Torque
We don’t know exactly how things went back then. But it must have been wild times in the design and racing departments at Scuderia Ferrari, because on the same day that the Ferrari 625 TF contested its first race (29 June 1953, Gran Premio dell’Autodromo in Monza, Mike Hawthorn in #0304TF), its bigger brother, the Ferrari 735 S, was also entered for the first time, with Alberto Ascari at the wheel of #0428MD. And somehow it was clear that Ascari was faster, he took pole position but then had an accident in the race; Hawthorn was at least able to bring his 625 TF home in fourth place overall.
But the question is more like: why? Why did Lampredi build two new four-cylinder engines? Clearly, Ferrari had had good experiences with the “small” engines, they had won the world championship title in Formula 1 in 1952 (and managed to do so again at the end of 1953), they now wanted to use these engines in sports cars as well. Instead of 2 litres, the 625 TF now had 2.5 litres of displacement (bore x stroke 94 x 90 mm) – and the 735 S also had 2941 cm3 (bore x stroke 102 x 90 mm). The increase in pure power was not striking with the larger engine (225 instead of 220 hp), but the torque was clearly better.
And yet: the 735 S was also unable to assert itself. As with the 625 TF, only three examples were produced, the aforementioned #0428MD, plus #0444M and finally #0446M (later renumbered #0556MD). Surprisingly, however, it was still being built in 1954, when Ferrari had long since had another good four-cylinder iron in the fire with the 750 Monza. Additional engines were also produced, which then often ended up in other models, one example is shown above, #0448MD, actually a 500 Mondial, but which – probably – received a 735 engine at the factory in 1954 before it was delivered to Tony Parravano.
The wildest story among the Ferrari 735 S cars is certainly #0428MD. After Ascari’s accident, the Ferrari was given a new livery by Scaglietti – its first livery had been a peculiar one by Autodromo (or even Lampredi? Pictures: above). The Scuderia entered the car in several races, but there were only technical problems and accidents. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago then bought the Ferrari, entered it in the 1954 Carrera Panamericana (and did not finish) and in other major races in the Bahamas in December 1954 (three class victories, one overall victory). The car then went to Sterling Edwards, for whom it did not only bring luck in 1955. The #0428MD was then lost, and it was not until the 1980s that the car reappeared in its Carrera Panamericana guise.
We don’t know why #0446M was renamed #0556MD in 1955; the car subsequently came to Switzerland and was later in the Bardinon collection for a long time, so it is probably beyond all doubt. After all, #0444M (below) won the GP Supercortemaggiore in June 1954 with Maglioli/Hawthorn. The car then had a long and successful career in Sweden and is said to be in England today.
This is a «related» story about the 1954 World Sports Car Championship (sorry, just in German – translation will follow, maybe), and we have more great stories in our archive.
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