Otto Explains — Iconic Cars
10 Iconic Cars From Ferrari
Short Answer
Otto’s ten iconic Ferraris each stand for one specific achievement. In date order they are the 166 MM (1948), the 250 GTO (1962), the 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’ (1968), the 365 GT4 BB (1971), the Testarossa (1984), the GTO (1984), the F40 (1987), the F50 (1995), the Enzo Ferrari (2002) and the 458 Italia (2009). The cars that changed the company itself have their own article.
How did Otto choose these ten cars?
This is a selection, not a ranking. Each car is here for one specific thing that Ferrari’s own records document, and together they run from the 166 MM, shown in 1948, to the 458 Italia of 2009. Cars that changed the direction of the company, such as the first Ferrari, the first Dino, the first four-wheel-drive and hybrid models, the Purosangue and the electric Luce, are covered in Otto’s separate article on the cars that defined Ferrari, so they are not repeated here.
Why is the 166 MM on the list?
The 166 MM was the first car Ferrari unveiled at a motor show, in Turin on 15 September 1948; MM stands for Mille Miglia. Its open version was nicknamed the barchetta, the ‘little boat’, a word later used for open sports-racing cars. In 1949 a 166 MM won both the Mille Miglia and, with Luigi Chinetti, the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Ferrari’s first Le Mans victory.
What made the 250 GTO special?
The 250 GTO, presented on 24 February 1962, was built to race in the GT category and won the International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963 and 1964. Giotto Bizzarrini designed it from the 250 GT SWB. The O stands for Omologata, homologated, but Ferrari built only 36 cars, plus three with a 4-litre engine.
Why is the 365 GTB4 called the Daytona?
Daytona was never its official name. The press gave the 365 GTB4, presented at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, that nickname after Ferrari took the first three places at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967. The official name describes the car: 365 is the displacement of one cylinder, 4 the number of camshafts and B berlinetta. It was the last Ferrari launched before Fiat bought half of the company.
What was the 365 GT4 BB?
Shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, the 365 GT4 BB was the first production Ferrari with a flat-12 ‘boxer’ engine derived from Formula 1, the layout Otto explains in engine designs explained. BB stands for Berlinetta Boxer. Ferrari quoted 380 hp and a top speed of 300 km/h.
Why is the Testarossa so recognisable?
The Testarossa, unveiled at the 1984 Paris Motor Show, moved its radiators to the rear, along the sides of the car. Pininfarina hid them from view behind the long horizontal strakes that became its signature. Its flat-12, with four valves per cylinder, gave 390 hp and over 290 km/h.
What was the 1984 GTO?
Revealed in 1984 and simply called the GTO, it was built for the Group B racing rules. It had a body using Kevlar and a 2,855 cc V8 with twin turbochargers and intercoolers, producing 400 hp and a top speed of 305 km/h. Otto explains what a turbocharger does in turbocharger vs supercharger. Ferrari counts it as the first of its limited-run supercars.
Why is the F40 so famous?
The F40 was built for the company’s 40th anniversary in 1987, and it was the last car Enzo Ferrari personally signed off before his death in 1988. Its twin-turbo V8 produced 478 CV, it weighed 1,100 kg and reached 324 km/h, and it was deliberately built without electronic driver aids.
What made the F50 different?
The F50 took its V12 from Ferrari’s 640 and 641 Formula 1 cars, enlarged from 3,500 to 4,698 cc. As in a racing car, the engine was part of the structure, with the rear suspension attached to it. Ferrari lists it at 520 hp with five valves per cylinder.
What is the Enzo Ferrari?
The 2002 supercar carries the founder’s full name. It had a 660 hp V12 and a carbon-fibre and Nomex monocoque, and it was offered only with Ferrari’s F1 paddle-shift gearbox. A track-only version, the FXX, began Ferrari’s XX Programme for client test drivers.
Why does the 458 Italia belong here?
Presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show with a 4.5-litre, 570 hp V8 and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the 458 Italia was developed with input from Michael Schumacher. Its engine was the last naturally aspirated engine in Ferrari’s mid-engined V8 line: the 488 GTB that followed used twin turbochargers.
Common Questions
- Why does LaFerrari appear in a different Otto article? Because it changed the company: it was the first Ferrari with two types of engine, a V12 and an electric motor. Otto covers it with the other cars that defined Ferrari.
- Where does the name Testarossa come from? Testa Rossa means red head. Ferrari first used it on the 500 TR racing car of 1956 for the colour of its cam covers, then on the 1984 Testarossa, and again on the 849 Testarossa.
- Which limited supercars followed the F40? The F50, the Enzo Ferrari, LaFerrari and, in 2024, the F80. Ferrari began the series with the GTO in 1984.
- What is Ferrari’s XX Programme? A programme of track-only cars that are not road-legal, driven by selected clients who give feedback to Ferrari’s engineers. The first was the FXX, based on the Enzo Ferrari; 29 were built.
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