Museo Stradale

Rollover thumbnails to load photos

Dominic's Auto Museum
One man's passionate quest to survey finest motorcars in the world

#0057 - Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta by Scaglietti, 1957

Photographed: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2009. Owner: Joseph M. Barone

Placement: The Tour de France, if not for taking the name of that ridiculously trying race, might simply be known as the 250 LWB Berlinetta, counterpoint to the 250 SWB. Fortunately, romanticism intervened and we now attach to the Tour de France a particular shape—classic nose, louvred valances, and well defined tail fins. The number of louvres changed as the model progressed, and the execution of the tail fins went off differently on each example. For instance, the Tour de France pictured here is a soft example with young features, and those tail fins are rounded much more than many examples, whose rear quarters appear taller and higher, with a more clearly defined rear quarter crease along the flank.

Also of note, the Tour de France nose was carried off in two distinct forms. While coachwork was the province of Scaglietti, both nose designs are linked to Pininfarina's studio. The earlier form is depicted here, a representation of the classic Pininfarina nose as seen on the 375 Plus Le Mans Spyder, as well as on early 250 chassis such as the Mille Miglia Berlinetta and the rare 250 transitional Berlinetta. Notably, this particular design was later copied onto the spritely AC Bristol, which developed into the Cobra—an oft overlooked lineage of headlong muscularity. The fascia in question is characterized by long, shapely pods with round headlamps inset vertically behind translucent covers. And, though repetitive, it's worth repeating this is a most classic aesthetic, something repeated in various forms by numerous styling houses, but made into an archetype by Pininfarina.

The second form, as found on later examples, is reminiscent of the treatment Touring gave to the first proper Ferrari chassis, exhibiting an outward twist under the headlamps, each of which is set a bit aft of an elongated, yet still vertical nose. Looking to the developments of the next decade, Scaglietti added covers on some examples, anticipating the sleak approach of the Pininfarina development seen on the 400 Superamerica Aerodynamic Coupe set to premier at the very start of the sixties. The lengthened nose provides a lower bonnet line and enhances the linear appearance of the car, making particularly good use of the extra wheelbase. Thus it should also be noted that the more pronounced rear quarters are usually matched to this later headlamp treatment, and that the softened features on the example pictured here are indicative of transitional design efforts as the Tour de France grew into its own.

Close Kin: Speaking directly to our example here, the design of the Tour de France seems largely based on the first 375 Mille Miglia Berlinetta of 1954, a Pininfarina design that, as aforementioned, carried the same classic nose as the Spyder. The Berlinetta, however, also features accentuated rear quarters, as well as a hint of flair in the fins. And so it seams Scaglietti's aim was to take this basic design and refine it to a more modern, cohesive whole. This was accomplished through the revised nose and more deliberate tail treatment, with the louvres and a large vent on the flank being noteworthy departures from the early design. Scaglietti did not, however, go so far as the well known 375 Mille Miglia Berlinetta Sport Speciale of 1955. This early Turin Motor Show exercise was carried off by Pininfarina, but served only as a prod in the direction of the ultimate Tour de France; it was not the aim. In particular, the fins of the Sport Speciale are outrageous in the American tradition, and were not replicated on regular series production.

14 Louvres: The nickname of louvres comes from a specific series of cars wearing 14 cooling louvres on the rear valances; these appeared in place of none, and were succeeded by three-louvred coupes. Now, whenever numbers come into play in the world of classic cars we must take caution, and being so cautious I'll mention only in passing that Keith Martin's Sports Car Market reports a total of 77 cars among the Tour de France species. But, of course, this might be conjecture, though to what degree is uncertain. In the end, the number illustrates a high measure of success that predicated the great 250 SWB, even if the Tour de France itself if not so often revered by enthusiasts.

References:

Sports Car Market: Anecdotes and numbers on the Tour de France, and depicting a late example with sleak nose, covered headlamps, and well accentuated tail.

Auto Legends by Michael Zumbrunn & Richard Heseltine, Merrell Publishers Limited, London / New York, 2004, p. 190-193

Ferrari, Design of a Legend: The Official History and Catalog, 1990, Gruppo Editoriale, Ferrari Technology by Gianni Rogliatti, p. 131-133

Ultimate Car Page: Featuring the 375 Mille Miglia Sport Speciale in typically photogenic form.

 

Back to Index