This is the 4.4 Liter Colombo V12 from a 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, it’s currently in a disassembled state and requires a recommissioning followed by reassembly.
The engine will make a fascinating project for the right person, all the major parts seem to be accounted for and the engine is already in pieces, just waiting for the restoration process to begin.
This is how the Colombo V12 from the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 looks in fully assembled condition with the transmission and ancillaries bolted on. Image courtesy of Ferrari.The Colombo V12 stands as the most important Ferrari engine of the 20th century and probably the most important of all time to the current day. First appearing in 1947, the Colombo was Ferrari’s first in-house developed V12. It was followed by the larger Lampredi V12 in 1950 which certainly made a mark, but it would never approach the production numbers or lifespan of its earlier predecessor.
Designed by Gioacchino Colombo, the Colombo V12 as it became known started out with a displacement of just 1.5 liters and it was first fitted to the Ferrari 125 S sports racing car. The engine was advanced for the time, with a single overhead cam per bank driving two valves per cylinder. The heads and block were both made from lightweight aluminum alloy and the engine had a V-angle of 60º.
Despite its diminutive proportions at the time of its release, the Colombo would grow significantly over the course of its production, from 1.5 liters all the way up to 4.9 liters, with upwards of 395 bhp. Both wet and dry sump versions were produced, as well as carbureted and fuel-injected examples, some with double overhead cams per bank and four valves per cylinder, and both road and racing versions.
It would be the Colombo V12 that powered many of Ferrari’s most iconic vehicles, including the Ferrari 250 GTO, the 250 GT SWB, the (original) Testa Rossa, the 275 GTB, the 365 California, the 400 Superamerica, and perhaps most importantly, the Ferrari 125 F1 – Ferrari’s first Formula 1 car.
The Colombo V12 would remain in production from 1947 to 1988, an incredible 41 year production run that would see the engine become Ferrari’s longest-running production V12.
The Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 Colombo V12 Shown Here
As noted further up this is the disassembled Colombo V12 from a 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2. This is a 4.4 liter version of the engine that would have been turning out 320 bhp at 6,600 rpm when it was brand new off the factory floor.
The engine is in largely complete condition but it’s clear that a full rebuild is going to be required before assembly can begin.This engine comes with the cylinder heads, block, camshafts, black-finished valve covers, triple Weber carburetors, intake manifolds, dual Magnetti Marelli distributors, exhaust headers, a flywheel, and a clutch. The internal components have largely been removed and will accompany the engine.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Honolulu, Hawaii on Bring a Trailer with no reserve price. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
