The 290 S was the first Ferrari sports car powered by a four overhead camshaft engine. Built by the team led by Vittorio Jano, the engine embodied a number of technical ideas incorporated on the F1 V8 engine recently inherited from Lancia. The 290 MM’s sturdy tubular chassis could take the new engine without modification, while the Barchetta body built by Scaglietti was designed taking into account new technical norms laid down by the FIA. The 290 S’s career, however, did not last long – it was replaced by the 315 S after just a few races.