The Ferrari 735 S

Table of Contents:

Ferrari 735 S – Key Details

The Ultimate Guide to the Ferrari 735 S

FERRARI 735 S – A SHORT-LIVED BUT SUCCESSFUL FERRARI MONZA GRAND PRIX RACER

The 1953 Ferrari 735 S was something special; along with the 625 TF, it was one of the company’s first four-cylinder, closed-wheel racing cars. This represented a new philosophy for the Italian carmaker as they shifted their focus from the large, boisterous Colombo V12s to these smaller, more reliable Aurelio Lampredi-designed four-cylinder engines. This experiment had already paid dividends in F1, with the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder 553 F1 cars proving to be not only lighter but more reliable than previous engines.

THE DESIGN

Carrozzeria Autodromo was responsible for the Ferrari 735 S’s styling, which featured a sharper, sportier profile than the contemporary 625 TF. That more aggressive demeanour was justified, too. Whereas the 625 F used a 2.5-litre engine, the 735 housed a more powerful 2.9-litre inline-4. With 225 bhp on tap, the 735 S had plenty of horsepower, boasting an even 300 bhp per ton. It proved the more effective racer as well, pulling ahead of the lighter and less powerful 625 TF at the Italian Grand Prix.

LIMITED RACE ACTION

It was another Ferrari, a 250 MM in fact, that would spell the end of the road for the 735 S. It wasn’t because the 250’s 12-cylinder engine was superior, however. Piloting the 735 S, Alberto Ascari managed to take the lead at the 1953 Italian Grand Prix at Monza until a collision with a 250 MM caused him to have to drop out. Still, that limited success at Monza, as well as a couple smaller races, was enough to prompt Ferrari to continue its work on these so-called “Monza” four-cylinder race cars.

CONTINUING THE EXPERIMENT

Although the 735 S’s racing career was a short one, the car proved very useful for Ferrari. This car proved that a lightweight model using a more reliable but less powerful engine was a winning race strategy. Over the next 3 years, Ferrari would continue their great 4-cylinder experiment with 8 more cars, including the 500 Mondial. Even most non-car people can probably tell you that Ferrari decided to stop using four-cylinder engines a long time ago, but it was nevertheless a very interesting chapter in the manufacturer’s history.

Ferrari 735 S – Photo Gallery

Ferrari 735 S – Technical Specifications

Ferrari 735 S – Registry & Videos

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