The 1957 Ferrari 625/250 TRC is the very definition of a dream car. This isn’t a daily driver. It’s a race car. It was first owned by Johnny von Neumann, a contemporary of notable racers like Carroll Shelby and Briggs Cunningham. Since he wanted to go faster (as all race car drivers do) von Neumann had the Ferrari modified to hold the V-12 engine it carries to this day. Besides winning numerous races there’s something else that makes this car a standout. It’s beautiful. Just look at it for goodness sakes. There’s hardly a line out of place and the best part is that the current owner, Bruce Meyer, understands what a magnificent car this is. In this Petrolicious video celebrating Ferrari North America’s 60th anniversary, Mr. Meyer drives the car and talks with all the reverence and affection this machine deserves.
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This is the Winningest Ferrari Ever
Would you care to guess what the most winning Ferrari chassis (in period) in history is? It’s not an ex-Formula One car and it isn’t an Indy racer. It is chassis number #0672, this 625/250 TRC. Ordered new from Ferrari in 1957 by Mr. John von Neumann, an accomplished racer in his own right, along with another 625 TRC both fitted with 2.5L ex-Le Mans four-cylinders. John’s assistant was Mr. Richie Ginther, who ran John’s stable of race cars and also competed along with John, effectively creating a very winning race team.
After a few races, John ordered the first 250TR engine (#0750TR) and had Richie shoehorn the big V-12 into the diminutive TRC (and this is the only TRC with a factory V-12). So how successful was it? Well, it won the Grand Prix of Mexico and races in Laguna Seca, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Nassau, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Pomona, Sacramento, and the list continues. It took on all challengers and frequently beat them. The car was so successful in fact, that even after the car was sold in 1961 to Mr. Otto Zipper it continued winning into the 1962 season with Ken Miles at the helm! Imagine a top tier, five-year old race car winning today! It was simply a state of the art combination of the gorgeous, light TRC body and a strong, reliable three-liter engine.
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