Beschreibung:

THE EX-ECURIE FRANCORCHAMPS SPA 500 KILOMETER RACE WINNING 1964 FERRARI 250 LE MANS BERLINETTA Chassis No. 6023 Engine No. 6023 Rosso Corsa with black leather interior Engine: 12 cylinders, 3286cc, 360bhp at 7,500rpm; Gearbox: five speed manual; Suspension: independent front and rear with coil springs and double wishbones all round; Brakes: Dunlop discs front and inboard rear. Right hand drive. The ultimate development of the famous line of '250' designated Ferrari Sports-Racing cars was embodied in the Le Mans Berlinetta, introduced at the Paris Motor Salon in October 1963. It was clear to Enzo Ferrari that for him to be able to maintain superiority over his rivals in the GT Classes of long-distance events and road-racing, a new model was required; that it should be homologated by the FIA; and with further success at Le Mans the principal goals. Breaking with tradition, the new 250 LM represented a significant step forward from the standards of the 250 GTO, and moved much closer to following the logical development of the 250P sports-racing models. For FIA acceptance, a minimum 100 production units would have to be manufactured, and indeed following the precedent set by having hoodwinked the FIA into accepting the GTO as a development of the SWB models, this was not going to work the second time around. Nevertheless it was introduced as a 250 variant in Gran Turismo guise; mid-engined, a first for a GT from Maranello, the prototype initially utilising a further development of the 3 litre engine. This was immediately enlarged to 3.3 litres for the production models, but still retained the '250' nomenclature rather than '275', further disguising Ferrari's intentions. The V-12 engine with dry-sump lubrication was still installed lengthwise behind the driver, with transmission via a 5-speed crash box into the multi-tubular chassis, in which the side-tubes carried water and oil to the forward-mounted radiators. The incredibly low and seductively styled bodywork was designed by Pininfarina, whilst the mechanical arrangement with suitable axle ratio and gearing allowed a maximum speed of up to 300km/h. The road-holding was superb, utilising a wheel-base identical to the GTO at 94ins, and with a track of 67ins; height was just amazing at only 43 inches! In early 1964, with the production gaining momentum, Ferrari applied for FIA homologation which was turned down. This infuriated Il Commendatore, who immediately suspended Ferrari works entries to international events, but this action by the FIA threatened to reduce the car's eligibility for classes for prototypes only, for which it was not intended. However this did not prevent other teams from achieving success, with a fine victory in the Reims 12-hours event of July 1964 for the Maranello Concessionnaires entry, driven by Graham Hill & Jo Bonnier; and capped by its greatest achievement the following year at Le Mans, where the cars took first and second places, with Masten Gregory driving a NART-entered car with Jochen Rindt and the Ecurie Francorchamps car behind. Their records showed two cars entered with one of them finishing second, having led, only to succumb to a puncture, robbing them of victory. This car 6023, driven by Langlois & Elde, was forced to retire with clutch trouble during the early hours of the morning. It was supplied new in August 1964, the 17th off the production line, and the second of three cars all supplied directly to Ecurie Francorchamps, the Belgian importer for Ferrari, and delivered originally in red racing livery. This team was one of the three principal entrants of Ferraris in sports-racing events and was the first to race the 'LM' models, of which ultimately only 32 examples were built. In September, 6023 was entered for its first event, the Paris 1000km at Montlhry, for their No. 1 driver Willy Mairesse with Jean Blaton (Beurlys), but possibly due to hasty preparation it did not finish. However fortunes were quickly restored with Mairesse