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This Ferrari 330 LMB Once Hit 300 KM/H On the Mulsanne Straight

Back in the epoch when Ferrari was more about racing than its road-going car business, the Prancing Horse of Maranello made lots of amazing go-fast rides. The Ferrari 330 LMB is a case in point.
1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA) 11 photos
Photo: Rick Cole Auctions
1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)1963 Ferrari 330 LM Berlinetta (chassis 4381 SA)
Even though we regard the 250 GTO as the greatest Ferrari of them all, the truth of the matter is the Cavallino Rampante made rarer and faster race cars back in the 1960s. One of those cars is the 330 Le Mans Berlinetta, which is best remembered for being the first car to break the 300 km/h (186 mph) barrier on the Mulsanne Straight, when Mulsanne was still straight.

Only four examples of the Ferrari 330 Le Mans Berlinetta were ever made. Chassis 4381 SA featured in the adjacent photographs is the one driven at 300 km/h on the 6-km long Mulsanne Straight by Mike Parkes at the Le Mans trials in April 1963. According to Rick Cole Auctions, chassis 4381 SA will go under the hammer at an auction slated to take place in Monterey next month.

The Burbank, CA-based outfit highlights that the Prancing Horse is “arguably superior to the 250 GTO,” it was “displayed at the March 1963 Ferrari Press Conference,” and that it was “owned by a number of the world’s top Ferrari collectors.” What’s more, chassis 4381 SA starred in Spirits of the Dead, a feature film that was co-directed by famous Italian director Federico Fellini.

Because of its racing car nature, the exact mileage of this 1963 Ferrari 330 Le Mans Berlinetta is not known. Regarding estimated value, you will have to drop an email to Rick Cole Auctions to find out how much this blast from the past is worth. Like all models from the 330 Series, the 330 LMB is motivated by a 4.0-liter freely aspirated V12 powerplant. Six twin-choke Weber carburetors help the engine develop up to 400 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, all of them sent to the live rear axle via a four-speed manual transmission.

So there you have it, boys and girls. If your pockets are deep enough and the 250 GTO is too mainstream for your liking, don’t pass on this opportunity to own one of the greatest racing cars ever to come out of Maranello.


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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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