The Ferrari 326 MI (also known as the 296 MI) was a single-seater manufactured by Ferrari in 1958. It was a one-off race car purpose-built for the second edition of the 500 Miles of Monza. It was one of the two special cars created to compete with American race cars on an Italian race track. Following the naming convention, "326" stood for 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder engine. The "MI" suffix stood for "Monza-Indianapolis".[1][2]
Development
The Race of Two Worlds was a short-lived race where the European and American single seaters and sports cars could compete. At Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the organisers prepared special banked curves on a paved oval track in the Indianapolis 500 style.[3] It was the fastest race at that time with a highest speed recorded at 284 km/h, compared to a record of 146 mph at the 1958 Indianapolis 500.[2]