The very first Ferrari was the 125 of 1947, but the first model to really put the company on the map was the 166.
In Ferrari’s early days, Gioacchino Colombo and Aurelio Lampredi each pursued their own philosophy in terms of engine design.
Whereas the 410 Superamerica that preceded it had used the Lampredi engine, the 400 Superamerica switched to a 4-litre version of the Colombo V12 when it was introduced in 1959.
Introduced in 1962, it took the basic ingredients of the Short Wheelbase but added a five-speed gearbox, dry-sump lubrication, six carburettors rather than three, and a more aerodynamically efficient body.
The 275 represented a major step forward for Ferrari when it was launched in 1964. The Colombo V12 was now in 3.3-litre
Strictly speaking, this wasn’t badged as a Ferrari, but let’s not get caught up in issues of branding. Ferrari had been using the name on some of its racing cars since the mid-1950s.
Developed as a replacement for the Daytona, the Ferrari 365GT4 BB was introduced at the 1971 Turin motor show and was the first mid-engined road car to carry the Ferrari name.
Ferrari’s first production V8 road car was the Dino 308GT4, which was joined in 1975 by the 308GTB – and whereas the Bertone-styled Dino 2+2 was very angular.
If you’re going to reintroduce the ‘GTO’ name, you’d better be sure that the car is going to live up to it. Fortunately, the 288 did just that.