Ferrari P

Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move for road use, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1963. Although these cars shared their names (based on engine displacement) with road models, they were almost entirely dissimilar. The first mid-engined Ferrari road car did not arrive until the 1967 Dino, and it was 1971 before a Ferrari V12 was placed behind a road-going driver in the 365 GT4 BB.

250 P

The 250 P racer was almost entirely unrelated to the other 250 cars. It was a mid-engined sports car racer with a 250 Testa Rossa V12 engine. The car was produced in 1963 and won the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the manufacturers' championship.

250 LM

The 250 P evolved into a saleable mid-engined racer for the public, the 250 LM. Introduced at Paris in November, 1963, the LM was successful for privately-entered racers around the world. Aboug 32 models were built in 1964 and 1965, with all but the first few powered by 3.3 L 320 hp (238 kW) engines, though the name did not change with the increase in displacement. A fully-independent double wishbone suspension was specified with rack and pinion steering and four wheel disc brakes.

330 P

The 250 P was stretched in 1964 to accept the 4.0 L 330 engine, becoming the 330 P.

330 P2

An entirely new car, the 330 P2, followed in 1965. It was first used by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) at Daytona that year. It was powered by a 410 hp (305 kW) version of the 330 V12.

330 P3

The 1966 330 P3 introduced fuel injection to the Ferrari stable. It also used a ZF transmission, another Ferrari first that would only last one season.

330 P4

1967 saw the ultimate mid-engined 330 P, the 330 P4. With a 3-valve cylinder head added to the P3's fuel injection system, output was up to 450 hp (335 kW). Only four were ever made. Due to its great fame, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built.

The 330 P4 electrified the racing world when three of the four crossed the finish line together (in first, second, and third place) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona and became a symbol of victory over arch-enemy Ford. Suprisingly the 330 P4 had poor aerodynamics even in comparison with its rivals, but its sexy looks continue to grab attention.

One of the original cars was said to be totalled in a racing accident and discarded afterwards, another is in a French automobile museum, another is held by a Canadian collector, and the fourth (owned by American Walter Medlin) was set to be auctioned off in March 2005 to pay for back taxes before the owner came up with US$3 million to protect it.

The "destroyed" P4 car, chassis no. 846, resurfaced in the posession of exotic car collector and enthusiast Jim Glickenhaus, the former movie director and stock exchange magnate. He bought it as a replica only to realize it was an original while having it restored. This disputed claim of discovery, which potentially has multi-million dollar implications, set off a heated argument among Ferrari fans, which raged through much of 2004. Although the animosity remains, consensus now favours Jim, based on photographic evidence and Ferrari's official recognition of the car as chassis #846. Today, Jim's car is a daily driver.

The original P4 cars are estmated to be worth about US$10 million each. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g. a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) may be built for $50,000.

412 P

The Ferrari 412P was a "consumer version" of the famous 330 P3/P4 race car, built for independent teams like Scuderia Filippinetti. These cars had carburettor engines instead of the factory Lucas fuel ijection. Surviving 412P cars are worth approximately US$4 million nowadays.