Iconic Sports Racing Car: A Detailed Look At The Ferrari 375 MM

Following the success of the 340 America and its Mille Miglia victory, Ferrari released the 375 MM in 1953 as their most powerful model. These large-displacement race cars were created to compete against the best Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Cunningham, and Jaguar had to offer in the World Sportscar Championship. The majority of the cars were racing Spyders, but there were also six or seven Berlinettas built.

The Ferrari 375 MM Spider dominated the World SportsCar Championship between 1954 and 1957, winning 11 races and finishing on the podium seven times (top 3 or 4 places). It also won two national championships in Argentina in 1954 and 1955.

Following a crash in 1957, the car was retired. After retirement, someone acquired this legendary racer, removing the Italian V-12 and replacing it with a V-8 engine built in the United States. This once-famous roadster vanished from automotive history after the V-8 engine was installed. This American-powered Ferrari reappeared and returned home in 1983. In Italy, Count Zanon di Valsiurata restored the car's image by reinstalling its Italian power plant and restoring it to an acceptable condition.

The Ferrari 375 MM Offers A Breathtaking Performance

Aurelio Lampredi's large V12 Ferrari had already achieved success at the highest level of motorsport by 1953. It helped them win some early F1 races until the F2 regulations were implemented in 1953. Ferrari, on the other hand, was able to use the engine in road racing cars, starting with the 340 America and then the successful 375 MM. The 375 was named after Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara's Vignale Spyder's overall victory in the 1953 Mille Miglia. Ferrari won the race for the fifth time in a row, making it the most prestigious Italian road race at the time.

To create a hybrid 340/375 MM, Ferrari first installed a detuned version of their competition-spec 375 F1 engine in the 340 America chassis. This engine was modified for customer use with a slightly shorter stroke in late 1953. The Tipo 108 displacement was 4,522cc and was slightly more responsive for twistier events like the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. It had all the GP engine's great features, such as seven main bearings, dual-magneto ignition, and four-choice Weber carburetors.

Scuderia Guastalla received the first 375 Berlinetta, 0358AM, in September 1953. The car was similar to the Pinin Farina 340/375 MM built specifically for Le Mans. It failed to finish the Carrera Panamericana twice and was then sold to Carlo Bonomi in Argentina. Innocente Baggio's other 375 Berlinetta, 0380AM, was the only one that was actively raced. In 1954, he raced it in the Mille Miglia, finishing 19th overall and fourth in class. He was stranded on the Tertre Rouge sandbank during the 24 Hours of Le Mans a month later.

Overall, about six or seven 375 MM coupes were produced out of a total production of 26 cars. The vast majority of these were intended for road use. Pinin Farina also built two Berlinetta for the 1953 and 1955 Turin Motor Shows.

An Iconic Sports Racing Car That Dramatically Fled The Scene

Because the majority of the recent information about this missing Ferrari 375 MM dates from the 1950s, there are more questions than answers. To begin, we know that the car was purchased by Dottore Enrico Wax, a well-known car collector. According to The Drive, the last piece of information available about this car indicates that it resided in Genoa, Italy. Because the car is most likely part of a larger collection, there's a good chance it hasn't vanished and is still in its original location.

Fortunately, we know a lot about the Ferrari 375 MM. A naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V12 engine with 340 hp powers the vehicle. We know the missing car's chassis number is 0378AM thanks to Barchetta's registry of this limited run of Ferraris. Furthermore, the registry shows that this car competed in at least one event in 1953.

Unlike the majority of the other 25 examples, this missing car was not painted red. Instead, according to Barchetta's registry, this Ferrari had metallic blue exterior paint and a beige interior. Furthermore, this particular example is said to have metal bumpers, making it extremely unique.

The Ferrari 375 MM Was Fitted With An Amazing Powertrain That Made It A Speedster

The interior is what you'd expect from a race car. You get two tan leather seats, a wood and chrome steering wheel, a basic gear shifter, and five gauges. The following gauges are available: speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature, and fuel. A rearview mirror is located in the center of the dashboard, which is unusual for a 1950s racer. A cool feature is that the passenger's side seat appears to have a removable, body-colored cover. Of course, this is to help reduce aerodynamic drag when there is no co-driver.

The engine is what truly distinguished the Ferrari 375 MM Spider by Pinin Farina as a WSC contender. This roadster is powered by a 4,522 cc (4.5-liter) V-12 engine that produces 340 horsepower, which is 100 horsepower more than the average WSC racer from the 1950s. The fuel for this engine came from three Weber 40 mm 1F/4C carburetors. Though we don't know what kind of exhaust system this car has, we can say that it sounds fantastic. You can see for yourself in the video above.

The transmission is four-speed, which is a little depressing but was fairly common in the 1950s. All of this adds up to an 11.5 second 0 to 100 mph time. What's more impressive is that this Ferrari can reach a top speed of 180 mph with only four gears.