This is the Colombo V12 from a 1960s-era Ferrari 365 GT 2+2. Known as the Colombo V12 after the engineer Gioacchino Colombo who designed it, this V12 would have a remarkable lifespan – remaining in production from 1947 until 1988.
The version of the Colombo V12 used in the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 had a displacement of 4.4 liters and was capable of 320 bhp at 6,600 rpm – an impressive 74 bhp per liter. The 365 GT 2+2 was first shown to the world at the 1967 Paris Motor Show, as the successor to the 500 Superfast in the same lineage as the 250 GTE and 330 GT 2+2.
The 365 GT 2+2 was first shown to the world at the 1967 Paris Motor Show, as the successor to the 500 Superfast in the same lineage as the 250 GTE and 330 GT 2+2. Images courtesy of Ferrari.
The Colombo V12 is almost certainly the most important engine design in Ferrari history. It was the Italian automaker’s first engine design, originally with a displacement of just 1.5 liters (1,496.77cc). The engine had been developed with a view to using it in Formula 1, and it would first race in the Ferrari 125 F1 in supercharged form in 1948.
Gioacchino Colombo and his engineering team, which also included Giuseppe Busso and Luigi Bazzi, designed the engine with a 60º bank angle, a single overhead cam per bank, two-valves per cylinder, a cross-flow head design, and they ensured that there was plenty of headroom to increase the bore over time for larger displacements.
During its 41 year production run the engine would be modified significantly. The displacement would be increased all the way to 4.9 liters (4,943cc), it would switch from carburetors to electronic fuel injection, from a single overhead cam per bank to double overhead cams per side, and from two-valves per cylinder to four-valves.
The Colombo would power some of the most memorable Ferraris ever made including the 250 GTO, 250 Testa Rossa, the Daytona, California Spyder, 275 GTB/4, 330 P4, 250 LM, and countless others. In many respects this is the engine that powered Ferrari sports cars on track and on the street for decades.
The Ferrari 365 GT Colombo V12 Shown Here
The engine you see here was removed from a Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 and as you can see in the images, it remains in original, unrestored condition throughout.
This Colombo V12 is largely complete and comes with pistons, connecting rods, exhaust headers, the intake manifold, and both heads.
It includes the block and heads as well as all the key internals, as well as left and right exhaust headers and the intake manifold. It doesn’t come with the six Weber carburetors it’ll need to run, or a number of other parts like the alternator, starter motor, or ignition system.
This Colombo V12 is now due to be offered for sale by Artcurial at Rétromobile in Paris on the 9th of February with a price guide of €10,000 – €15,000 or approximately $10,379 – $15,551 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Artcurial
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
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.