This is a 3.0 liter Ferrari Tipo 047 Formula 1 V10 engine that was used in the 1998 season. In full race trim the engine is capable of 805 bhp at a screaming 17,300 rpm.
After the 1998 season this engine ended up in the private collection of Ferrari Formula 1 engineer Nigel Stepney, and it carries the signature of Michael Schumacher on the left-side cam cover. This engine was used in the Ferrari F300 F1 car, which took six wins during the season.
This is a cutaway of the Ferrari F300 Formula 1 car, showing many of the internal components and the location of the Ferrari Tipo 047 Formula 1 V10 engine. Image courtesy of Ferrari.
The Ferrari F300 Formula 1 Car
The Ferrari F300 was designed under Technical Director Ross Brawn by Rory Byrne, Giorgio Ascanelli, Aldo Costa, Willem Toet, and Nikolas Tombazis. It resembled the Ferrari F310B from a year earlier but there were few parts in common between the two cars.
Although the Ferrari F300 was an undeniably fast car, it wasn’t quite a match for the McLaren MP4/13 which had better aerodynamics. Mika Häkkinen would ultimately win the 1998 Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship for McLaren, with plenty of assistance from teammate David Coulthard.
Despite the speed of the McLaren, Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher was able to wrestle his car to second in both Championships, a remarkable feat. He would manage to win 6 of the 16 races in 1998 and kept Ferrari in the chase for the title right till the final stages of the season.
The Ferrari Tipo 047 V10 engine was developed by Paolo Martinelli and Giles Simon. It’s a 3.0 liter unit with an 90º bank angle, double overhead cams per bank, four valves per cylinder, Magneti Marelli electronic indirect fuel-injection, and a compression ratio of 12.3:1.
With 805 bhp at 17,300 rpm it was one of the most reliable engines on the grid in 1998, and one of the most powerful. Power was sent back to the rear wheels via an electro-hydraulic 7-speed transaxle.
The left cam cover of this engine has been signed by Michael Schumacher, undeniably one of the greatest drivers of all time, and a man who used this engine type in the 1998 F1 season.
Relatively few of these engines are in private hands, and even fewer are freestanding and not bolted into the back of a Ferrari F300. The engine has various numbered components and is accompanied by an exhaust, crankshaft, two camshafts, and a set of numbered gears.
It’s now due to be offered by RM Sotheby’s on the 5th of February with a price guide of $60,000 – $85,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images: Paolo Carlini ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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