In 1954 Pininfarina is thought to have built Spyder bodies for 12 Ferrari 500 Mondial chassis. Sounds simple enough but it would appear there are in fact 13 chassis numbers ascribed to the type.

It turns out that the problem car for historians is the very first one #0404MD, some sources believe that this car was renumbered to #0434 after completion and before delivery to Dutchman Herman Roosdorp, while other less credible souces believe #0404MD was rebodied by Scaglietti.

What ever the truth the reasons why a car should be either renumbered or rebodied twixt completion and delivery appear to be lost in the mists of time and no car is known to exist with the #0404 MD identity today. Remember to give the new identity would mean renumbering chassis plates, chassis and engine block which is not the work of a moment and would require considerable effort. I believe the 500 Mondial PF Spyder seen in Geoffrey Horton’s photographs is #0434MD primarily on the flimsy evidence that this RHD has just a single silver/chrome central mounted mirror, a distinctive white exhaust and is known to have been seen in the Danville area. If you know better, please do not hesitate to chime in below.

If my ID is correct and wether or not the car is the renumbered #0404MD, #0434MD was believed to have been raced by Herman Roosdorp, Dries van der Lof and Joke (?) Maasland exclusively at Zandvoort between 1954 and 1956 with all three drivers securing at least one class win.

The car was restored by Edwin Niles in 1978 and you can see some photo’s of the restoration on this link.

More about 500 Mondial PF Spyders can be found on this earlier GALPOT post.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for today’s photographs taken at Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks of joining me on this “Will The Real #0404MD Please Stand Up” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a cool Lotus road car. Don’t forget to come back now !