To celebrate this weekend’s Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, we’re paying tribute to race cars from Ferrari. At Ferrari’s home in Maranello, Italy, a hidden gem holds priceless vehicles that celebrate Ferrari’s rich racing history dating back to 1947. Here are 10 of our favourite race and road worthy cars at the Ferrari Maranello Museum.
1. 1947 Ferrari 125 Sport
This was the first Ferrari ever made in Maranello. The 125 Sport was a lightweight, 650-kilogram barcetta, which means “little boat” in Italian; it refers to a sports car with an open top or convertible roof. It had a 118-horsepower 1.5-litre V12 engine. During its maiden race at Italy’s Piacenza Circuit, it had a fuel pump failure. But in the following four months, it was back on track, winning six of 13 races.
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A 1947 Ferrari 125 Sport on display at the Ferrari museum in Maranello, Italy.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
2. 1948 Ferrari 166 MM
Named after Italy’s famous Mille Miglia, one of the world’s most enduring road races spanning nearly 1,600 kilometres, the 166 MM took home many victories. In 1949, Luigi Chinetti, a Milan-born driver, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France driving a 166 MM, beating French and English drivers in cars with engines twice the size of his Ferrari’s. He drove an average speed of 133 kilometres per hour.
A 1948 Ferrari 166 MM.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
3. 1952 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Vignale
This was no ordinary 166 MM – it had a special designation. Berlinetta, which means “little saloon” in Italian, referred to a sports coupe with usually two or sometimes four seats. Vignale referred to the Turin coachbuilder Alfredo Vignale. This coupe had a 140-horsepower, two-litre V12 engine. It was fast and lightweight, at 850 kilograms. And it had a maximum speed of 200 kilometres an hour.
A 1952 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Vignale.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
4. 1957 Ferrari 315 S
Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari’s racing team, unveiled a new 360-horsepower, four-litre 12-cylinder sports car at the 1957 World Championship. It was a major step forward in the single camshaft engine; it was more powerful and nine kilograms lighter. At the 1957 Mille Miglia, a 315 S driven by Alfonso de Portago blew a tire and flew off the road, killing him, his co-driver and nine spectators, including five children. Another 315 S, driven by Piero Taruffi, won the race.
A 1957 Ferrari 315 S.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
5. 1962 Ferrari 268 SP
Media got their first glimpse of the 268 SP coupe in the courtyard of the Maranello factory on Feb. 24, 1964. It had a 2.5-litre V8 engine with 265 horsepower and a maximum speed of 290 kilometres an hour. It was seen at many racing venues, starting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans with driver Lorenzo Bandini, then at Targa Florio, followed by the Nurburgring 1,000 kilometre, and again in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-drivers Giancarlo Baghetti and Ludovico Scarfiotti sharing the wheel.
A 1962 Ferrari 268 SP.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
6. 1966 Ferrari 330 P4
Known as Ferrari’s “revenge car,” the 330 P4 was built at the peak of the famous Ford versus Ferrari rivalry. In 1966, Ferrari’s 330 P4 lost to Ford at Le Mans in France, embarrassing the Italian automaker. But Ferrari turned fortunes around on American soil at Daytona, leaving Ford in the dust and winning first, second and third place in the race with three 330 P4s.
A 1966 Ferrari 330 P4.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
7. 1984 Ferrari GTO
In 1984, Ferrari revived the GTO nameplate, unveiling it at the Geneva Motor Show. The new GTO had aggressive, but elegant lines and a powerful engine – a 400-horsepower V8 that could launch this beauty to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.9 seconds enroute to a top speed of 305 kilometres an hour. Only 272 were produced – all were sold before the car went into production.
A 1984 Ferrari GTO.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
8. 1995 Ferrari F50
Not everything in the museum is Ferrari red. This canary-yellow F50 marked Ferrari’s 50th anniversary. It was the closest ride to a road-ready Formula 1 car. For the first time, the engine, which was derived from the 1990 single-seater, was fixed directly to the monocoque chassis, just like Formula 1 single-seaters at the time. Only 349 vehicles were produced between 1995 and Ferrari’s 50th anniversary in 1997.
Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
A 1995 Ferrari F50.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
9. 2002 Enzo Ferrari
This was the only car named after Ferrari’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was an engineering and technical marvel, sharing similar Formula 1 DNA and technology. Besides its stunning appearance, it used cutting-edge carbon fibre, had Ferrari’s latest six-litre V12 engine with 660 horsepower, a faster paddle-operated gear shifter and new carbon-ceramic disc brakes. Four hundred were built – the last was donated to the Vatican.
A 2002 Enzo Ferrari.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
10. 2023 Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale
This is the prancing horse’s extreme street-legal and track-ready SF90 XX Stradale. A show-stopper in design, it has a 797-horsepower, V8 gas engine mated to three electric motors – combined they produce 1,030 horsepower. Inspired by Ferrari’s XX Program, the car emphasizes pure performance and excellent aerodynamics. It has a fixed rear wing, which is the first to appear on a road-going Ferrari since the F50.
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A 2023 Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail