Quick comparison
The Ferrari Tipo 500 appeared in 1952, the Ferrari 553 in 1953 – one year later. Both have an inline-four engine, mounted at the front. The higher top speed belongs to the Ferrari 553: 280 km/h versus 240 km/h. The lighter one is the Ferrari Tipo 500: 560 kg versus 590 kg. The Ferrari Tipo 500 took more race wins: 14 versus 1.
Ferrari Tipo 500Ferrari 553
1952–1953Period1953–1954
1985 cm³ inline-4 naturally aspirated LamprediEngine1985 cm³ (1953); 2498 cm³ (1954) inline-4 naturally aspirated Lampredi
1985 cm³Displacement1985 cm³
NNN hpPower260 PS at 7500 /min
240 km/hTop speed280 km/h
560 kgWeight590 kg
4-speed, non-synchronizedTransmission4-speed in unit with the differential
Aurelio LamprediEngineering–
Formula 2ClassFormula 1
19Races6
14Wins1
13Pole positions0
2Drivers' titles0
–Constructors' titles0
Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina, Mike HawthornDriversGiuseppe Farina, Mike Hawthorn, Jose Froilan Gonzalez
All values come from the data sheets of the two models (sources listed there). The better value is highlighted in green wherever both data sheets give a comparable figure. Photos – Ferrari Tipo 500: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0. Licenses and originals: Sources & image credits.
