Tipo 63

The Tipo 63 was a mid-engined Birdcage. It lead to the premature demise of the far better balanced front-engined Tipo 60/61, despite suffering from suspect handling and fragility due to a lack of development. The car finished 4th (with Vaccarella and Trintignant) and 5th (Maglioli/ Scarlatti) in the 1961 Targa Florio. The Tipo 63 also managed fourth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by Americans Augie Papst and Dick Thompson, despite long pit stops due to overheating that even caused the 24 spark plugs to melt ... After a flawed start, the Tipo 63 did well with Walt Hansgen in American racing during 1961, winning at Bridgehampton, New York and the Elkhart Lake 500 Miles in Wisconsin.

The Tipo 63 was initially powered by a 260 bhp 4-cylinder from the Tipo 61. This unit was replaced by the middle of the season with a 3-litre V12 developing around 320 bhp at 8,200 rpm, derived from the 350S prototype and 250F T2 Grand Prix car, but converted to run on regular fuel, hence the trouble with overheating. It featured twin lateral fuel tanks. Cast magnesium one-piece wheels occasionally replaced the traditional wire wheels on some cars.

Six cars were built, two each for two American teams - Lloyd Casner's Camoradi team and Briggs Cunningham - and for Italian Count Volpi's Scuderia Serenissima team of Venice.