Ferrari 330 P4

Lore & Background

The 330 P4 was an improved version of the 330 P, with a lower and lighter chassis and more aerodynamic body, paired with a revamped version of the 330 V12 equipped with four camshafts and producing 410 hp. The 330 P2 (a predecessor) was first used by NART in the Daytona race in 1965. The P2 cars were replaced by the P3 for 1966, and the P4 followed later. The 330 P4 used a new, lighter chassis derived from the P3, not shared with the earlier 250 P or 275 P. It is not possible to clearly determine the number of chassis produced with each engine type as engines were swapped as needed between cars.

In Their Own Story

The morning mist still clung to the tarmac at the start of the Mulsanne Straight as Pedro Rodríguez eased the Ferrari 330 P4 into position. The V12 engine roared, a deep, guttural sound that vibrated through the chassis and up his spine. Around him, the grid was a cacophony of engines, but inside the cockpit, there was only the rhythmic ticking of the dashboard instruments and the smell of high-octane fuel. As the lights went out, he slammed the clutch down, the car launching forward with terrifying acceleration. The world blurred into green hedges and gray asphalt; for a brief, glorious moment, the P4 felt invincible, slicing through the air like a knife before the mechanical demons of endurance racing would inevitably begin their work.

Reader's Guide

The 330 P4 was actively and successfully raced by Scuderia Ferrari and NART during the 1964 and 1965 seasons. The most notable result was a 1-2-3 sweep at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, though that was achieved by 275 P and 330 P cars, not the P4. The 330 P4 itself did not win Le Mans in 1967 (it finished 2nd and 3rd). Ferrari won Le Mans outright in 1968 with the 312 P, a different car. The 1967 World Sportscar Championship was won by Ferrari with the 330 P4.

Did You Know?

• The 330 P4 used a 4.0L V12 (Type 242) derived from the 330 P3/4, not from the 400 Superamerica road cars.
• The 330 P4 developed approximately 450 bhp and weighed 785 kg.
• The fastest lap in the 1967 Le Mans race was set by Mario Andretti in the Ford GT40 Mk IV, not by Rodríguez in the P4.
• Lorenzo Bandini never drove the 330 P4 in competition; he was a Ferrari F1 driver and died in a crash at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix before the 1967 Le Mans race.