Legendary Motor Matchup #3
Every Tuesday for 10 weeks, starting March 3, 2020, we will present one head-to-head challenge. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to cast your vote on each matchup. The results will tally on the Top 10 Legendary Motors page every week.
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Tuesday, March 17
Ferrari “Colombo” V12
One of the most recognized racing motors of all time was a V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo and produced in numerous iterations by Italian automaker Ferrari between 1947 and 1988.
Its design may have singlehandedly been responsible for helping Ferrari establish itself as an engine building powerhouse, primarily through the 50s and 60s, with the Colombo 250, housed in one of the most celebrated, beautiful, and valued Ferraris ever—the legendary 250 GTO.
Produced between 1962 and 1964, and holding the current record for the world's most expensive car when in June 2018, a 1963 250 GTO was sold in a private sale for $70 million!
Motor Trend Classic placed the 250 GTO first on a list of the "Greatest Ferraris of All Time." Popular Mechanics named it the "Hottest Car of All Time."
We at MOONRCKT agree.
One of the greatest car movies of all time was the hilarious 1976 Gumball Rally, featuring two cars that were the stars. The antagonist, a beautiful red 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider powered by a Colombo V12, symphonic powerplant. The Hero car, a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427.
Ford “427 Cobra” V8
The Ford 427 engine is arguably the peak of Ford's big cubic inch V8s and was available from ‘58 to ‘76 in displacements from 330 to 428 cubic inches. Two different 427 blocks were produced, the top oiler and side oiler.
How good was this 427? Almost too good. The 427 made upward of 475 horsepower and made it all day long. This engine powered Ford's most famous race cars of the 1960s, including the MkIV GT40 that Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt drove to victory in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.
And of course, the 427 could be found in Carroll Shelby's 427 S/C Cobras.
Equipped with the beast of an engine and four-speed manual transmission, the 427 Cobra was astonishingly fast even by today's standards. The 0 to 60 mph time was just over 4 seconds, and 0 to 100 mph sprint took a scant 10.3 seconds.
For years, Cobra 427 was the fastest American car in every aspect, and its brutal acceleration was one of the best selling points.
The Shelby Cobra 427 motor powered one of America's most legendary and crazy mad cars, and it is why we chose it to go head to head with Italy's most famous engine maker.