Ferrari has made a number of V12 racing engines designed for Formula One; made between 1950 and 1995. Some derived engines were also used in various Ferrari sports prototype race cars and production road cars.
1.5 L engine (1950-1951) Ferrari's first V12 Formula One engine was the supercharged 125 Colombo engine; with the 1.5 L engine configuration imposed by the FIA for forced induction engines, in . After finding only modest success with the supercharged 1.5-litre engine, Ferrari decided to switch in 1950 to a naturally-aspirated engine formula for the series.
3.3 L/4.1 L/4.5 L engine (1950-1951) Calling in Aurelio Lampredi to replace Gioacchino Colombo as technical director, Enzo Ferrari directed that the company work in stages to grow and develop an entirely new large-displacement V12 engine for racing.
The 3.3-litre (3322 cc/202 in) 275 Lampredi engine made its debut at the Grand Prix of Belgium on June 18. With three Weber 42DCF carburetors, a single overhead camshaft for each bank of cylinders, and two valves per cylinder, the engine produced a capable 300 hp (224 kW) at 7200 rpm. Alberto Ascari drove the car to fifth place, marking the end of the 3.3-litre engine. The 275 was replaced at the Grand Prix of Nations at Geneva on July 30, 1950, by the 340 F1 engine. As the name suggests, the car sported a larger 4.1-litre (4101.66 cc/250 in) version of Lampredi's V12. With 335 hp (250 kW), Ascari was able to keep up with the Alfa Romeo 158 of Juan Manuel Fangio but retired with engine trouble. Although the 340 proved itself capable, it was only the middle step in Ferrari's 1950 car development. Ferrari achieved the 4.5-litre goal of the formula with the 375 Lampredi engine, two of which debuted at Monza on September 3, 1950. This 4.5-litre (4493.73 cc/274 in) engine produced roughly the same power as its 4.1-litre predecessor, but its tractability earned Ascari second place in that debut race. A series of modifications through the 1951 season allowed Ferrari to finally put Alfa Romeo behind it in a Formula One race, with José Froilán González' victory at Silverstone on July 14 becoming the constructor's first World Championship win. Ascari's wins at the Nürburgring and Monza and strong finishes throughout the season cemented the company's position as a Formula One contender.
2.6 L engine (1951) The 1951 Ferrari 212 F1 was powered by a naturally aspirated, 2562 cc Colombo V12 engine. Rudi Fischer also entered the car in Formula Two races using a Ferrari 166 1995cc V12 engine. He won the Formula Two races at Aix-les-Bains and Angoulême in 1951.
3.0 L engine (1966-1980) For the 1966 Formula One season, there was a change in the technical regulations, now allowing 3-litre engines. Ferrari's first 1966 car consisted of a 3.3-litre V12 engine that was taken from the Ferrari 275P2 sportscar prototypes, modified to 3 litres, and mounted in the back of an F1 chassis. The designation 312, which would be used for a number of later cars, indicated a 3-litre, 12-cylinder engine. The engine was rather heavy, and due to the reduced capacity, lower on power and especially torque. John Surtees drove this contraption unsuccessfully in Monaco while Lorenzo Bandini drove a Ferrari Dino 2.4-litre V6. Surtees won the second race, the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix, a track that favoured power with its long straights, but the 1964 champion departed after a row with manager Eugenio Dragoni. The issue was about priorities in racing, as Ferrari was under pressure from Ford in sports car racing, and the F1 effort was somewhat neglected. Mike Parkes replaced Surtees, who went to Cooper which used Maserati engines, to finish second in the driver championship with a further win. For Ferrari, Ludovico Scarfiotti also won a race, the 1966 Italian Grand Prix at Monza which helped Ferrari finish second in the Constructors' Championship.
3.5 L engine (1989-1994) The 3.5-litre Tipo 035/5 V12 engine, introduced in 1989, was designed in accordance with the new regulations imposed by the FIA, after the ban on turbocharged engines. The 640 was powered by Ferrari's Tipo 035/5, a 3.5 litre V12 engine which initially produced , but eventually outputted up to by the season end, roughly the same amount of power as the engine it replaced, the Tipo 033A V6 turbo, though without the turbo's fuel consumption worries. The engine was unreliable, but it won on its debut race.