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23/03/2025 1:59 pm
Oddly, this Le Mans winning car may actually be better known as having inspired the 'egg crate' grill of the classic '55 Chevy. After some advantageous rule changes by the FIA, Ferrari could now utilize their first V12 engine engineered by Aurelio Lampredi. The triple carbureted 375 HP was enveloped by a sleek Pinin Farina designed barchetta body. Before being eclipsed by the Mercedes Silver Arrows, it owned virtually every European as well as the Mexican Panamericana with that iconic liveried "1-2-3" car. I usually try to avoid the very expensive BBR models, but the model was virtually being dumped by, of all places, the Fairfield Mint for somewhere in the $200 range which was a steal for one of their fully opening models.
23/03/2025 11:02 pm
Oddly, this Le Mans winning car may actually be better known as having inspired the 'egg crate' grill of the classic '55 Chevy.
the model was virtually being dumped by, of all places, the Fairfield Mint for somewhere in the $200 range which was a steal
- It's funny, I've always known about Ferrari's grill design influencing the '55 Chevy's, but I'm not certain I've ever seen the actual Ferrari. It's pretty cool! 😎
- At $200 Rich, you would've been foolish NOT to buy it! 😏 See, most purchases can easily be justified ..... well, that's what I tell myself. 😏
26/03/2025 6:49 am
This IS a major steal for $200 bucks! One of the things that fascinated me was the gold number in the roundel on the left side of the car and black on the right side. Thanks to ChatGPT artificial intelligence, I was able to learn the reason.
Great question! The 1953 Ferrari 375 Plus has a fascinating detail with the roundel numbers being gold on one side and black on the other. This was done for practical and aesthetic reasons, particularly in endurance racing.
💡 Reason 1: Better visibility for trackside officials
In long-distance endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, cars often had their numbers painted in contrasting colors on each side to improve visibility under different lighting conditions.
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During daylight, the gold number on a white background was highly visible against the bright sunlight.
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At night, the black number provided better contrast under artificial lights and against the car’s body color.
🎨 Reason 2: Ferrari’s design flair
Ferrari is also known for its attention to visual appeal, and having different-colored roundels gave the car a distinctive, stylish asymmetry, making it more memorable and iconic.
🏁 Historical significance
The 375 Plus was a dominant race car, equipped with a 4.9-liter V12 engine and famous for its victories in endurance races like Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana. The dual-color roundels became part of its lore, adding to its mystique and uniqueness.
Rich Sufficool and Christopher Moroni reacted