Ferrari 159 S

The 159 S was designed to be the successor to Ferrari's first vehicle, the 125. Unlike its predecessor, which won six of 14 races earlier in 1947, the 159 had a short racing life and was quickly converted into the 166 SC for the following racing season.

Overview

Chassis

The 159 S used a steel tube-frame chassis and had independent wishbone suspension with transverse leaf springs in front with a live axle in the rear and hydraulic shock absorbers all round. Drum brakes were specified front and rear.

Engine

The 159 S was powered by a 1.9 L (1903 cc/116 in³) 60° V12 with a bore/stroke of 59 x 58 mm. This engine produced 125 bhp (92 kW) at 6,500 rpm with a compression ratio of 8.5:1. It was a single overhead camshaft design with 2 valves per cylinder and three Weber 32DCF carburettors.

Transmission

The 159 S sported a five-speed manual transmissions and retained the Fiat tradition of mounting the engine in-block with the gearbox.

Examples

One Ferrari 159 was built, with chassis number 002C. The oldest Ferrari car still in existence with an undisputed pedigree is a 166 Spyder Corsa number 002C, which was originally a 159 and is currently owned and driven by James Glickenhaus.

Racing

The 159 S debuted on August 15, 1947 at the Circuito di Pescara with the company's driver, Franco Cortese. Although it led overall for a time, the class-winning 159 S eventually fell behind the Stanguellini of Vincenzo Auricchio. Like the 125, the 159 S was unable to beat Maserati's 6CS 1500 for much of the rest of the 1947 season. However, at the Turin Grand Prix on October 12, the car was able to shine, with French driver Raymond Sommer claiming overall victory in the single 159 S entered.

References

• Ascerbi, Leonardo (2006). Ferrari: A Complete Guide to All Models. Motorbooks. ISBN 0-7603-2550-2. 
• "Ferrari Overview by Production Year and Type 1947 - 54". Barchetta.cc. Retrieved August 10, 2006.