Tag Archives: 342

Formula One Power – Ferrari 342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet #0234AL

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In 1950 Ferrari began building a series of 23 340 America’s powered by his 4.1 litre / 250 cui long block V12’s designed by Aurelio Lampredi initially for Ferrari’s 375 Formula One programme.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

1952 the 342 America was introduced 5 of which were fitted with an improved version 4.1 litre / 250 cui V12 and one, today’s featured chassis #0234 AL, was fitted with 4.5 litre / 274 cui V12 which technically makes it a 375 but for some reason is known as a 342.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

#0234AL has an even chassis number, usually reserved for works team racing cars, as do all the other twenty three 340’s and five 342’s unlike the 11 375 America’s built from 1953 to 1954 which all have the usual odd chassis numbers used for Ferrari road cars.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

On the 6th of November 1952, coincidentally sixty three years ago to the day, chassis #0234AL was delivered to Carrozzeria Pininfarina where the Cabriolet body was fitted.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

In May 1953 King Leopold III. of Belgium took delivery of the car and is believed to have kept it for only two years before selling it to Garage Francorchamps in Brussels, Belgium.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

John Mastroianni of Armonk, NY founder of Auto Torismo Sport now in New Milford Conneticut owned #0234AL from somewhere in the 1960’s to 1998 alongside his 250 GTO and a 500 Superfast and numerous other desirable vehicles mostly of Italian origin.

342 America Pininfarina Cabriolet, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

#0234AL has resided in California since October 1998 and has won numerous awards at Concours d’Elegance events ever since.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs of #0234AL taken at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance earlier this year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Formula One Power” edtion of “Getin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Chevron. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Ferrari Friday – Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance

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Welcome to another Ferrari Friday this week brought to you courtesy of Geoffrey Horton who took today’s photographs at the recent Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Ferrari 166 MM, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Regular GALPOT readers might remember the 1949 Ferrari 166 MM chassis #0022 M as a Hillsborough regular having appeared there in 2012.

Ferrari 340 Vignale Mexico Berlinetta, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

In 1952 Vignale built 3 Berlinetta bodied and one Barchetta bodied Ferrari 340 Mexicos for the Carrera Pan America, above is the first Berlinetta bodied chassis #0222AT which started the 1952 and 1953 events and retired from both.

Ferrari 342 America, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

This gorgeous, even in black, Ferrari 342 America with bodywork by Pinin Farina was delivered to King Leopold III. of Belgium in May 1953, he appears to have kept it for only a year or so.

Ferrari 750 Monza, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

From 1954 this Ferrari 750 Monza chassis #0462MB above was the first to be delivered into private hands and it allegedly ended up being covertly inspected at the Jaguar factory before being sold to Jack Brabham in 1955.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Geoffrey first sent me a photo of this 1958 Testa Rossa chassis #0754 TR in 2009, but I have never heard anyone complain of looking at a Testa Tossa too often.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Nembo Spyder, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

A completely new to me builder of bodies for Ferrari’s is “Nembo” otherwise known as Neri and Bonacini of Modena who built this Spyder body, styled by Californian Tom Meade, on a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta chassis #3771 GT between 1966 and 1968, only two other Ferrari’s received a Nembo body.

Ferrari 250 LM, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Carrying the #8 it wore at Reims in 1964 for the 12 hour race above is the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM chassis #5909 which was driven to, it’s greatest success on it’s third outing, a 2nd place finish by works drivers John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini.

Ferrari 500 Superfast, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

After being taken to the 1966 Brussels Motor Show in Belgium this Ferrari 500 Superfast chassis #8019 was purchased by Judge Samuel Simon Leibowitz, Glen Cove, NY, USA from US dealer Chinetti later the same year, since then I believe it may have had only three other owners.

My thanks to Geoffrey for supplying so many photo’s for future Ferrari Friday blogs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ferrari Friday” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting Hillsborough for a third time to look at another selection of European Cars at the event. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Formula One Cabriolet – Ferrari 342 America, Vignale Cabriolet, #0232AL

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Between late 1952 and early 1953 Ferrari built six 342 America chassis powered by a 200hp 4.1 litre / 341 cui version of Ferrari’s latest atmospheric induction V12 designed by Aurelio Lampredi and raced with success in the Ferrari 375 Formula One cars.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

Five of the 342 chassis went to Pininfarina where 3 were fitted with coupé bodies and two with cabriolet bodies, the first chassis #0232AL, featured in today’s photographs by Geoffrey Horton taken at the Blackhawk Museum, was sent to Vignale where it was fitted with a cabriolet body.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

Upon completion Herr Otto Wild of Muri in Switzerland. Before the end of the 1950’s were out the car is thought to have made it’s way to the USA, from 1971 until at least 2000 the car was kept in single ownership.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

The 342 America was said to be capable of 115 mph, not quite on a par with the contemporary Jaguar XK120 in it’s original aluminium bodied form.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale, Blackhawk Museum

The Lampredi V12 motor would continue in production until the 1960’s powering Ferrari’s large engine America series cars up to and including the 500 Superfast of which the last was built in 1966.

Thanks for joining me on this “Formula One Cabriolet” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be loocking at the first of this months big banger Formula 5000/A open wheel racing cars.. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Ferrari Road Treasures – Blackhawk Museum

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A couple of weeks ago Geoffrey Horton kindly asked me what kind of cars I was looking for pictures of and I responded that I was desperately short of Ferrari’s, as you can see from today’s Ferrari blog, and will see in next weeks blog Geoffrey has come up trumps and saved Ferrari Friday single handedly probably up until Christmas. Here is a preview of some of the Ferrari road cars that will feature in the coming weeks.

Ferrari 342 America Vignale Cabriolet, Blackhawk Museum, CA

The Ferrari America series started in 1950 was designed to meet the requirements of Ferrari’s customers who wanted a little more than a racing car adapted for the road. The America cars featured more leg room and head room but were still powered by motors derived from Ferrari’s racing programmes. This 1952 Ferrari 342 America Cabriolet features a unique, as in one of, body by Vignale and is powered by a 230 hp Lamperedi designed V12.

Ferrari 375 America Coupé, Blackhawk Museum, CA

Following the 23 342’s came the Ferrari 375 America with a larger and more powerful Lampredi V12 which produced 300 hp. This 1953 Vignale bodied Coupé is one of two, regular readers may remember reading about the other one nearly a year ago.

Ferrari 375 MM Ghia Coupé Speciale, Blackhawk Museum, CA

Sporting it’s original salmon paintwork and with just over 8000 miles on the clock this unique, one of, 1954 Ghia bodied Coupé sits on a 375 MM chassis designed for racing. It was the last Ferrari chassis to be fitted with Ghia body.

Ferrari 400 Superamerica, Blackhawk Museum, CA

In 1961 the Ferrari 400 Superamerica made it’s debut at the Geneva Motorshow with a downsized 4 litre 244 cui V12 which produced 340 hp. The second series Superamerica’s like the 1964 example seen here was built on a slightly longer chassis. Only 47 Superamerica’s of all types, Coupé, Cabriolet and Spider were built up until 1964.

Ferrari 500 Superfast Coupé, Blackhawk Museum, CA

In 1964 the 500 Superfast Coupé was introduced to replace the America series cars, like the earlier models the Superfast was only built to order and now powered by a 5 litre / 302 cui motor giving 400 hp.
This 1966 example is a series 2 500 Superfast with Pinin Farina Coupé body, the 33rd of 37 Superfasts built up until 1967.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this Ferrari Road Treasures edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when GALPOT’s 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Porsche 911 resumes. Don’t forget to come back now !

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