Although Ferrari dominated the Formula 2 class in 1949 with their 2-litre V12 engine, Enzo Ferrari had his eye on HWM's four cylinder Alta engine. One of the biggest advantages of the 'four' was its superior fuel efficiency compared to the gas-guzzling V12. Ferrari's new chief engineer Aurelio Lampredi set out to design a four cylinder to replace the Gioacchino Colombo designed V12. When the sports governing body decided that the World Championship would be run under Formula 2 regulations, the development of the 'four' got top priority.
Lampredi jointly developed a 2 and 2.5 litre engine, both sharing many interchangeable parts. Completely constructed of light alloy, the engine featured a double camshaft head. The 2-litre engine made its debut in 1952 in the 500 F2. Alberto Ascari drove it to the World Championship, winning six of the seven championship races. He took another championship a year later. In good Ferrari tradition, the Grand Prix engine was also fitted in a sportscar chassis. After two experimental models built in 1953, the 2.5 litre 625 TF and 3 litre 735 S, two four cylinder 'production' sportscars were released in 1954.
First up was the 3 litre model, which debuted at the Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore at Monza and was aptly called 750 Monza. The Gonzales/Trintignant driven 750 Monza featured a Dino Ferrari designed body and took a debut victory. Late in 1953 a 2-litre prototype was first raced. Fitted in a 250 MM chassis, Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi drove the four cylinder to a class victory. To commemorate Ferrari's back-to-back World Championships, the 2-litre production car was dubbed 500 Mondial.
Both cars were campaigned by the works team and customers. The successes of the four-cylinder single seaters could not be matched, but various class victories were scored. Career highlights for the 500 Mondial was a second place in 1954 Mille Miglia and a class victory in the 1956 12-Hours of Sebring race. After the successful Monza debut, the 750 and subsequent 860 Monza struggled to keep up with the competition. A 1-2 victory in the Sebring 12-Hours of 1956 was the Monza's career best.
To keep up with the dominating Maseratis, Ferrari's new chief engineer Vittorio Jano set out to design a new 2-litre racer, but still using the Lampredi four cylinder engine. One of the visible new features of the new car were its engine's red cylinder heads, after it was named Testa Rossa or TR, Italian for red head. The 500 TR's body was a development of the Scaglietti design used for the second series of 500 Mondials. It made a victorious debut at the 1956 Monza Supercortemaggiore, where Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn beat the Maseratis.
Development continued throughout the year, which culminated in a special 2.5 litre version for Le Mans. Fitted with a Touring body, these Le Mans cars are commonly referred to as 625 LM. Rule changes forced Ferrari to update the 500 TR to comply with the 'Appendix C' for sports cars. These required the cars to be fitted with a full-width windscreen, a passenger door and a fuel tank mounted outside of the cockpit. Dubbed 500 TRC, the new car was fitted with a slightly restyled body, which was considerably lower than its predecessor's.
Ferrari's final four cylinder sports racer was campaigned by privateers, with the factory campaigning the new 250 TR V12 engined racer. Although the four cylinder engine was abandoned after the 19 500 TRCs were constructed in 1957, the 'TR' continued to be used for Ferrari's highly successful sports racers. Testa Rossas would win at Le Mans four times and the name made a return in the 1980s, when it was used for a GT road car.
19 cars only ever built!
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