20.06.2024Unique piece worth millions: Ferrari's Le Mans-winner from 1962

In 2023, Ferrari made a brilliant return to the top of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In its first engagement in the top category of the endurance classic in half a century, the brand from Maranello promptly emerged victorious. Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi won the thrilling anniversary race to mark its 100th anniversary. The driver trio and the Ferrari 499P Hypercar defied strong competition and changeable weather conditions to ultimately clinch Ferrari's tenth overall Le Mans victory.

The Italians' previous triumph was no less than 58 years ago. While Porsche today has the undisputed most Le Mans victories to its name, Ferrari was among the top in the 1960s. From 1960 to 1965, the Prancing Horse won continuously at the Sarthe. Part of this six-year winning streak was the triumph of Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien in 1962. With this sixth overall victory, Ferrari became the most successful manufacturer in the history of the 24-hour race. For the American-Belgian driver duo of Hill and Gendebien, it was the third joint success and the fourth overall for Gendebien, as a result of which he ended his racing career.

In addition to the strong driver combination, their vehicle was the main star of the race - and still is today. The Ferrari 330 TRI was a one-off whose career had already begun in 1961 in a different specification and even with a different chassis number. In the meantime, Ferrari specialized in the mid-engine concept for its racing cars. But with new regulations for 1962, the decision was made to construct one last racing Testa Rossa with a front engine for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This final example of the series introduced in 1956 featured a four-litre V12 engine with 390 hp. The chassis had to be adapted for this, as the unit was around ten centimetres longer than the previously used three-litre engine. With its racing success, the Ferrari 330 TRI became the last car with a front engine to achieve overall victory at Le Mans.

In addition to the engine, the Ferrari also had visually interesting elements. These include the two-part shark nose, which also adorned the Scuderia's Formula 1 cars at the time. Equally striking are the long rear section, the spoiler behind the passenger compartment and the windshield that runs around the driver. Another technical feature worth highlighting is the independent suspension, which is identified by the "I" for "Indipendente" in the model name.

After the Le Mans victory in 1962, the 330 TRI was sold to the Ferrari-affiliated team NART and continued to be used in racing. Following an accident in Le Mans in 1963, the car was initially built as a road version and later restored to its 1962 state. Today, the 330 TRI has long been in well-heeled private hands. The last buyer acquired the Ferrari at an auction in 2007 for a high single-digit million sum.

The model of the Ferrari 330 TRI, which the ck-modelcars label WERK83 has released in scale 1:18, is easier on the wallet. As usual, the original is reflected as best as possible. The model also has steerable front wheels.

Ferrari 330 TRI #6 Winner 24h LeMans 1962 Gendebien, Hill 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W18023001