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2017 saw Ferrari celebrate its 70 years in operation.
One of the finest car museums in the world, the Petersen in Los Angeles is marking the occasion with a special exhibition devoted to the famous marque. But if you want to see it, you’ll have to hurry: the exhibition closes on Sunday May 13.
In case you can’t get there, Autocar visited it recently; here’s our choice of the finest Ferraris on display – and yes, they are all red:
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2001 550 BARCHETTA PININFARINA
A limited edition, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina was designed to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Pininfarina design studio. The design is a nod to classic early Ferraris. Although Ferrari provided a temporary use soft top, the Barchetta is not a convertible.
In fact, it’s meant to be driven roof-down as much as possible like the iconic 166 MM and 250 California - though with the power & reliability of a modern era V12.
Top speed: 205 mph
Horsepower: 485
Engine: 5.5-liter V12
Number built: 448 (550 Barchetta Pininfarinas)
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1955 FERRARI 857 SPORT
Ferrari was well-established by 1955, but this car came as a result of a defeat at the hands of Mercedes-Benz at the 1955 World Sportscar Championship. The company decided to make some changes, and the 857 Sport featured a new twin-cam, four-cylinder engine and a lightweight aluminium body. Of the four built the car featured at Seeing Red is the only one fitted with a rear fin.
Top speed: 160 mph
Horsepower: 280
Engine: 3.4-liter inline-4
Number built: 4
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1947 FERRARI 125 S
Enzo Ferrari's Maranello workshop was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. Rebuilding after the war's end, the 125 S was the first ever Ferrari to bear the name, and also the first to feature a V12 - though its capacity of just 1.5-liters certainly raises eyebrows today.
Although it didn’t finish its first race at the Piacenza Circuit, Ferrari didn't give up and won at the Terme di Caracalla circuit in Rome later in 1947.
Top speed: 130 mph
Horsepower: 118
Engine: 1.5-liter V12
Number built: 2 (Total 125S)
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1963 FERRARI 250 GTO
One of the most iconic and desirable Ferraris ever, the 250 GTO was only sold to buyers personally approved by Enzo Ferrari himself. Only 39 examples were built, designed to meet homologation requirements for the FIA GT World Championship. In October 2013 Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo sold a GTO for a record sum of $52 million.
The 250 GTO is currently Autocar’s 13th most beautiful car in the world. When we had the chance to drive one in 2012 we said: “The GTO is every bit as good as its reputation suggests... It is perhaps more important to decide whether it deserves its place as the brightest jewel in Ferrari’s impressively bling crown. Of those that have crossed my path and can be driven on the public road, it does, and by a greater margin than I could have possibly imagined”.
Top speed: 173 mph
Horsepower: 300
Engine: 3-liter V12
Number built: 39 (Total 250 GTOs)
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1949 FERRARI 166 MM BARCHETTA
In 1949, this particular car became the first Ferrari to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race. Later that year, this car went on to win the Mille Miglia, the long-distance race which gives the car its "MM" designation.
Top speed: 136 mph
Horsepower: 140
Engine: 2-liter V12
Number built: 25 (Total Series 1 Barchettas by Touring)
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1956 FERRARI SUPERAMERICA BY GHIA
The 410 Superamerica was delivered in chassis-only form allowing coachbuilders to build bespoke bodies for owners. While most wore restrained bodywork, an extremely limited number had fins that reflected American designs of the period.
One such example was this car built by Ghia to a design by Giovanni Savonuzzi, who also styled the jet-age Chrysler Gilda and Chrysler Dart concept cars - and so it shows.
Top speed: 162 mph
Horsepower: 340
Engine: 5-liter V12
Number built: 1 (Total Ghia-bodied Superamericas)
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1965 FERRARI 250 LM
This car pictured was driven to victory at the 1965 Le Mans race, the last of Ferrari's six back-to-back wins - and indeed the marque's last Le Mans win period - at the world famous circuit. It was unveiled at the 1963 Paris auto show.
Top speed: 183 mph
Horsepower: 320
Engine: 3.3-liter V12
Number built: 32 (Total 250 LMs)
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2010 FERRARI 599 GTO
The 599 GTO was only the third Ferrari to bear the GTO badge, and it had big shoes to fill: its predecessors were the 250 GTO (1962) and the 288 GTO (1984). The 599 GTO was the fastest road-going Ferrari in 2010, and featured a fine-tuned air intake and exhaust flow system that made for a very distinctive engine sound.
When we first drove it we said: “This is a genuine landmark car for Ferrari, and as such it deserves all the success it has already achieved. It’s also a bona fide addition to the GTO family; make absolutely no mistake about that”.
Top speed: 208 mph
Horsepower: 660
Engine: 6-litre V12
Number built: 599 (Total 599 GTOs)
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1956 FERRARI 410 SUPERAMERICA SERIES 1 COUPE BY BOANO
The Ferrari Superamerica was intended to appeal to the US market, hence its name. Just 36 were built between 1956 and 1959, a few of which were given bespoke bodies. Like the Ghia model featured earlier, the fins fitted to two Boano-bodied Superamericas reflect Italian coachbuilders' efforts to emulate contemporary American styling.
Top speed: 163 mph
Horsepower: 340
Engine: 5-litre V12
Number Built: 2 (Total Boano-bodied Superamericas)
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2006 FERRARI 248 F1
This car was driven by Michael Schumacher in his final season before his first retirement from Formula One racing. The 248 gets its name from its engine: a 2.4-liter, eight-cylinder unit.
The 248 was used for the entire duration of the 2006 season, however an engine failure at the Japanese Grand Prix ended Schumacher’s title hopes and cost Ferrari that season’s Constructors Championship.
Top speed: 217 mph
Horsepower: 735
Engine: 2.4-litre V8
Number built: 2
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Petersen Automotive Museum
The museum opens every day from 10am to 6pm, except Christmas Day – it closes early on New Year’s Day.
The Seeing Red exhibition at the Petersen closes on Sunday May 13 2018 - entry is at no extra cost.
Current museum entry fees are:
Adults: $16
Seniors (62+): $13
Children (3-12): $8
Students (13-17, or with college ID): $13
Children under 3, members, and active members of the military (with ID) get in for free.
Petersen Vault entry to see the cars not currently on display - highly recommended - is $20 on top of the above fees.
If you can convince them you have a substantial social media following, you may even get in for free… Ample parking is available.
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles
CA 90036
Phone: +1 323-930-2277
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