Description
The Ferrari 196/246 SP was produced from 1961 through 1963 with less than ten examples being created. The design was very untraditional for Enzo Ferrari, and against his strongest belief that the horse should come before the cart, meaning the engine should be placed in the front. Another departure from the traditional Ferrari was the use of a Vittorio Jano designed V-6 engine. The six-cylinder engines were more compact, lightweight, and more fuel efficient when compared to the traditional Colombo designed 12-cylinder engines.
With the engine mounted longitudinally mid-ship, optimal weight distribution and handling was achieved. The chassis was the traditional tubular frame supported by wishbone suspension. A five-speed manual gearbox provided power to the rear wheels. The body design was simple, yet elegant and effective. This combination was good enough to capture overall victories at Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000km.
Even though a limited number were produced, their accomplishments are legendary and their design was revolutionary. The knowledge achieved through the design and development was used in future Ferrari projects and their continued domination at races such as Le Mans.
Due to the rarity and values of genuine works competition cars many enthusiasts and collectors have recreated such cars to fulfil a long held dream of the driving experience and ownership of such iconic cars. This Ferrari has been recreated based on Phil Hill’s Ferrari 196SP from the 1960s. The running gear on this car is Ferrari 328 GTS which has been rebodied in the period style of the famous sports racer.
Commissioned by Ferrari enthusiast and guitar legend Chris Rea, this right hand drive 328GTS has been enjoyed by Chris himself and more recently the car has been campaigned on a European regularity run with ex F1 driver Yannik Dalmas at the wheel. With its reliable and very tractable Ferrari 328 chassis and running gear mated to its handcrafted aluminium lightweight bodywork, it offers a true early 60s driving experience. The interior is a combination of bare aluminium with blue cloth bucket seats fitted with race harnesses with an open gate gearbox offering a spartan but authentic cockpit. The vendor informs us the car is on the button and drives very well with no issues. The engine, chassis, interior and paint work are all described as being in good condition.
Offered with a V5 document this Ferrari offers a tremendous driving experience with the reliability and performance of modern Ferrari mechanics.
