resurrected for the World Sportscar Championship
in 1953 and the 500 Mondial. With lower compression and two Weber 45DCOA3 carbs, it produced 170 hp (127 kW). The same engine, now at 190 hp (142 kW), was used in the famous 500 TR. The "red head" cylinder head lent its name to the car, the first Testa Rossa. Another TR with this engine, the 1956/1957 500 TRC, was produced for customers to race.
Applications:
. The engine was bored and stroked to 100 mm (3.9 in) by 79.5 mm (3.1 in) for a total of 2498 cc of displacement. The F1 car, with 13.1:1 compression and two Weber 50DCOA3 carbs, pumped 260 hp (194 kW) from this powerplant. The oversquare 200 F2 engine reappeared again in the 1955 555 F1.
This car would quickly evolve into the 1954 625 F1, though with a much-changed engine. This time, 94 mm (3.7 in) by 90 mm (3.5 in) dimensions were selected, though the total displacement of 2498 cc remained unchanged. Output was now 250 hp (186 kW).
The first application of Lampredi's four-cylinder engine outside Formula One and Formula Two was this same 2.5 L (2498 cc) unit in the 1953 625 TF. The aluminium engine produced 220 hp (164 kW) with 2 Weber
50DCOA3 carburettors. This version was used in the 1953 625 TF. After the Le Mans disaster
, the 2.5 L I4 was resurrected for the 1956 625 LM car. Output was rated at 225 hp (168 kW).
Applications:
Applications:
Applications:
Applications:
and came second and third at Le Mans
that year.
Applications:
. Displacement was 4.4 L (4412 cc) from 102x90 mm cylinders. Triple Weber 50 DCOA/3 carbs pushed out 300 to 350 hp. With this power, the 735 LM could hit 280 kilometre per hour on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans
.
A smaller version was used that same year in the 376 S sports car. It used the same 90 mm (3.5 in) stroke and 94 mm (3.7 in) bore as the original Lampredi Formula One engine and produced 280 hp.
with the supercharged Colombo
V12
, Ferrari
moved to natural aspiration. The task of designing an NA V12 for Formula One use fell to Aurelio Lampredi, who designed a 3.3 L (3322 cc) unit.
Like the Colombos, Lampredi engines found their way into road cars as well. The 1952 342 America
and MM were first with big 4.1 L (4102 cc) engines producing 200 and 300 hp (149 and 224 kW). Lampredi engines moved to the 250
with the 1953 250 Export. Unlike the earlier engines with their oversquare 80 mm (3.1 in) by 68 mm (2.7 in) bore and stroke, the 250 used square 68 mm (2.7 in) dimensions for 3.0 L (2963 cc) total. Power was impressive at 220 hp (164 kW).
The big America engine was made even larger for the 1956 410 Superamerica
. Now with an 88 mm (3.5 in) bore, it displaced 5 L (4962 cc) and produced 340 hp (254 kW). The same engine was used in 1964's 500 Superfast
.
Aurelio Lampredi
Aurelio Lampredi was an Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer.Born in Livorno, he began his career at Piaggio, makers of the Vespa scooter, but quickly moved up to larger engines...
designed a number of racing engines for 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...
. He was brought on to hedge the company's bets with a different engine family than the small V12s designed by Gioacchino Colombo
Gioacchino Colombo
Gioacchino Colombo was an Italian automobile engine designer.Colombo was born in Legnano. He began work as an apprentice to Vittorio Jano at Alfa Romeo. In 1937, Colombo designed the 158 engine for the Alfetta and caught the attention of Enzo Ferrari. Ferrari asked Colombo to design a small V12...
. Lampredi went on to design a number of different straight-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
, and 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....
s through the 1950s, and it was these that would power the company's string of world championships that decade. All were quickly abandoned, however, with the Dino V6 and V8
Ferrari Dino engine
The Ferrari Dino engine is a line of mechanically similar V6, V8, and V12 engines produced by Ferrari for the past 40 yearsAlfredo "Dino" Ferrari, was the son of Enzo Ferrari. Dino suggested to Enzo Ferrari the development of a V6 engine for F2 at the end of 1955. Soon afterwards, Alfredo fell ill,...
taking the place of the fours and sixes and evolution of the older Colombo V12
Ferrari Colombo engine
Ferrari's earliest cars used engines designed by Gioacchino Colombo, who had formerly designed Alfa Romeos for Enzo Ferrari. These V12 powerplants ranged from the diminutive 1.5 L unit fitted to the 125S to the 3.3 L unit in the 1966 275.Enzo Ferrari had long admired the V12 engines of...
continuing as the company's preeminent V12.
I2
Enzo FerrariEnzo 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...
and Lampredi were interested in creating extremely reliable engines for racing use. In 1955, after seeing the success of Lampredi's straight-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engines, the pair considered a straight-2
Straight-two
A straight-two engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine that has its cylinders arranged side by side....
engine for the slowest racing courses. Lampredi built a prototype with 4 valves per cylinder and 2.5 L (2493 cc) of displacement. It produced 175 hp (130 kW) on the test bench, but broke the crankshaft due to poor balance. The project was shortly abandoned in favor of more-conventional I4 engines.
I4
Lampredi designed a straight-4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine for 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...
use. This was later adopted for 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...
and sports car racing
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
cars through the 1950s. The original 2.0 L engine of 1951 would prove to be the longest-lived, continuing through 1957 in various cars.
500
The initial engine was a 2.0 L (1985 cc) unit with a 90 mm (3.5 in) bore and 78 mm (3.1 in) stroke. This engine was the first Ferrari four-cylinder, appearing in 1951 in (49,555 mm) the Ferrari 500 F2 entrant in Formula TwoFormula 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...
. The aluminium engine produced 165 hp (123 kW) with four Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
45DOE carburettors, with power growing in 1953 to 185 hp (138 kW) with two 50DCOA carbs. It was a high-tech marvel for the time with dual overhead camshafts pushing 2 valves per cylinder and twin-plug ignition.
An entirely different "500" four cylinder appeared in 1953 in the 553 F2 car. This time, bore was 93 mm (3.7 in) and stroke was 73.5 mm (2.9 in) for a total of 1997 cc. Two Weber 52DCOA3 carbs produced 190 hp (142 kW).
The original 1951 Formula Two engine was resurrected for the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
in 1953 and the 500 Mondial. With lower compression and two Weber 45DCOA3 carbs, it produced 170 hp (127 kW). The same engine, now at 190 hp (142 kW), was used in the famous 500 TR. The "red head" cylinder head lent its name to the car, the first Testa Rossa. Another TR with this engine, the 1956/1957 500 TRC, was produced for customers to race.
Applications:
- 90 mm (3.5 in) by 78 mm (3.1 in)
- 1951–1953 Ferrari 500 F2
- 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial
- 1954 Ferrari 500 TR
- 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC
- 93 mm (3.7 in) by 73.5 mm (2.9 in)
- 1953 Ferrari 553 F2
625
The 500 F2 car was reworked in late 1953 to become Ferrari's 1954 entrant in Formula OneFormula 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...
. The engine was bored and stroked to 100 mm (3.9 in) by 79.5 mm (3.1 in) for a total of 2498 cc of displacement. The F1 car, with 13.1:1 compression and two Weber 50DCOA3 carbs, pumped 260 hp (194 kW) from this powerplant. The oversquare 200 F2 engine reappeared again in the 1955 555 F1.
This car would quickly evolve into the 1954 625 F1, though with a much-changed engine. This time, 94 mm (3.7 in) by 90 mm (3.5 in) dimensions were selected, though the total displacement of 2498 cc remained unchanged. Output was now 250 hp (186 kW).
The first application of Lampredi's four-cylinder engine outside Formula One and Formula Two was this same 2.5 L (2498 cc) unit in the 1953 625 TF. The aluminium engine produced 220 hp (164 kW) with 2 Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
50DCOA3 carburettors. This version was used in the 1953 625 TF. After the Le Mans disaster
1955 Le Mans disaster
The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large parts of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. The driver was killed, as were 83 spectators. A further 120 people were injured...
, the 2.5 L I4 was resurrected for the 1956 625 LM car. Output was rated at 225 hp (168 kW).
Applications:
- 100 mm (3.9 in) by 79.5 mm (3.1 in)
- 1953 Ferrari 553 F1
- 1955 Ferrari 555 F1
- 94 mm (3.7 in) by 90 mm (3.5 in)
- 1953 Ferrari 625 TF
- 1954 Ferrari 625 F1
- 1956 Ferrari 625 LM
735
A big-bore version (102 mm) was also produced. Displacement was now 3.0 L (2942 cc) with 102 mm (4 in) bore, though the 90 mm (3.5 in) stroke was retained. Output nudged up to 225 hp (168 kW) with two Weber 50DCOA carbs.Applications:
- 1953 Ferrari 735 S
750
The bore of the Lampredi I4 was nudged up to 103 mm (4.1 in) for the 3.0 L (2999.62 cc) unit used in the 1954 750 Monza. Dual Weber 58DCOA3 carbs pushed out 250 hp (186 kW).Applications:
- 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza
857
For 1955, the "type 129" engine debuted in the experimental 857 S displacing 3421 cc.Applications:
- 1955 Ferrari 857 S
860
The Type 129 engine was finally raced in the 1956 860 Monza with 280 hp. Bore was the same 102 mm (4.0 in) as the big-bore four, but stroke was now 105 mm (4.1 in) for a total of 3432 cc. These cars placed first and second at Sebring12 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...
and came second and third at 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...
that year.
Applications:
- 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza
I6
For the 1955 735 LM, Lampredi modified the big-bore 1953 I4 into a straight-6Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
. Displacement was 4.4 L (4412 cc) from 102x90 mm cylinders. Triple Weber 50 DCOA/3 carbs pushed out 300 to 350 hp. With this power, the 735 LM could hit 280 kilometre per hour on the Mulsanne Straight at 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...
.
A smaller version was used that same year in the 376 S sports car. It used the same 90 mm (3.5 in) stroke and 94 mm (3.7 in) bore as the original Lampredi Formula One engine and produced 280 hp.
V12
After little luck in Formula OneFormula 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...
with the supercharged Colombo
Ferrari Colombo engine
Ferrari's earliest cars used engines designed by Gioacchino Colombo, who had formerly designed Alfa Romeos for Enzo Ferrari. These V12 powerplants ranged from the diminutive 1.5 L unit fitted to the 125S to the 3.3 L unit in the 1966 275.Enzo Ferrari had long admired the V12 engines of...
V12
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....
, 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...
moved to natural aspiration. The task of designing an NA V12 for Formula One use fell to Aurelio Lampredi, who designed a 3.3 L (3322 cc) unit.
Like the Colombos, Lampredi engines found their way into road cars as well. The 1952 342 America
Ferrari America
The first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
and MM were first with big 4.1 L (4102 cc) engines producing 200 and 300 hp (149 and 224 kW). Lampredi engines moved to the 250
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:...
with the 1953 250 Export. Unlike the earlier engines with their oversquare 80 mm (3.1 in) by 68 mm (2.7 in) bore and stroke, the 250 used square 68 mm (2.7 in) dimensions for 3.0 L (2963 cc) total. Power was impressive at 220 hp (164 kW).
The big America engine was made even larger for the 1956 410 Superamerica
Ferrari America
The first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
. Now with an 88 mm (3.5 in) bore, it displaced 5 L (4962 cc) and produced 340 hp (254 kW). The same engine was used in 1964's 500 Superfast
Ferrari America
The first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
.