Good Old Valves

Ferrari 250 LM (1964)

The 250 “Le Mans” was meant to replace the highly successful 250 GTO in the GT category, which even used a bored 3.3 litre engine that derived from the previous model.

However, FIA denied the homologation request for the 250 LM, since Ferrari had only built 32 examples instead of the 100 which were required. They did get away with this 10 years earlier with the 250 GTO, claiming it was just a rebodied 250 GT, but the stunt didn’t work again.

Unable to compete in its category, Ferrari still entered the LM in the Prototypes class, competing against much more sophisticated rivals. However, this didn’t stop the 250 LM from tasting a fair amount of glory: it won 10 out of its 35 starts, making it a highly respectable and full of pedigree Ferrari racing car.