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.
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.
#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.
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.
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.
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.
#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 !
