Ferrari 250
Compare Ferrari 250 road and competition models by era, factory purpose, and coachwork, from the Europa and Mille Miglia to the GTO and Le Mans racers.
Ferrari 250 models compared
The 250 designation originally referred to about 250 cc per cylinder. It covers early sports racers, road cars built by different coachbuilders, and later competition programmes. Production and public introduction are shown separately in the model guides where documented.
| Model | Production | Factory purpose | Body styles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 MM | — | Competition | Berlinetta, Spider |
| 250 Europa | 1953–1954 | Road | Coupé |
| 250 Europa GT | 1954–1956 | Road | Coupé |
| 250 Monza | 1954 | Competition | Spider |
| 250 GT Coupé (Boano/Ellena) | 1956–1958 | Road | Coupé |
| 250 GT Cabriolet | 1957–1962 | Road | Cabriolet |
| 250 Testa Rossa | 1957–1961 | Competition | Spider |
| 250 GT Coupé by Pinin Farina | 1958–1960 | Road | Coupé |
| 250 GT California Spider | 1958–1963 | Road | Spider |
| 250 GT Berlinetta TdF | To 1959 | Competition | Berlinetta |
| 250 GT SWB Berlinetta | 1959–1963 | Road and competition | Berlinetta |
| 250 GTE 2+2 | 1960–1963 | Road | 2+2 coupé |
| 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso | 1962–1964 | Road | Berlinetta |
| 250 GTO | 1962–1964 | Competition | Berlinetta |
| 250 P | 1963 | Competition | Spider |
| 250 LM | 1964–1966 | Competition | Berlinetta |
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Ferrari 250 chassis and milestones
- Ferrari 250 LM chassis 5149/GT
Paris prototype, shown in October 1963
- Ferrari 250 LM chassis 5893
1965 Le Mans winner
- Ferrari 250 GTO chassis 3413 GT
Series I GTO with a period factory rebody
- Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO chassis 3765
Four-litre works car later converted by Ferrari
- Ferrari 250 GT California Spider chassis 1795 GT
First short-wheelbase California Spider, shown at Geneva
- Ferrari 250 GT California Spider chassis 2935 GT
1961 Paris show car and Baillon Collection survivor
- Ferrari 250 GT Coupé by Pinin Farina chassis 1153 GT
1959 build, 1960 title, and two published auction results
- Ferrari 250 GT Coupé by Pinin Farina chassis 1743 GT
Factory-commissioned Series II with a competition engine
Etymology and model names
- 250 MM
- MM stands for Mille Miglia. Ferrari named the 250 MM in honour of the 250 Sport’s victory in the 1952 Italian road race.
- 250 Testa Rossa
- Testa Rossa means “red head” in Italian. The name refers to the red cylinder-head covers of the engine and is often shortened to TR.
- 250 GT Berlinetta TdF
- The long-wheelbase 250 GT Berlinetta earned the name Tour de France, or TdF, after chassis 0557 GT won the 1956 Tour de France Automobile rally.
- 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
- SWB means short wheelbase, or passo corto in Italian. The name refers to the 2,400 mm chassis introduced in 1959.
- 250 GTE 2+2
- GT stands for Gran Turismo, or grand touring. The E comes from the suffix used on the 508E chassis and 128E engine types.
- 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
- The L in 250 GT/L stands for Lusso, the Italian word for luxury. The model carried that name when it debuted at the 1962 Paris Salon.
- 250 GTO
- GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, or homologated grand touring. The name refers to the car’s approval for the international GT competition category.
- 250 P
- P stands for prototype. The number 250 refers to roughly 250 cubic centimetres per cylinder in its V12 engine.
- 250 LM
- LM stands for Le Mans. A 250 LM won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in 1965.