North American Racing Team
The North American Racing Team (also known as NART ) was founded by Luigi Chinetti, who wanted to advertise with success in motor sport for Ferrari in America.
Racing
Thanks to the financial support of the gentleman driver George Arents and Jan de Vroom Chinetti was in 1958 set up the team. Because of its great sales success of road vehicles in the important U.S. market, already there was a close relationship between Chinetti and Ferrari and served as the basis of a generous supply of Ferrari racing cars.
The team started over three decades in the most important sports car races such as the 24 - hour race at Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1000 -km endurance race in Europe and the United States. First race was the 12 - hour race at Sebring in March 1958 a Ferrari 250 GT.
Curiously, in 1964 was a set up by NART Ferrari 158, with John Surtees at the helm, the imports victory in the Formula 1 World Championship. In protest against a Homologationsverweigerung a new mid-engine design by the Italian motorsport authorities launched the Ferrari factory cars in the blue and white NART livery.
The Coronation of the NART racing success came in 1965 when a NART Ferrari 250LM appointed by, driven by Jochen Rindt, Masten Gregory ( unofficially, also by Ed Hugus allegedly) could win, as far last Ferrari at Le Mans.
Other NART successes include a 3rd place in 1967 at the 24 - hour race at Daytona, which secured the triple victory for Ferrari behind two factory - 330P4. As a result, the Ferrari 365 GTB was / 4 " Daytona ". With this model NART reached 1973 behind a Porsche 911 2nd place in the 24 - hour race at Daytona.
NART Ferrari drove to 1982 and participated in more than 200 races in part with more than 100 different drivers.
Road vehicles
A Ferrari model even wore the name NART - the 1967 Ferrari NART Spyder. This was a convertible version of the Ferrari 275 GTB / 4 built at the suggestion of Luigi Chinetti. The original order of 25 cars was never fulfilled, as only 10 were delivered from the factory in Maranello. Because of the great appeal of Spider- designs later several Ferrari 275 GTB / 4 were subsequently converted into spiders.