Background
Ferrari began development of the 250 Testa Rossa, or “red head,” in the spring of 1957 as a successor to the 500 TRC in anticipation of lower displacement limits that would soon be imposed by the Commissione Sportiva Internazionale. After a single prototype was built with enveloped bodywork, revised Scaglietti bodywork was introduced for 1958 featuring a cutaway nose and nacelle-style fenders contoured to channel airflow to the brakes. The 1959 season ushered in bodywork designed by Pinin Farina and built by former Maserati craftsman Medardo Fantuzzi, with the resulting lower and smaller car featuring a transparent intake duct over the carburetors and reworked front fenders.
Modern Re-Creation
This Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa re-creation was constructed in the early 1980s by Tempero Coach & Motor Company of New Zealand, reportedly using a donor 250 GT and a custom-fabricated tubular chassis. The car is styled after the TR59 driven to victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring by Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Chuck Daigh, and Olivier Gendebien, and it is said to have participated in various hill climbs and club racing events while in New Zealand. It was brought to the US in the 1990s and purchased by the current owner in 2006, after which refurbishment work is noted to have been carried out.
V12
Power is provided by a 3.0-liter V12 built by Dennison International of North Puyallup, Washington, utilizing a GTO Engineering 250 GTO-specification block, Roelofs Engineering cylinder heads, GTO Engineering camshafts, a Moldex billet crankshaft, CP-Carrillo pistons, and six Roelofs Engineering replica Weber 38 DCN carburetors. Featuring hand-formed aluminum bodywork finished in red with white #7 roundels, the car is shifted via a five-speed manual transmission and rides on 16″ Borrani wheels.
Attention to Detail
It features a wrap-around windscreen along with faired-in Marchal headlights, driving lamps, a side-exit exhaust system, and Dunlop disc brakes. Inside, the left-hand-drive cockpit features a pair of bucket seats trimmed in blue cloth and accompanied by Sabelt lap belts, a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel, and Jaeger instrumentation. This 250 TR re-creation is now offered on dealer consignment in Arizona with service records, an FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form, and a clean Oregon title listing the vehicle as a 1962 Ferrari.
This re-creation’s aluminum bodywork was reportedly hand-formed by Errol Tempero using a donor 250 GT, at which time a custom tubular chassis was also fabricated. The car is styled after the 250 TR driven to victory at the 1959 iteration of the 12 Hours of Sebring, and it was refinished in red under current ownership. White number 7 roundels have been adhered to the hood, decklid, and both sides, while Scuderia shields are located on either front fender. Further exterior details include faired-in Marchal headlights with yellow bulbs as well as driving lamps set within the grille, a wrap-around windscreen, a single windshield wiper, a left mirror, leather hood and decklid straps, Pininfarina badging, and a polished fuel filler cap.
Wire Wheels
Borrani 16″ wire-spoke wheels secured via three-eared knock-offs are finished in silver and mounted with 6.00-16 and 6.50-16 Dunlop Racing tires. The wheels are stamped with part numbers RW2977 and RW3264, which are shown in the gallery along with 2009 date stamps. The car is equipped with rack-and-pinion steering and rides on an A-arm independent front setup, a De Dion rear axle, and coilover shock absorbers at each corner. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel disc brakes with two-piston Dunlop calipers.
Interior
The cockpit is configured in left-hand drive and houses a pair of fixed-back bucket seats fitted with Sabelt latch-and-link lap belts and trimmed in blue cloth upholstery that extends to the driver’s headrest. An electric kill switch is located below the gray-finished dashboard, while a hand-formed fuel cell is fitted in the trunk compartment. Additional appointments include a gated shifter with a polished knob as well as leather door pulls and a rearview mirror.
The wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel with a Ferrari horn button fronts a central Jaeger 10k-rpm tachometer along with gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature, and fuel level. The instrumentation and vehicle control switches were reportedly sourced from a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and total mileage is unknown.
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