THE 500 MONDIAL During Formula Two competition in 1950, Enzo Ferrari was startled to notice that the four-cylinder cars from other marques were nipping at the heels of his V-12-powered steeds.

Ferrari assigned Aurelio Lampredi to develop a four-cylinder motor.

By late 1951 Lampredi’s new naturally aspirated 2-liter inline-four-cylinder engine was being tested in monoposto form, with very promising results.

Featuring dry-sump lubrication, the new Tipo 500 engine was ignited by dual sparkplugs powered by twin magnetos and fed by two twin-choke Weber carburetors, combining to develop an impressive 170 horsepower—an improvement of 15 horsepower over the outgoing Tipo 166.

Under new FIA rules, Scuderia Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari secured consecutive championships in 1952 and 1953, solidifying Maranello’s newfound dominance in motorsport.

The success of the Lampredi inline-four spurred the factory to experiment with various chassis and displacement combinations, and in early 1954 Mara...