Ferrari P4

In 1966 Ford made good on the early promise of the GT40, winning both LeMans and the Constructor’s Championship for Sports-Prototypes. Enzo Ferrari responded by assigning Mauro Forghieri the task of designing what was to become the P4 for the 1967 season. Franco Rocchi designed one of the great engines – a 4-liter, 36 valve, V-12, and Piero Drogo provided the wonderful bodywork. The Gurney-Foyt-Ford MkIV combination overwhelmed Ferrari at LeMans, while Chaparral provided a big threat with a single car throughout the season, and the new Lola T70’s had enough pace to deal with anyone.

Nonetheless, a second place to Chaparral at the season-ending Brands Hatch event was sufficient to gain Ferrari the Championship by a single point. For 1968, the FIA announced a new engine capacity of 3-liters for racing engines and 5-liters for stock-blocks, rendering the MkIV Ford, the Chaparral, and the P4 obsolete. An era had ended.