Origins

• The Ferrari 250 GT can trace its history to 1954, with the 250 GT Europa. Europa's 3-liter V-12 engine was extremely popular, powering many of the era's luxury cars. This wasn't a particularly sophisticated car, but it performed well on the racetrack. Ferrari dropped the Europa name in 1955, and called its successor the 250 GT, which featured a long wheelbase at 110.2 inches, as Enzo Ferrari recognized that these types of cars would perform better on a shorter wheelbase, with less weight. Ferrari also developed the short wheelbase version of the 250, called the 250 GTO, and replaced the conventional drum brakes with discs, for better stopping power.
  
  

FIA Competition

• The 250 GTO was intended to meet FIA homologation requirements for the 1962 World Championship for GT cars. Ferrari produced an early version of the 250 GTO, called the Comp/62, in 1961. It had a 94.5-inch wheelbase and a Pininfarina-styled body. During the course of the year, the 250 GTO emerged from the basic Comp/62 concept. Its debut race was at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1962, where driver Phil Hill finished in second place. The 250 GTO also captured first place honors at the Tour de France and at the 24 Hours of LeMans.
  
  

Dimensions and Engine

• The Ferrari 250 GTO sat on the short, 94.5-inch wheelbase, and measured 173.2 inches in length. It was 65.9 inches wide and stood a scant 47 inches tall. Its curbside weight rating was a very lightweight 2,094 pounds. The fuel tank held 35.1 gallons. Under the hood was the 3-liter V-12 with a 2.87-inch bore and 2.31-inch stroke. Ferrari constructed the block with Silumin, a type of high-strength aluminum alloy with 12 percent silicon content. The head was light alloy. The V-12 featured 24 valves, with two valves per cylinder and six Weber 38 DNC carburetors, wielding 296 horsepower and 217 foot-pounds of torque. Some versions developed 302 horsepower and 246 foot-pounds of torque. The 250 GTO was capable of going from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 174 mph.
  
  

Chassis

• To keep weight down, Ferrari placed an aluminum body on a steel tubular frame. The front suspension system consisted of double wishbones, Koni shock absorbers, coil springs and anti-roll bar. The rear suspension featured a rigid axle, Koni shocks, a Watt's linkage system and semi-elliptic leaf springs. Stopping power came from all-wheel Dunlop disc brakes. A five-speed manual transmission delivered power from the engine to the wheels.