Tag Archives: Inter

Pull Up Two The Bumpers – Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé #0257EU

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At the end of 1952 Vignale started producing it’s definitive 2 bumper coupé bodies designed by Giovanni Michelotti for the 116 mph Ferrari 212 Inter.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

It is believed no more than six of these twin bumper 212 Inters were produced from a total of 26 Vignale bodied 212 Inters and that today’s featured #0257EU was the first chassis to be so futuristically equipped,

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

This particular car was initially sold in 1953 to a Turin dealer called Fontanella who exhibited it at the Concorso d’Eleganza San Remo the following year.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Later in 1954 Luigi Chinetti sold #0257EU to paper product tycoon Robert C. Wilke of Milwaukee who was president of Leader Card Inc who would become a well known sponsor of Indy cars.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The cars engine block is believed to have been replaced twice, first due to a crack that developed and secondly after a mechanic who over torqued the heads causing the studs to be pulled from the second block.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The car resided in the United States until 1979 when it was acquired by a Belgian who kept it until 2006 when it returned to the United States.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

In 2009 Michael Green in Texas bought #0257EU and the original engine block from John Hadjuk in Indiana whom he entrusted with the mechanical restoration of the car while Gassman Automotive in Waynesboro Virginia took care of the rest.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Mr Green sold the car for just over US$1.7 million including buyers premium at Scottsdale in January 2014 and it is my understanding that the car, seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed in July this year, is being offered for sale again by Tom Hartley Jnr £POA.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pull Up Two The Bumpers” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Chevron. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Swapped Identities – Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet #0227EL (#0255EU)

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In 1952 British born Paris based clothing tailor John McFadden ordered a new left hand drive Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

For reasons that are not at all clear it appears Ferrari attempted to deliver a right hand drive example of the same model, #0227EL which John refused to accept.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

To rectify the problem Ferrari changed, restamped, the chassis number of today’s featured left hand drive (LHD) Ferrari 212 inter Vignale Cabriolet from #0255EU to #0227EL and at the same time changed the chassis number of the original from #0227EL to #0255EU.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Today’s featured car #0227EL(0255EU) was the only LHD example 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet of the total of four built, when it was delivered it carried black bumpers that were chromed by David G. Seibert in Atlanta during his period of ownership between 1978 and 1980.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

#0227EL (#0255EU) features a unique single rear seat on the passenger side which allows anyone traveling on it to put their feet behind the drivers seat.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Now for some myth busting, no evidence has ever been seen in the public domain that this car was ever owned by suave British actor David Niven; as was claimed by the blurb pertaining to this car at Goodwood Festival of Speed and elsewhere on the internet.

Nor is this car a short wheel base Vignale Export Cabriolet model as clearly incorrectly labelled at Goodwood, only 2 such cars were built, chassis #0106E and #0110E, and neither of them is known to have belonged to David Niven either.

Thanks for joining me on this swapped identities edition of “Gettin’ 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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Touring Torino Salon – Ferrari 195 Inter Touring Coupé #0081S

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Unlike the 166 Inters I have looked at so far today’s featured 195 Inter sits on a chassis with 98″ wheel base as opposed to the 95″ wheel base of most of the 166 Inters.

The 195 is powered by a single carb 130hp 2.3 litre / 140 cui V12 up from the 110hp 2 litre / 122 cui V12 used to power the 37 166 Inters built between 1948 and 1950.

Ferrari 195 Inter Touring Coupé, Hillsborough, Concours d'Elegance

Today’s featured car, the very first 195 Inter ever to be built, chassis #0081S, was delivered to Agenzia Internazionale Commercio Auto Ricambi (AICAR) in Milan on the 31st of October 1950 and was displayed on the Carrozerria Touring stand at the Torino Salon in April 1951.

This car passed through two owners in Italy before US Serviceman Donald Maynard took it back home to Massachusetts in 1959 having acquired it in 1955.

Since then #0081S has been repainted at least three times having started out Oro Metallic, painted red somewhere in the 1960’s/70s and red again in 2013, it is not documented on the internet when it was painted it’s current dark blue.

After winning two awards at the 18th Cavallino Classic in 2009 it was auctioned for just under $1 million in August 2011 and in October 2013 was offered for sale at $1.95 million since when it has changed hands twice.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photograph of this fast appreciating asset, taken at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Touring Torino Salon” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” when I’ll be chillaxing with some ice cream vans. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Best Closed Car – Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta #043S

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Any one lucky enough to have attended the 1950 Torino Saloon might have stumbled, across todays featured Ferrari 166 Inter chassis #043S fitted with a Touring Berlinetta chassis body.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

Like the sister 1948 right hand drive chassis #017S I looked at a couple of years ago chassis #043S also went to Milan where a Dr Moretti became the first owner.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

At some point unknown #043S went to the United States an remained there until 1987 when it migrated to The Netherlands for a couple of years.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Berlinetta, The Quail

Brit Danny Donovan had #043S restored at the turn of the century, he changed the colour from red to dark blue and had the car registered HPP 5, a registration currently assigned in the UK to a 1969 Gold Mercedes 280 SL.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering a couple of years ago where the car was nominated the Best Closed Car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Best Closed Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. I hope you will join me again when I’ll be looking at a 24 hour race winning Production Saloon car. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Ferrari Concours Highlights – Goodwood Festival Of Speed

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There were enough Ferrari’s present on the lawn at Goodwood House during the Festival of House for another short run of Ferrari Friday blogs, here is a preview of what is to come in future weeks.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

From 1952 above is a Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale cabriolet that was erroneously labelled as having belonged to British Actor David Niven and incorrectly labelled as a short wheel base 1952 Ferrari 212 Export with a Cabriolet body by Vignale.

Ferrari 212 Vignale Coupé, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

One year later Vignale built this Coupé on the longer Inter chassis #0267EU and displayed it at the Turin Auto Show before selling is to Jean-Louis Lafourcade in France.

Ferrari 250 GT Zagato, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Surprisingly Zagato only built bodies for six Ferrari’s during the 1950’s, I believe the 1957 250GT seen above was originally fitted with a Ellena Coupé body until 1989 when Zagato were commissioned to fit a the Double Bubble body seen above.

Ferrari 500 Superfast, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast chassis s/n 6659SF above was purchased by property tycoon Sir Eric Merton Miller in 1966, 11 years later he committed suicide after being served with four writs seeking restitution of funds he had allegedly misappropriated.

Ferrari 330GT Vignale Shooting Brake, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

When Desy the original owner of the 1965 Ferrari 330GT seen above sold the car back to Chinetti Motors in New York in 1967 Luigi’s son Coco and commercial artist Bob Peak came up with the idea for Vignale to fit the car with this unique Shooting Brake body, subsequently it was taken to the 50th Annual Turin Motor Show and currently belongs to Singer Jay Kay.

Ferrari P4/5 By Pininfarina, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Finally James Glickenhaus’s unique Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina has already been featured on this blog, but seeing it in the flesh myself for the first time confirmed it was probably well worth every cent of the $4,000,000 (USD Four Million) it cost the lucky owner.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ferrari Concours Highlights” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Formula Junior racer. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Rosselini’s Racer – Ferrari 212 Inter Pininfarina Cabriolet #0235EU

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Today’s featured Ferrari 212 Inter Pininfarina Cabriolet was built built primarily as a road car in 1952 it is one of only two 4 seat 212 Inter’s with a Pininfarina Cabriolet body and of the other 77 212 Inters Abbot’s of Farnham fitted 1 cabriolet body and Vignale 4 more.

Ferrari 212 Inter Pf Convertible, The Quail,

The early ownership of this car appears to involve either Californian building contractor Tony Parravano and or Italian film maker Roberto Rosselini. In August 1953 Rosselini entered #0235EU in the 1000kms (600 mile) race for sports cars at the Nurburgring, Rosselini was entered to drive but did not show up, his place was taken by Dutch journalist, with competition experience, Maurice Gatsonides who partnered Riccardo Vignolo.

Maurice is quoted as having said of his ride “I was to have the most magnificent car of the whole field, as this Ferrari was bodied by Pininfarina and carried a four seat drophead coupe with graceful lines, a sure winner at any Concours d’ Elegance”.

In this linked photo the street 212 Inter Cabriolet sticks out like a sore thumb twixt the race prepared #7 Lancia D20 and the #56 Jaguar C-type.

Of the three cars in the photo that finished the race the #1 Ferrari 375MM #0286AM, far left, driven by world Champions Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina won, the three Lancia’s #5, #6, and #7 all retired with today’s featured #0235EU coming through to finish ninth, eleven spots ahead of the #56 C type driven by Belgians Kasimir Olislaegers and Charles de Keerle.

In 1954 the car was sold and ended up in the USA, in the 1970’s the motor and 4 speed transmission were removed and replaced with a cheaper to maintain Chevrolet V8 and 3 speed Muncie transmission.

All the correct bits and pieces were traced in the 1990’s and #0235EU reappeared fully restored for the first time last year.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s featured photo taken at The Quail a few weeks ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Rosellini’s Racer” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Zagato bodied Aston Martin. Don’t forget to come back now !

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First Ferrari Road Car – Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé Touring Superleggera #017S

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At the Turin Motor Show in 1948 Ferrari presented two new models to the world, the 166 Barchetta sports racer and the 166 Inter Coupé which sits on a longer wheelbase. Both vehicles are powered by Gioacchino Colombo designed two litre / 122 cui all aluminium V12’s.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The car seen here carries the chassis number 017S, like all Ferrari’s at the time even numbers were saved for the works team racing cars while odd numbers were designated to cars intended for customers to buy.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

This Right Hand Drive car appears to have been sold new to the Cerana brothers of Milan in 1949 where it remained until 1958 before finding new owners in Switzerland where the car remained until the turn of the Millenium when the car moved to the Nehterlands before finding an owner in the UK in 2009.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The most popular coachwork supplier for the 166 Inter Coupé appears to have been Touring who built the aluminium body panels for the car seen here with their usual Superleggera structure of tubes in support.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

With 110 hp the 166 Inter Coupé could reach a top speed of 105 mph.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The 166 Inter Coupé represented Ferrari’s first series road cars and in all 37 were built between 1948 and 1951.

Thanks for joining me on this “First Ferrari Road Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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