The Ferrari 250 LM occupies a singular position in 1960s sportscar racing history: a mid-engined Pininfarina-styled berlinetta, built by Scaglietti, that bridged the GTO era and the full prototype age. CMC's 1:18 scale model car reproduces not a generic livery but a specific, documented race winner — chassis 5899, carrying the Scuderia Filipinetti colours and number 31 at Monza in 1964.
The Ferrari 250 LM: Mid-Engine Berlinetta from Maranello
Designed by Pininfarina and assembled by Scaglietti, the Ferrari 250 LM was conceived as a homologation successor to the 250 GTO in the GT class. Ferrari built 32 examples between 1963 and 1965. Power came from a V12 derived from the 275 P, producing around 320 hp. The mid-engine layout, enclosed bodywork and relatively low weight made the 250 LM one of the most effective privateer weapons of the decade, capable of running factory prototype programmes close in both endurance events and sprint races.
Monza 1964: Vaccarella, Filipinetti and the FIA Championship
The Monza round of the 1964 FIA International Championship of Makes was held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Chassis 5899 was entered by Scuderia Filipinetti, the Swiss privateer team founded by collector and impresario Georges Filipinetti — one of the most active Ferrari racing patrons of the 1960s. At the wheel was Nino Vaccarella, the Sicilian driver known as 'The Flying Professor', whose feel for endurance-paced machinery was already established in top-level sportscar competition. He brought the number 31 car to overall victory, underlining the 250 LM's competitiveness against works machinery.
The CMC 1:18 Scale Model: Die-Cast with Photo-Etched Detail
CMC — Classic Model Cars — is a German manufacturer whose 1:18 models are distinguished by an exceptionally high parts count. The Ferrari 250 LM chassis 5899 is built in die-cast metal with photo-etched components and turned metal details throughout. The combination of die-cast structure and precisely cut photo-etched trim allows CMC to replicate functional-looking fasteners, grille mesh, instrument surrounds and bodywork features that would be impossible to achieve in a single-shot casting. The result sits firmly at the high end of what static resin and die-cast models can deliver at this scale.
In the Display Cabinet
The Ferrari 250 LM's compact berlinetta proportions make this a model that stands out on the shelf in a dedicated 1960s GT and prototype collection. The Filipinetti livery connects naturally to other Swiss-entered Ferraris of the period. For collectors building a 1964 FIA Championship of Makes narrative, this number 31 entry from Monza sits alongside the Ferrari 275 P and Ferrari 330 P factory cars that contested the same season.
