Racing Ferraris in America Powered By Chevrolet V8s
When you look at the Ferrari racing program of today, it’s a multi-billion dollar business, sporting the latest and greatest metal out of Maranello on race circuits around the world. But back in the early days of Ferrari racing, Americans would have a problem when they took their Italian cars racing; broken engines. But that didn’t stop the racers from innovating, and sourcing parts from Chevrolet.
You see, in the 1950s it wasn’t easy to send goods across the Atlantic, and Ferrari parts weren’t that common in the United States. So when there was a major engine component failure, it could really devastate are racing driver and team. So these individuals improvised by swapping in Chevrolet V8s to power the Italian cars.
The Chevy V8 was just as easy to find then as it is today, and they were historically quite reliable. If something were to break, finding replacement parts was easy. Less specialized training means people could focus on what’s important; winning the race.
Hemmings Daily has a nice piece on their website detailing some of the various cars that were powered by Chevy V8s, and ultimately how much they eventually sold for at auction. Despite not having an Italian heart, these cars are still worthwhile and collector’s items, bringing in big cash.
Let us know what you think by sounding off in the forums!
via [Hemmings Daily]
photos via [Hemmings Daily]
