Ferrari Dino 268SP

One of the more interesting cars exhibited at the recent Chelsea Autolegends show was a rare Ferrari 268SP.

Unveiled in 1962 the 268SP was one of a series of Sports Prototypes unveiled that year using broadly the same chassis design and bodywork but with a variety of different engines. The engine is broadly 2/3s of a Ferrari 400 Superamerica V12, with a single cam per bank, and with a larger capacity and more cylinders and Ferrari possibly considered this to be a simpler way of producing horsepower than the four cam V6 used in the 246SP, Ferrari may have considered this relative simplicity  to be more attractive to customer teams (both engines were reported to produce to around 260 -270bhp).

The 268 did not turn out to be very successful and was overshadowed by the 246 powered SP cars (Phil Hill and Oliver Gendebien used one of these to win the Nurburgring 1000km in 1962 and another led at Le Mans before retiring  in the hands of the Rodrieguez brothers) but the 268SP could arguably considered to be were the development of the very illustrious line of mid engined V8 Ferrari sports cars all began.