| Ferrari 125 S | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ferrari |
| Production | 1947 2 produced |
| Designer | Gioacchino Colombo |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.5 L (1496.77 cc)ColomboV12 |
| Transmission | 5-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,420 mm (95.3 in) |
| Curb weight | 650 kg (1,433 lb) (dry) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 |
| Successor | Ferrari 159 S |
TheFerrari 125 S (commonly125 or125 Sport) was a 1.5 litresport car built in 1947 byautomakerFerrari inModena, Italy. It was the company's first vehicle, of which only two were made.
Although preceded byEnzo Ferrari'sAuto Avio Costruzioni 815 of 1940, the 125 S was the first vehicle to bear the Ferrari name when it debuted on May 11, 1947[1] at thePiacenza racing circuit. Like the 815, but unlike itsinline-8 predecessor, partly developed fromFiat engine components, the 125 S featured a Ferrari designed and built engine; theColomboV12 (the "125"), a trait it shared with most Ferrari cars of the following decades. The 125 S was replaced by the159 S later in 1947.
The 125 S used a steel tube-frame chassis[2] and had adouble wishbone suspension withtransverse leaf springs in front with alive axle in the rear. Hydraulic powerdrum brakes were specified front and rear.
The 125 S was powered byGioacchino Colombo's 1.5 L (1497 cc/91 in³) 60°V12 with a bore/stroke of 55 x 52.5 mm .This engine produced 118 bhp (87 kW) at 6,800 rpm with acompression ratio of 9.5:1. It was asingle overhead camshaft design with 2 valves per cylinder and three double-chokeWeber 30DCFcarburettors.
A five-speed transmission was used in the 125 S as it was better able to exploit the power curves of the high revving V-12 better than a traditional four-speed gearbox.
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One of the two Ferrari 125 S examples is located in the "Vault", which is the lowest level of thePetersen Automotive Museum in California. Ref 4.[3]
Recently, thechassis with serial number 010I was used in the restoration of a 125 S. It is rumoured that 010I is actually s/n 01C. The story goes that 01C was re-stamped as 010I, and sold to a customer as a new car. Upon taking receipt of the car, the new owner immediately exclaimed,muletto!, which means "Test mule" in Italian, as he could clearly see that his supposedly new car was in fact a used, well-raced car. Ferrari made a new invoice for the car, including a considerable rebate given the car's second-hand nature.
Still in 166 Spyder Corsa configuration, the car was recently sold to Symbolic Motors. Close inspection of the chassis and its serial number led to the discovery of an old stamping that could possibly read 01C. It had been covered by an aluminum plate which bore the serial number 010I. Subsequently, the car was sold to its current owner, who refitted the chassis with a body similar to the factory's 125 S replica, which was built by Michelotto in 1987. The alleged 01C made its public debut at thePebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and was entered as a "Ferrari 125 S". The car continues to be the subject of much debate among Ferrari historians and enthusiasts; recent developments indicate that the restamped serial number was in fact a correction and not an alteration.[4][citation needed].
The 125 S debuted at theCircuito di Piacenza, driven byFranco Cortese,[5] but was unable to finish the race, despite a favorable showing against the strongMaserati 6CS 1500s.
Two weeks later, the 125 S claimed Ferrari's first victory at theGrand Prix of Rome on theTerme di Caracalla Circuit, where it was also driven by Cortese.[5] The car had spun a bearing in practice, and was repaired in the shop of Tino Martinoli, who later came to America with the FerrariIndy car team.
The 125 S won six of its fourteen races in 1947, though driversClemente Biondetti andGiuseppe Navone were unable to win the 1947Mille Miglia in it.
4. Michael Bodell, Deputy Director and COO, Petersen Automotive Museum. Source: YouTube video: First Time Ever! Full Petersen Collection Tour, premiered 12-02-2020.
