The 510's rear body panels, with their numerous and intricate compound curves, represented perhaps the most difficult challenge. Their execution in metal is a lasting tribute to the craftsmanship of Ghia's shop. The same flowing knife-edge fns later appeared on Chrysler's Ghia Dart, a 1957 vintage corporate dream car based on a Dodge chassis. Wilke was less than pleased about the duplicator, especially when he saw it become the basis for Chrysler's "Flight-Sweep" styling, introduced here by Virgil Exner. The most ironic footnote is that the Dart now resides in its permanent home at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, one more doomed victim aboard the ill-fated Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria.
In profle, Wilke's dream car creates a silhouette best described as "Fifties Futuristic." The chrome strip dividing the upper and lower body sections further adds to the 510's sleek appearance. Its 16-inch Boranni wire wheels have locking knock-offs and still mount their original Engelbert racing tires.
The 510 is a. true hybrid--a big-engined custom coach built on a modified Ferrari production chassis. The tubular aluminum platform-type frame retains the 410's independent coil-spring front suspension, as well as a live rear axle located by side support struts and semi-elliptical springs. Because of greater performance capability, the 4-wheel drum brakes originally used on the 410 were replaced with a more powerful disc/drum set-up. The 510 has a 112inch wheelbase and barely 5 inches of ground clearance. Note the dual exhausts routed to exit through the rear bumper bullets.
The heart of the 510 is its 5.1-liter SOHC V-12. The Aurelio Lampredi design started out as Ferrari's 4.5-liter Formula One engine. It was later modified for street use, and opened up to 4.9 liters, which is how it appeared in the standard 410. At Wilke's request, the engine in his car was bored out for an additional 200 cc. Ferrari rated the stock 4.9-liter engine at 340 horsepower. Although there are no dyno records, the best estimates on this 5.l-liter motor fall between 350-400 horsepower.
True to its racing heritage, the engine has hemi heads, dual distributors and coils, and dual mechanical fuel pumps with an auxiliary electric pump. The single overhead camshafts are driven by a triple roller chain. The block and crankcase are cast from light alloy and use steel cylinder inserts. Fuel is supplied by a trio of Weber 40 DCF 2-barrel carburetors.
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