ON THE ROAD TO LE MANS Tracing the evolution of Ferrari’s Lampredi long-block racing V-12 engine through the early 1950s reveals a connect-the-dots of important competition victories, leading from smaller World Sportscar Championship events like the 1000 KM of Buenos Aires to the Mille Miglia all the way up to the important win at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans.

As displacement volumes regularly increased, complemented by ever-larger Weber carburetors and increasingly powerful ignition systems, the cars faced consistently fierce competition while cutting out an indelible place in racing history.

This pattern continued at Le Mans in 1953 with the first appearance of a 4.5-liter Pinin Farina-bodied berlinetta, chassis number 0318 AM, which was noticeably longer than the preceding 340 MM cars thanks to a wheelbase extended by four inches.

This first 375 MM was powered by an engine developed specifically for the 1952 Indianapolis 500, and it set a lap record while being driven by Alberto ...