Ferrari 330 P4. When even speed was beautiful

Have we reached a point where the aesthetic appeal of the car has been overshadowed by efficiency? It certainly appears that way when you compare models built with the same goal, some fifty years apart, 56, to be exact. Here, we consider two Ferraris, both designed for Endurance Racing: the 330 P4, the Sports Prototypes World Champion of 1967, and its modern counterpart, the Ferrari 499 P, recent victor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, each vying for the same prestigious title.

In 1967, the invention of engineers and coachbuilders led to the creation of what many consider the most beautiful Ferrari of all time. Famous from its debut with the side-by-side parade victory at the 24 hours of Daytona, the P4 possessed the sinuosity of a goddess. Its impeccably harmonious and seductively smooth contours marked it as a formidable racing car. Introduced in the very same year the American Chaparral introduced a movable wing – a first for motor racing – the P4 was devoid of conspicuous aerodynamic appendages while the air intakes and exhaust slots conveyed a message of power that perfectly matched the performance of the engine.