Ferrari 121 LM Spider by Scaglietti 1955, Itália

 

Ferrari 121 LM Spider by Scaglietti 1955, Itália
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By 1955, Mercedes-Benz’s 300 SLR presented a challenge that could not be met by Ferrari’s V-12 racers, nor the nimble four-cylinder 750 Monza, prompting Il Commendatore to commission Aurelio Lampredi to create a more powerful straight-six powerplant. The advanced 3,747-cc engine found a home in the 118 LM—a sportscar designed to take on the Three-Pointed Star at the 1955 Mille Miglia. Chassis 0546 LM was one of four Works cars built for the event, taking to the start line in Brescia wearing #728, with Ferrari Works driver Piero Taruffi at the wheel.
The Scuderia’s 118 LMs were the cars most feared by history makers Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, but none more so than chassis 0546 LM and ‘the most dangerous rival of them all, that master tactician, Taruffi’, recalled “Jenks” in the June 1955 issue of Motor Sport. Setting off five minutes after the famous Silver Arrow, the Italian set a blistering pace, leading the 300 SLR for much of the race and smashing all records on the charge to Pescara. Devastatingly for Taruffi, his Ferrari suffered an oil pump failure after five hours of flat-out racing, forcing him to retire halfway to the finish.
Following disappointment at the Mille Miglia, chassis 0546 LM returned to Maranello, where it was converted to full 121 LM specification. Enlarged to 4,412 cc and fitted with three side-draught Weber carburettors, the uprated straight-six now produced a tyre-shredding 360 brake horsepower.
The Ferrari’s greatest test came at Le Mans, where the Scuderia fielded a trio of 121 LMs. Chassis 0546 LM was driven by French ace Maurice Trintignant and American Harry Schell, but it was Eugenio Castellotti in its sister car, chassis 0532 LM, who fired the first warning shots in practice; the Italian clocked the fastest lap, tearing through the Mulsanne speed trap at a dizzying 291 km/h. “Castellotti just left us both standing,” recalled Mike Hawthorn, “laying incredible long tracks of molten rubber on the road as he roared away.”
Ferrari’s battle with Jaguar and Mercedes saw the lap record smashed no fewer than 10 times, but the 121 LMs were not able to endure the pace for a full 24 hours. After 52 laps, Castellotti pulled up in defeat, followed a few hours later by Phil Hill and Umberto Maglioli. That left chassis 0546 LM—along with reigning champion Maurice Trintignant—to defend Ferrari’s honour. They did so with aplomb, taking the fight to eventual winner Hawthorn until the 10th hour, when the Lampredi powerplant could take no more; spent, both car and driver were forced to retire after 107 laps.
The heroic effort at Le Mans marked the end of chassis 0546 LM’s Works career, and it was sold at the close of the season. It would go on to race with success in North America, before its second lease of life ended tragically in April 1956 when on lap 33 of the Del Monte Trophy race at Pebble Beach, Ernie McAfee missed a downshift at turn six, causing him to lose control of his car into the corner, which ended with the 121 LM hitting a pine tree on the driver’s side, killing him on impact. Later restored, the Ferrari appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1974, 1975, and 1976. Since leaving the factory, this 121 LM has had just four private owners over the ensuing almost 70 years.
In 2018, chassis 0546 LM was sent to Maranello, where it was the subject of a no-expense-spared five-year restoration that was completed in 2023. The car’s Scaglietti coachwork was painstakingly returned to its correct 1955 Le Mans configuration, including reinstatement of period features such as the central fuel filler, brake cooling ducts, and reprofiled doors. The mechanical components were overhauled—including a gearbox rebuild—while the chassis was straightened and repaired; the chassis stamp, which was lost during the previous restoration, was reinstated. Chassis 0546 LM was further awarded Ferrari Classiche certification, and is accompanied by its “Red Book” detailing its matching-numbers chassis, engine, and gearbox.
A witness to motorsport’s most profound and indelible moments and veteran of the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1955 Mille Miglia, this truly remarkable and ferociously quick sportscar is a rare survivor from one of the most glittering periods of Ferrari history.