The replica (shown in these photos) sporting the traditional international racing colors of a wealthy Swiss (but, private) race team known as “Scuderia Filipinetti”...

An Important Part of the Ferrari Legend in Racing History Follows...

1). Defying Local Racing Wisdom...an Historic Lesson:

As today, incredible agility was demanded from the men (and machines) that dared to compete at the World Famous Italian Motorsports Event on the mountain roads of Sicily.

“Small and light” was often the formula for success... As for the more powerful big block cars, they regularly ended up against the stone walls, buildings, rocks, and posts that lined the course. Therefore, the “cutting-edge” Ferrari World Championship racecars, were not ideally suited for this race course.

 In 1967, a wealthy Swiss (but, private) race team known as “Scuderia Filipinetti” decided to enter their rare 412 P/ 330 P4 Chassis #0846... (only 4 were ever made by Ferrari) believing they could “beat the odds”...

 As driver, they hired top racing ace/hero and local owner/operator of the prestigious “Palermo Race School”: Nini Vaccarella...

 In a practice lap before the race, living up to his local hero status, he set a new lap record, demoralizing the competition in the process...However, in the actual race, as Vaccarella entered the Village of Collesano, he misjudged his speed and crashed into a stone wall, ending hopes for an historic win at the legendary Targa Florio motorsports event.

2). The Scuderia Prancing Horse Marque:

Scuderia is Italian for a stable reserved for racing horses and is also commonly applied to Italian motor racing teams. The prancing horse was the symbol on a famous Italian World War I ace's fighter plane, and became the logo of Ferrari after the fallen ace's parents (good friends with Enzo Ferrari) asked him to continue his tradition of sportsmanship, gallantry and boldness...

3). The Ferrari P series (shown in photos) were mid-engined V-12 prototype sports cars. The 1966 330 P3s introduced fuel injection to the Ferrari stable and is considered (by many) to be the ultimate and most beautiful of all racing prototypes...

4). There were only four Ferrari 412Ps ever built. All four of these cars were sold to Ferrari's privateer teams - to back up the factory's own P4s. These cars had carburetor engines instead of the factory Lucas fuel injection system that the original 330 P3 factory racecars had...The reason: when Ferrari sold them to racing privateers, they removed the Lucas Mechanical Fuel Injection and replaced it with Weber carburetors which reduced their output. Ferrari made this alteration so that they would win points for the marquee, but the privateers would not be able to beat their factory team cars... 330 P3s were "converted to  P4 specifications" and christened "412 P."

5). With less than six ever built in all, the 412Ps, 330 P 3/4, and P4's meant that they were still classified as "Racing Prototypes." After the 1967 season, racing politics altered international racing regulations, a change that eliminated all large displacement sports prototypes. Therefore, the fastest Ferraris were no longer eligible, even though Enzo protested...

6). Ferrari converted some of these cars for use in the North American Can-Am series, where the vehicle’s ultra-light body and lots of power was appreciated – a move long awaited by Ferrari’s loyal and passionate US customer base....

To say these machines are rare is an understatement and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports-racers ever designed...