Tag Archives: Fontana

Low Roof Coupé – Ferrari 250 GT Boano Coupé #0553GT

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When Pinin Farina could no longer keep up with the production of Ferrari bodies in the mid 1950’s a deal was struck with Mario-Felice Boano of Carrozzeria Boano to manufacture bodies to a Pinin Farina design.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

Today’s featured Low Roof Coupé chassis #0553GT was manufactured in 1956 and delivered to it’s first owner Franco Buzzoni in Pisa, Italy. By 1960 it was to be found in the United States the car then went to France and the Netherlands having it’s original motor swapped out in the 1970’s.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano, Concours on the Avenue, Carmel by the Sea

In 2006 #0553GT was reunited with it’s original motor and the following year owner Tony Schwartz gave the car it’s competition debut winning it’s class at Mt. Tremblant and in two races at Fontana.

In 2008 Gerald T. Vento of Velox Motorsport acquired #0533GT which is one of 88 Ferrari 250 GT’s for which Boano built bodies between 1955 and 1957.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photo’s of #0533GT which were taken at Concours on the Avenue in Carmel by the Sea in 2011.

Thanks for joining me on this “Low Roof Coupé” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for a FIAT by Bertone. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Racin’ ‘n’ Climbin’ – Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta

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In 1951 Ferrari produced two 212 models the Grand Touring Inter with either a 150 or a 165 hp and the competition orientated Export with 170 hp from it’s high compression V12 which was mounted on a shorter chassis than the Inter.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The 212 Export was quick right out of the box, Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana won the 1951 Giro di Sicilia in chassis #0086E while “Pagnibon” and Alfred Barraquet led home a 212 Export 1,2,3 finish in the 1951 Tour de France. Among 212 Export winners in the States were Phil Hill, who won at Torrey Pines in 1952 driving chassis #0078E and Ernie McAfee at Palm Springs in 1953, driving chassis #0092E with a coupé body by Vignale.

Kirk Douglas drove a specially rebodied 212 Export chassis #0102 to a fictitious victory in the the 1955 film “The Racers“.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Chassis #0158ED, seen here at the Danville Concours d’Elegance dinner, was supplied new to Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte of Palermo, Italy for the 1952 season. He used it to good effect scoring at least 7 overall wins in both race and hillclimb competition between 1952 and 1955.

Swiss driver Edouard Margairaz continued to compete with the car until 1956 when he came 1st in class at the Verbois hillclimb.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

In all 28 212 Export models were built and chassis #0158 is thought to be the last of the seven built with Barchetta bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing todays photographs from Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Racin”n’ Climbin'” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a multipurpose open wheel racer from Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

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