Ferrari 195 S – 1950
The Ferrari 195 S was an improved version of the 166MM, with its Colombo V12 engine featuring a 5mm increased bore, which made for a larger, 2.3-litre displacement (from 2.0-litres), and thus increased power of 170PS.
Two factory cars represented its race debut at the 1950 Targa Florio and Giro di Sicilia, although neither finished, with one developing an oil leak and the other stopping to help a crashed competitor.
Later that year, however, Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara drove the car to a place in the history books, when it became the first Ferrari to win the Mille Miglia, with an average speed of 123.5km/h (76.4mph) over the approximately 1,000-mile distance.
Twenty-two-year-old Marzotto, in turn took the title of the youngest winner in the race’s history, and did so in fine Italian style, reportedly wearing a double-breasted suit and tie despite the bad weather. The second place in that year’s race also went to an 195 S – a Berlinetta driven by Dorino Serafini and Ettore Salani, while a third factory car took ninth.
Despite both Scuderia entries suffering mechanical failures and withdrawing from the 1950 Le Mans 24 hours, the 195 S took a brace of further race wins that year, including the Coppa della Toscana, where Serafini and Salani led Franco Cornacchia and Del Carlo to a 1-2 finish, and the 3 Hours of Rome race – the Notturne della Caracalla – in which Marzotto piloted the 195 S to a storming victory.
Another 1-2 podium finish came for Serafini/Salani and Cornacchia/Carlo at the 1950 Giro delle Calabria, before one of the Le Mans cars made its way Stateside, where Luigi Chinetti and Alfred Momo finished seventh overall and won the S3.0 class at the inaugural 6 Hours of Sebring.
Further race success followed into 1951, however the model was ultimately usurped by the 212 Export.