Ferrari GTO

The Ferrari GTO Story

Part I | Part II

Part III | Part IV

Interior

Engine/Transmission

GTO Up Close

Racing GTO

1984 GTO

GTO Exposed

GTO Specifications

Car and Driver
Comparison

GTO Trivia

Pontiac GTO

GTO Books

"Red Hot GTO"
by Charles Maher

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	s/n 3943 GT
	Most impressive are the six twin throat Weber 38 DCN carburetors with polished velocity stacks. Two Marelli distibutors handled six cylinders each; they contain two sets of points with each set handling three cylinders each. It was not the kind of set-up one would take to Tune-Up Masters for maintenance.

To many enthusiasts, a Ferrari is more an engine than a car. Nobody can deny that the Ferrari name is synonymous with the most exciting automotive powerplants ever produced. In the case of the GTO, detractors insist that the competition success was due to the motor and that Ferrari neglected the chassis developement. Others will point out that the racing success could not have been achieved without both elements in place.

s/n 3729 GT

The Ferrari GTO is a V12 engine. Displacement is 3.0 liters, or to be precise, 2953 cc (180 cubic inches). It originally saw service in the 250 series of Ferraris manufactured in the 1960s and was designed by Gioacchino Colombo. There were a few modifications for GTO service, the most significant being dry sump lubrication. Both the block and heads were made of alloy alluminum. The steel crankshaft was a seven main bearing design. A copper radiator kept things cool and a copper oil cooler was mounted in front of the radiator, but strangely enough no thermostat or cooling fan was supplied. A few owners fitted electric cooling fans for increased piece of mind.

All 250 GTO engines were tested on a dynomometer and found to achieve between 290 to just over 300 horsepower, peaking at around 7500 rpm.

s/n 4219 GT

Ferrari GTO shift pattern. Although common today, a five speed transmission was exotic stuff in 1962. Unlike todays transmissions which have 1st thru 4th in an "H" pattern with fifth to the right and up, the GTO featured 2nd thru 5th, the gears used in competition, in the "H". First was to the left and down, (sometimes known as "dog-leg first") since at a racing event, it was useful only at the start and for getting the car back on the trailer.

The GTO shifter, shown here in third gear. It, and the clutch, was easy to use after warmup although some drivers complained of throws that were too long for competition. All forward gears were synchromesh, using Porsche synchronizers. One of the few examples of detail beauty in the interior was the chromed shift gate plate, a tradition still seen on present day Ferraris. The transmission case was exclusive to the GTO. Fifth was a direct drive. The differential was a ZF limited slip unit.

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