Description

The Ferrari 330 P3 was introduced in 1966 as the next stage of Ferrari’s mid-engined prototype sports racers, following the 330 P2. By the mid-1960s, the competition in endurance racing had grown fiercer than ever, with Ford’s GT40 program rapidly developing into a major threat. To counter this, Ferrari refined the P3 into a more sophisticated and technically advanced machine, aiming to maintain its dominance at Le Mans, Sebring, and other long-distance events that defined the World Sportscar Championship.

Powering the 330 P3 was a 4.0-liter V12 engine derived from Ferrari’s proven Colombo lineage but equipped with fuel injection for the first time. This innovation delivered smoother power delivery and improved efficiency, allowing the car to produce around 420 horsepower. The engine was mounted in a lightweight chassis constructed from steel with bonded aluminum panels, providing greater rigidity while keeping weight down. For transmission, Ferrari experimented with a ZF five-speed gearbox, though it was not without its reliability issues.

The bodywork of the 330 P3 was a masterpiece of aerodynamic design, created with low drag and high stability in mind. Built by Carrozzeria Drogo, the car featured a long, low nose, wide wheel arches, and a flowing tail that improved airflow at high speeds. It was available both as a closed berlinetta and in open spyder form, the latter often favored for shorter events and hotter climates. Its proportions were strikingly beautiful, continuing Ferrari’s tradition of producing some of the most elegant racing cars of the era.

In competition, the 330 P3 showed flashes of brilliance but was ultimately overshadowed by the increasingly powerful Ford GT40 Mk II, which carried larger V8 engines and greater resources behind its development. The P3’s most notable appearances came in 1966, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Ferrari struggled against the might of Ford’s multi-car effort. Reliability issues, particularly with the gearbox, hampered its potential, and Ferrari recognized that further refinement was needed to remain competitive. This led to the development of the 330 P3/4 and ultimately the 330 P4, which would become one of Ferrari’s most celebrated endurance racers.

Only three Ferrari 330 P3s were built, making it one of the rarest of Ferrari’s prototype cars. Despite its limited success on the track, the P3 played an essential role in Ferrari’s racing story, serving as the experimental bridge between the earlier P2 and the highly successful P4. Its combination of technical innovation, stunning design, and rarity has made it one of the most coveted prototypes among collectors, remembered as much for its role in Ferrari’s rivalry with Ford as for its own intrinsic beauty and engineering.