Despite Enzo Ferrari’s determination to win the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, very little went to plan that season. The new 118 and 121 LM 6-cylinder models did not pan out as projected, forcing Ferrari to revert to his 4-cylinder cars. And the disaster at Le Mans drew increasing scrutiny from critics of motor racing, which soon resulted in diminished engine-capacity regulations. At the very least, the Scuderia Ferrari looked forward to fielding a new V12 model at the final championship contest of 1955, the Carrera Panamericana: the notoriously grueling five-day rally traversing the Mexican wilderness.
Development began on a new series of chassis that were designated with a CM suffix, representing “Carrera Messicana.” Instead of continuing with the V12 racing engine he had designed for models like the 340 Mexico and 375 Plus, engineer Aurelio Lampredi chose the engine more recently built for the 410 Superamerica road car, a 4,961-cc V12 that was Ferrari’s largest mill to date. But typical to the season, things did not go as planned; midway through the new car’s development process, the Carrera Panamericana was canceled.
Ferrari built only four examples of the resulting 410 S. The featured lot, chassis number 0592CM, was neither a factory racer nor a sedate roadgoing car, but rather a 410 Sport Speciale prototype that was transitioned into a privateer race car. Its unique history and extreme styling make a stunning testament to the 410 Sport’s brilliance. This 410 rides a shortened version of the Superamerica’s type 514 chassis, featuring a 2,410-millimeter wheelbase, which distinguishes it from the final two cars. It is likewise powered by a 12-plug type 126 Superamerica engine, albeit with a more-ferocious state of tune.
Officially sold to Parravano in the summer of 1955, the 410 Sport was entered in the Palm Springs Road Races in February 1956, where it was piloted to overall victory by none other than Carroll Shelby himself. In February 1957, the 410 Sport continued racing for Scuderia Parravano at New Smyrna Beach, FL, where Eric Hauser finished 4th in the preliminary race. The little-known Bart Spiegelman then drove in the main event but retired early, and this marked the end of the car’s SCCA racing career.
It is important to note that 0592CM is arguably the most original of the four 410 S examples, retaining its original matching-numbers engine, and having never been damaged during its short racing career. Ferrari collectors seeking an historically important and breathtaking thoroughbred Prancing Horse, eligible for many of the world’s most important events, need look no further.
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
