A legend's top Ferrari Le Mans racers

The late Paul Frere was a legendary journalist and a driver good enough to win Le Mans and finish second in the Belgian Grand Prix. In 1998 he talked to Autosport about the great – and not-so-great – Ferrari moments in the 24 Hours

Ferrari 166 MM

The 166 MM gave Ferrari victory on its Le Mans 24 Hours debut

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Year: 1949
Drivers: Luigi Chinetti/Lord Selsdon
Result: 1st

Ferrari won Le Mans at its first attempt with the 166 MM. The only other marque to do this in the race’s history has been McLaren in 1995. Perhaps Ferrari’s achievement is not as great, because in 1949 most of its opponents were pre-war models, but it started a great history at La Sarthe for Ferrari. Luigi Chinetti drove for 22 hours, which was a great achievement, but not unique – Louis Rosier won in 1950 after driving his Talbot-Lago for every lap except one!

Ferrari 375 Plus

The 375 Plus was all about engine power to attack on the Mulsanne

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Year: 1954
Drivers: Jose Froilan Gonzalez/Maurice Trintignant
Result: 1st

Maurice Trintignant was a good friend of mine and he said the 375, Ferrari’s reply to the Jaguar C-type, was a beast to drive. It didn’t handle properly, but no Ferraris of those times did. Ferrari was only interested in the engine, and the 375 was good for Le Mans because it was so fast on the Mulsanne. Enzo Ferrari once said to me: “Aerodynamics are something for people who can’t build good engines.” That was very typical of his attitude.

Ferrari TR60

Frere achieved his racing ambition by winning Le Mans with the TR60

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Year: 1960
Drivers: Olivier Gendebien/Paul Frere
Result: 1st

This was the most beautiful of the Testa Rossa Ferraris, the classic design in Ferrari history. It wasn’t very good aerodynamically, though, with its big windscreen. I had a terrible time in the final two hours with the brakes and I was so anxious. That’s the sort of thing you think about when you’re leading and close to victory. At the finish, it was a fabulous feeling. I’m proud of winning for Ferrari because I was never a professional driver, just an amateur, and never drove a whole season. My target was to win Le Mans and, when I achieved my ambition, I stopped racing.

Ferrari 250 P

Ferrari's era of Le Mans domination was highlighted by the 250 P

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Year: 1963
Drivers: Lorenzo Bandini/Ludovico Scarfiotti
Result: 1st

The 250 P was not one of the classics compared to the Testa Rossas, but that three-litre V12 was a fantastic engine, and it was the first mid-engined Ferrari to win [Le Mans]. Once the rear-engined grand prix cars worked, Ferrari was happy to change the sportscars as well, but he was always very conservative in adopting novel engineering ideas. It was Ferrari’s seventh win at Le Mans and, by now, the result seemed a foregone conclusion. Ferrari’s winning streak was only stopped by Aston Martin in 1959. Until Ford arrived, no one was able to challenge the Prancing Horse.

Top 10: Ferrari F1 cars

Ferrari 330 P4

While the 330 P4 didn't gain as much success against the might of Ford, it still won many admirers

Photo by: Sutton Images

Year: 1967
Drivers: Mike Parkes/Ludovico Scarfiotti
Result: 2nd

Although it was beaten by Ford, the P4 is great because it was a fantastically good-looking car. But, by the late-1960s, the tide had turned, and Ferrari had scored its last Le Mans win back in 1965. A company as big as Ford invested so much money into the GT40 that Ferrari stood no chance. Enzo was always hurt by being beaten, but unfortunately the P4 wasn’t quite good enough.

Archive: When Ferrari almost stopped Ford's Le Mans steamroller

Ferrari 512M

The Ferrari 512M marked the beginning of the end for Ferrari in sportscars

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

Year: 1971
Drivers: Tony Adamowicz/Sam Posey
Result: 3rd

The 512 was a very impressive car but, by that time, Ferrari was not scientific enough, unlike Porsche. Ferrari was governed by the heart and intuition. The Porsche 917 was more reliable, lighter and it handled better than the 512. It did beat the Porsche a few times, but not many. By the 1970s, motorsport was becoming very specialised, and Ferrari soon chose in 1974 to concentrate its resources solely on Formula 1.

PLUS: When Penske built the world’s fastest Ferrari

Ferrari 312 PB

The 312 PB rated highly for Frere compared to its contemporaries

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Year: 1973
Drivers: Arturo Merzario/Carlos Pace
Result: 2nd

The 312 won many sportscar races but was beaten by Matra at Le Mans as Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace had some problems. It was basically a two-seater F1 car, using the three-litre flat 12 GP engine. By now, Ferrari had learned to build a car that handled well. The 312 PBs were good, compact cars. I rate this as an all-time classic Ferrari, better than the 512.

PLUS: The greatest sportscars never to win Le Mans

Ferrari 512BB

The 512BB came as a sorry effort compared to Ferrari's super successful history

Photo by: Luis Betancourt

Year: 1981
Drivers: Claude Ballot-Lena/Jean-Claude Andruet
Result: 5th

This car, which appeared in various guises at Le Mans between 1978 and 1984, should never have been raced, because it was not really designed to do the job. It was not suitable for track use; the centre of gravity, gearbox and engine were too high. It rather tarnished the Ferrari legend. If I was Enzo Ferrari, I wouldn’t have liked these private cars to race. Although one finished fifth in 1981, it was one of the worst Ferraris to race.

Paul Frere was talking to Tim Scott

Top 10 Le Mans Ferraris ranked: Testa Rossa, P4, 312 PB and more