Motor Car History
Technical History of the Motor Car

      

1890s  1900s  1910s  1920s  1930s  1940s  1950s  1960s   1970s  1980s  1990s  2000s  2010s

Toggle Navigation
  • Home
  • Makes and models
  • Motor car History
  • Maintenance Guide
    • Engines By Make
    • Engine Components
    • Electrical & electronic
    • Gearbox & Drivetrain
    • Induction & Exhaust
    • Suspension Types
    • Tyres wheels Brakes
    • Vehicle Body types
  • Trivia
  • Register
  • *Top rated*
  • You are here:  
  • Motor Car
  • Makes and Models
  • F
  • Ferrari
  • Ferrari 250 S (1952)

Manufacturer A-Z

  • ALL
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
Race cars
Italy
1950s

Ferrari 250S

Ferrari 250S
BuilderFerrari
TypeRace car
Productionfrom 1962
Units produced1
EngineV12 2953cc
Power227 hp
Wheelbase2,250 mm
Length3,800 mm
Width1,570 mm
Height1,400 mm

 The Ferrari 250 Sport , was a racing sports car, which was developed in 1952 at Scuderia Ferrari .

History

The 250S was truly one-of-a-kind. Vignale designed and built the Berlinetta body and tubular steel chassis. The automobile started out as a 225S with chassis number 0156ET, but it was rebuilt. The conversion work was mostly focused on the engine, and it was one of Aurelio Lampredi's first projects for Enzo Ferrari. Lampredi expanded the size of the cylinder to 73 mm while keeping the stroke at 58.8 mm. Three Weber twin type 36DCF gasifiers were used to prepare the mixture. The front suspension consisted of a double wishbone and transverse leaf springs, while the rear suspension consisted of a solid axle.

The 250S appears in numerous denominations in various Ferrari publications and race result lists, as it does so frequently with Ferrari typology. The labels 250S, 250 Sport, 250S Coupe Vignale, and 250S Berlinetta Vignale all relate to the same model because it was a one-off. The type designation harkens back to Ferrari's old practise of naming models based on the displacement of a single cylinder. The V-12 engine built by Gioacchino Colombo has a total capacity of 2953 cc.

PERFORMANCE
Top speed 250 km/h
Power to weight ratio 3.7 kg/hp
Maximum power 210 hp at 7200 rpm
Specific power 77.9 hp litre

Under the designation 250 many Ferrari ran with sports cars, from the 250S up to the 250P of 1963; Racing cars, which had little in common except the name. 

Racing successes 

The 250S was only raced eleven times before becoming a collector's item in 1954. The car was registered for the Giro di Sicilia in 1952, but it could not be built on time. As a result, the debut was limited to the Mille Miglia. As a replacement for driver Luigi Villoresi, who had to withdraw due to an injury sustained before the start. Giovanni Bracco took his place in the race and won it. Villoresi and Alberto Ascarid drove the vehicle in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With an average speed of 173.149 km/h, Ascari set the best race lap in the event; nevertheless, the car had to be shut down early following a clutch failure after only 3 hours.

According to a third Rank in the sports car race in Senigallia 1952 by Villoresi Bracco won together with Paolo Marzotto at the 12-hour race of Pescara  . At the Carrera Panamericana this year Bracco was in the lead with the 250S, before it came to an act of chivalrous sportiness. Bracco was about the journalist Günther Molter an astonished Mercedes team align that there is no point in driving fast, since his car suffered from major technical problems and he would soon fail. In fact, a few miles after the start of the last leg, the power transmission of the Ferrari broke, and the victory went to Karl Kling and Mercedes.After a retirement at the Giro di Sicilia in 1953 , the 250S was sold to Roberto Bonomi and reported at the 1000 km race of Monza this year for the last time in a race

Related items
Italy 1950s | Vehicles launched in 1962 | Italian Sports Cars | Race Cars

Rating

Have you Say: Rate this
Overall Vote
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
1. Performance & Specification
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Built to last?
2. Appearance Overall *Cool factor*
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
How good it looks ?

Technical

Technical
  • Ferrari 250 S Technical details and specifications (1952)

    ENGINE
    front, longitudinal, V12 (600)
    Bore and stroke 73x58.8 mm
    Total cubic capacity 2953.21
    Valve gear single overhead camshaft
    Number of valves two per cylinder
    Compression ratio 9.1
    Fuel feed three Weber 36DCF carburettors
    Ignition single, two distributors
    Coolant water
    Lubrication dry sump

    TRANSMISSION
    Rear-wheel drive
    Clutch single dry disc
    Gearbox Five speeds + reverse en bloc with engine

    SUSPENSION:
    Front suspension
    independent, double wishbones, transverse semi-elliptic spring hydraulic dampers
    Rear suspension
    live axle, double longitudinal semi-elliptic springs. hydraulic dampers

    BRAKES:
    drum

    STEERING:
    worm and sector

    WHEELS TYRES:
    Tyres front/rear 5.50-6.00-16

    DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
    Wheelbase 2250 mm
    Track front/rear 1278/1250 mm
    Kerb weight 850 kg

    © Motor car History

Manuals

Download: Workshop manuals Tech Guides exclusive to registered users.

  • Ferrari Previous 37 / 152 Next
  • Worldwide
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • British
  • Bulgaria
  • canada
  • Czech
  • Chile
  • Czechoslovakia
  • China
  • Denmark
  • Egypt
  • Finland
  • Greece
  • Guernsey
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Indonesia
  • Korean
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • South Africa
  • sweden
  • Romania
  • Turkey
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Serbia
  • Uruguay
  • Ukraine
  • United States
  • Venezuela
  • Yugoslavia

On Motor Car

  • Maintenance Guide
  • Makes and Models
  • Motor car History
  • Film & TV
  • Your Top Rated *****
  • Join here

log on

Log in to Motor car

  • Forgot your username?
  • Forgot your password?

Welcome To Motor Car

  • Sports Cars
  • Race Cars
  • Grand Prix
  • Le Mans
  • Pininfarina
  • Scaglietti
  • Berlinetta body
  • Carrozzeria Touring
  • GT sports
  • Colombo V12 engine
  • Italian Sports Cars
  • Italy 1950s
  • Italy 1960s
  • Italy 1970s
  • Italy 1980s
  • Italy 1990s
  • Italy 2000s
  • Italy 2010s
  • World Sportscar Championship
  • Ferrari F1 Cars
Related Ferrari
  • Ferrari Engines
  • Ferrari F1 Cars
  • Ferrari replica
  • 125
  • 126
  • 166
  • 195
  • 212
  • 250
  • 275
  • 330
  • 340
  • 365
  • 400
  • 458
  • 500
  • 512
  • 599
  • 625
  • 812 Superfast
  • California
  • Dino
  • Enzo
  • F12
  • F430
  • FF
  • FXX
  • GTC4Lusso
  • LaFerrari
  • Mondial
  • Testarossa
  • Monza

Please help to keep this site active.

Related Italy

  • Italy Related
    • Italian Automotive 1890s
    • Italian Automotive 1900s
    • Italian Automotive 1910s
    • Italian Automotive 1920s
    • Italian Automotive 1930s
    • Italian Automotive 1940s
    • Italian Automotive 1950s
    • Italian Automotive 1960s
    • Italian Automotive 1970s
    • Italian Automotive 1980s
    • Italian Automotive 1990s
    • Italian Automotive 2000s
    • Italian Automotive 2010s
    • Italian Concept cars
    • Italian Sports Cars
    • Italian Coachwork Designers

Enjoy all of Motor Car Here


Back to Top

© 2025 Motor Car History