The Ferrari 250 LM is a sports car produced between 1963 and 1966 as a berlinetta version of the 250 P prototype race car. Ferrari failed to have it accepted as a grand tourer, so it raced only in the prototype class — where one won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ferrari 250 LM at a glance
| Production | 1963–1966 |
|---|---|
| Type | mid-engined sports racing berlinetta |
| Basis | Ferrari 250 P prototype |
| Intended class | Group 3 GT (rejected by the FIA) |
| Engine, as designed | 3.0-litre V12 (the “250” engine) |
| Engine, as built | 3.3-litre V12 |
| Homologation | refused; 100 production cars not built |
| Customers | sold to privateer racers only |
| Le Mans 1965 | overall win for the NART-entered car |
| Significance | Ferrari’s last Le Mans win until 2023 |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); the source is short, so this article is shorter than most on the site.
History of the Ferrari 250 LM
Ferrari had already succeeded in homologating the 250 GTO as a variant of the production 250 series, so it tried the same trick with the new mid-engined 250 LM: if the FIA accepted it as a 250-based car, Ferrari would not have to build 100 examples. The governing body refused, which limited the 250 LM to the prototype racing class, where Ferrari already had more potent cars.
A bigger engine
With Group 3 closed off, the engine was changed from the three-litre “250” unit that the GT rules required to a larger 3.3-litre engine for the production series. Even so, the car was not seen as competitive with Ferrari’s own prototypes, and every 250 LM was sold to privateer racers rather than campaigned by the works team.
Le Mans 1965
At the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari’s factory team used the 330 P2 while several 250 LMs were entered by private teams. All the 330 P2s broke down, and a 250 LM run by the North American Racing Team finished first. It was the last Ferrari to win Le Mans outright until the marque returned to the top step in 2023, which gives the model a special place in Ferrari’s history.
Design and features
- Mid-engined layout: a berlinetta body wrapped around the mid-engined chassis of the 250 P prototype.
- 3.3-litre V12: the engine grew beyond the three litres planned for GT racing once homologation was refused.
- Privateer machine: every car was sold to a customer team, with no works entries.
- Le Mans winner: the NART car’s 1965 victory stood as Ferrari’s last at La Sarthe for 58 years.
Ferrari 250 LM versions
- 250 LM (1963–1966): the production berlinetta, all sold to privateers.
- NART Le Mans car (1965): the North American Racing Team entry that won overall.
The 250 LM was developed from the 250 series, followed the 250 GTO in Ferrari’s homologation plans and used ideas from the 250 Testa Rossa line.
Sources
- Ferrari 250 LM, English Wikipedia: development, homologation, engine change, 1965 Le Mans
