Gioacchino Colombo: The Genius Behind Ferrari’s Legendary V12 Engine

Some names don’t get the limelight, but their work changes everything. Gioacchino Colombo is one of those legends. He crafted the soul of Ferrari as we know the marque today. The majority of the early Ferrari cars owe their beating hearts to his masterpiece: the Ferrari Colombo V12.

For more on other Ferrari icons, visit the official ROSSOautomobili Hall of Fame.

Early years

Gioacchino Colombo was born on January 9, 1903, in Legnano, a small town near Milan. By the time most kids were just figuring out algebra, Colombo was already working as a technical draftsman at Officine Franco Tosi, working on diesel engines, steam turbines and even submarines.

Photo: Alfa Romeo Museum

At 21, he landed at Alfa Romeo, where he joined the team that would go on to create the iconic P2 Grand Prix racer. Not long after, he became head of Alfa’s technical department, giving him access to both road and race car development.

Meeting Enzo Ferrari

In 1937, Colombo designed the 1.5-liter supercharged engine for the Alfa 158, which was later nicknamed the Alfetta. This engine debuted in dominant fashion, finishing 1-2 at its first race in Livorno. Lightweight and powerful, the 158 featured an Elektron magnesium block, dual overhead camshafts and a Roots-type supercharger delivering nearly 18 pounds of boost. It produced 200 horsepower, very impressive for such a compact design.

Photo: Alfa Romeo Museum

This caught the attention of Enzo Ferrari, then running Alfa Romeo’s racing outfit. Ferrari would later call on Colombo to help him create something entirely new: a V12 engine that would become the backbone of Enzo’s new car company.

Building Ferrari’s first engine

After World War II, Enzo Ferrari hired Colombo to design the first engine for his new marque. Ferrari had a vision: he wanted a V12 engine like the ones from Packard, but smaller and more versatile. The intention was to use them for both racing cars and road cars.

Colombo answered with a 1.5-L 60° aluminum V12. Compact and elegant, it first appeared in the Ferrari 125 S in 1947. Despite modest beginnings, the car won 6 out of its first 14 races. The engine’s design was simple yet adaptable, featuring a single overhead cam per bank, water cooling and a low center of gravity.

Photo: Ferrari

By 1949, continuous refinement brought in dual overhead cams and a two-stage supercharger, increasing output from 116 hp to 276 hp. Ferrari was now a serious contender in the racing world.

Though superchargers were briefly explored, Ferrari and Colombo soon ditched forced induction in favour of increasing natural displacement. This lead to victories at the Mille Miglia, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Spa 24 Hours with the 166 MM in 1949.

The Ferrari 250

In 1952, Ferrari introduced a 3.0-L version of Colombo’s V12. In classic Ferrari fashion, the engine’s model number was based on displacement per cylinder: 250cc × 12 = 3.0 litres. Thus, the Ferrari 250 series was born.

This engine powered a remarkable list of cars, including:

250 MM
250 Monza
250 Testa Rossa
250 GTO
250 LM
250 Europa GT
250 GT California Spyder
250 GT Berlinetta SWB
250 GT/E

While displacement remained constant at 3.0 liters, horsepower ranged from 230 hp to 300 hp, depending on tuning and carburetor configuration. Later versions relocated spark plugs to allow for six Weber carburetors instead of three, notably improving performance in models like the GTO.

Growing displacement

In 1964, Ferrari increased displacement to 3.3 liters for the 275 GTB, earning high praise from Road & Track, which called it “the most satisfying sports car in the world.” Two years later, the 275 GTB/4 arrived, boasting dual overhead cams per cylinder bank. This was a first for a Ferrari V12 road car.

Next came the 4.0-L Colombo V12 for the 330 series, marking a major departure from its roots.

Photo: Paul Dumont-Baber

Ferrari finally ditched the original 58.8mm stroke for a longer 71mm, previously tested in the 400 Superamerica. The alternator replaced the old generator and performance peaked with 450 hp in the 330 P4, which topped out at 320 kph (199 mph).

Then came the 4.4-L Colombo V12 in the 365 series. Starting with the 365 California in 1966, it powered models like:

365 GT 2+2
365 GTB/4
365 GTC/4

The Daytona was a beast: 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in just 5.3 seconds, matching the Ford GT40’s performance.

The final Colombo

Colombo’s engine lived on into the 1980s in Ferrari’s larger grand tourers. The last evolutions included:

3.8-L version in the Ferrari 400 and 400i
4.9-L variant in the Ferrari 412i (1986–1988)

Photo: ‘giuseppe400i’

While no longer chasing Le Mans victories, the Colombo V12 had become the luxury performance standard for Ferrari’s 2+2 GT cars.

Beyond Ferrari

Colombo’s career wasn’t confined to Maranello. After leaving Ferrari in 1950, he returned to Alfa Romeo, overseeing racing programs that led to back-to-back Formula One World Championships for Nino Farina (1950) and Juan Manuel Fangio (1951).

In late 1952, he joined Maserati, where he developed the celebrated 250F Grand Prix car. A few years later, he moved to Bugatti, working on the ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful 251 F1 car, which featured a rear-mounted inline-8 engine.

1955 Bugatti Type 251

Photo: Simanaitis Says

Colombo later shifted gears, working for MV Agusta from 1957 to 1970. He might've stepped away from cars, but he continued building fast, high-performance engines, this time, on two wheels.

Formula 1

While Colombo’s engine designs dominated sports car racing, his V12 didn’t quite cut it in early Formula One. After initial success with the 166, Ferrari tried using a supercharged version in F1, but it lacked reliability and consistency.

Eventually, Ferrari brought in Aurelio Lampredi to design a naturally aspirated alternative, which better suited the demands of the new formula. While Lampredi’s engine had its moment, Colombo’s design ultimately outlived it, remaining in production well into the late 1980s.

Lasting legacy

Gioacchino Colombo may not be as famous as Enzo Ferrari, but his engineering was the backbone of Ferrari’s greatest hits. His V12 engine powered a brand into global superstardom.

From the first Ferrari 125 S to the Daytona, from the 250 GTO to the last 412i, Colombo’s creation evolved over four decades, never losing its character or competitiveness.

Gioacchino Colombo (right)

Photo: Klemantaski Collection

He passed away in Milan on April 27, 1987, but his legacy lives under the hoods of some of the greatest cars ever made.

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