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.

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 !