The name Monza inside Ferrari it has been long and fruitful. It began in the 1950s with purely competition models and has now been revived by the exclusive Monza SP1 and SP2. Although today we are going to talk about one of its most prominent predecessors, the Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder which was available between 1954 and 1956. It helped mark a golden age in endurance racing with an interesting paradigm shift.
To date, the brand of cavallino they had specialized in V12 engines, with the Gioacchino Colombo block giving them much joy. However, to enter the predecessor of the World Endurance Championship, they went to work with the engine of inline four cylinder designed by Aurelio Lampredi. With this block of 3.0 liters a 250 hp powermuch more outstanding than the 170 CV of the 2.0-liter engine that the Ferrari 500 Mondial had, which had been its predecessor.
On a technical level, it was one of the first Ferrari cars to use Disc brakes on all four wheels, something key to improve his performance in competition and to control those 250 km/h that he achieved on top. It came complete with an independent double-arm front suspension and a rigid axle rear suspension for precise handling. With an exemplary setup, he obtained a outstanding presence in competition during his few years of life.
It was driven by drivers of the stature of Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio; there is even that fateful anecdote that Alberto Ascari died in 1955 behind the wheel of a Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder. In 1956 they stopped doing it and focused on their evolutions, with the 500TR and 860 Monza, leaving manufactured only 31 units of what could be the best valued Monza. Currently it is a collectors item, with some really special units.
Few specimens can boast of have never dropped below seven figures in the present times. In recent years we have seen several Ferrari 750 Monza Spyders change hands at public auctions and their price has always been above one million euros. Some sales stand out, such as that of the 530M unit in 2013 for no less than 4.07 million dollars or that of the 510M unit for 5.22 million dollars in 2016. In short, a jewel of motorsport that will always be remembered.
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