A detailed look at the Ferrari 375 MM

After the success of the 340 America and its victory in the Mille Miglia, Ferrari released the 375 MM in 1953 as its most powerful model. These big-displacement racing cars were created to compete with the best Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Cunningham and Jaguar 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 seven times on the podium (top 3 or 4 places). He also won two national championships in Argentina in 1954 and 1955.

Following an accident in 1957, the car was abandoned. After retirement, someone acquired this legendary racer, removing the Italian V-12 and replacing it with an American-built V-8 engine. This once famous roadster disappeared from automotive history after the installation of the V-8 engine. This American-engined 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 acceptable condition.

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The Ferrari 375 MM delivers jaw-dropping performance

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


To create a 340/375 MM hybrid, Ferrari first fitted a detuned version of its competition 375 F1 engine into the 340 America chassis. This engine was modified for customer use with a slightly shorter stroke in late 1953. The Tipo 108’s displacement was 4522cc and was slightly more responsive for twistier events like the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia. It had all the great features of the GP engine, such as seven main bearings, dual magneto ignition and four-choice Weber carburettors.

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 later sold to Carlo Bonomi in Argentina. Innocente Baggio’s other 375 Berlinetta, 03:80, was the only one that ran actively. In 1954 he raced it in the Mille Miglia, finishing 19th overall and fourth in class. It ran aground on the Tertre Rouge sandbar during the 24 Hours of Le Mans a month later.


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

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An iconic sports race car that has drastically fled the scene

Because the majority of recent information about this disappearance The Ferrari 375 MM dates from the 1950s, there are more questions than answers. To begin with, we know that the car was purchased by Dottore Enrico Wax, a well-known car collector. According to The Drive, the latest available information on this car indicates that it resided in Genoa, Italy. Because the car is most likely part of a larger collection, chances are it hasn’t gone missing 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 developing 340 hp powers the vehicle. We know that the chassis number of the missing car is 0378AM thanks to Barchetta’s register of this limited series from Ferrari. Moreover, the register shows that this car took part 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. Additionally, this particular example is said to have metal bumpers, making it extremely unique.


The Ferrari 375 MM had an amazing powertrain that made it a speedster

The interior is what you would expect from a racing car. You get two tan leather seats, a wood and chrome steering wheel, a base shifter and five gauges. The following gauges are available: speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature and fuel. A rear-view mirror is located in the center of the dash, which is unusual for a 1950s racer. A nice feature is that the passenger-side seat appears to have a removable body-color cover. Of course, this is to help reduce aerodynamic drag when there is no co-pilot.

The engine is what really set Pinin Farina’s Ferrari 375 MM Spider apart as a WSC contender. This roadster is powered by a 4,522 cc (4.5 liter) V-12 engine that produces 340 horsepower, 100 horsepower more than the average 1950s WSC racer. Fuel for this engine came from three Weber 40 carburettors mm 1F/4C. Although 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 a four-speed, which is a little depressing but was fairly common in the 1950s. That all adds up to a 0-100mph time of 11.5 seconds. What’s more impressive is that this Ferrari can reach a top speed of 180 mph with just four gears.


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