1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta

By the middle of the 1950s, a change had taken place. Unfortunately, another was greatly needed. Thankfully, this need for a change would produce one very special one-off design composed of such great elements that make a car extremely historic and priceless.

One of those rare beauties of the car world would become available at the 2012 RM Auctions event held in Monterey. Complete with the famous Lampredi 5.0-liter V12 engine and a specially-designed Scaglietti body, chassis 0594CM would be a fascinating mixture of Ferrari's famous race-bred performance and luxury design for which Scaglietti was famous.

There was a problem with Gioacchino Colombo's 1.5-liter V12 engine. When supercharged, the engine produced a lot of power but the engine was heavy and very thirsty. Aurelio Lampredi recognized there was great potential in heading a different direction. Therefore, he would propose a normally-aspirated V12 engine of a larger displacement in order to produce the power necessary to create one powerful engine. When completed, he would create the 4.5-liter V12 engine that would power Ferrari's 375 Formula One car, which would earn a couple of victories during the 1951 World Championship season, the first for Ferrari in Formula One.

Ferrari would run into another problem. Alfa Romeo's departure from Formula One, and the mounting costs associated, would cause the governing-body to switch to Formula 2 regulations for the next couple of seasons. Therefore, Ferrari would be left holding a number of 4.5-liter V12 engines with nothing to put them in. However, instead of destroying the engines, or shelving them, Ferrari would decide to stick them into something else. Called the 375MM, the new sportscar constructed around the V12 engine would power its way to immediate success. But the greatest moment enjoyed would come at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans when a 375 Plus, powered by the V12 engine, went on to score the overall victory.

But then there was the Carrera Panamericana. The 375 Plus had problems with the large V12 engine. The power and torque from the engine placed a lot of stress on components and the rough terrain associated with the Carrera Panamericana exploited any weakness a car had. And though a 375 Plus would go on to score an overall victory in the 1954 edition of the race, Ferrari would still be a work building a purpose-built car for the tortuous event.

Ferrari had already begun to move away from the large V12 engine to straight six-cylinder engines because of their savings in weight, fuel usage, and size. But, before the switch would take place the factory would produce just a few final V12s for their Panamericana-spec cars, the new 410S.

The 375 Plus had instability issues, rigidity problems and other general weaknesses made more pressing with the large Lampredi V12 engine. The problems would be further intensified by the fact the final evolution of the V12 would be the biggest ever produced. At 5.0-liters, the 60 degree V12 would put incredible stress on a chassis already stressed to its breaking point already. This increase in engine size and power, and the difficulty of the race, would necessitate the new chassis.

While Ferrari had made its necessary improvements and was keen for a strong showing with the purpose-built 410, unfortunately, it was 1955 and the tragic events at Le Mans would forever change things that season and beyond.

As a result of the events that transpired many races would be canceled in the interest of safety, and one of them would be the Carrera Panamericana. This would leave some specially-built sportscars with no race in which to take part.

But while the works racers would have to wait another year before they would take part in a race, there would be a couple of other specially-built 410 S models chassis that would roll out and would actually be used. And one of those very few would be chassis 0594CM, the very car offered at RM Auctions' event in Monterey.

Scaglietti had been charged with designing the bodies for the factory racing team. They would build the 410 S with beautifully-rounded and sculpted lines with fenders extending well out over the wheels on the widened chassis. This would be the same chassis and body type that would be campaigned quite successfully by John Edgar in many North American races. But while the 410 S sportscars were rare creations in and of themselves, none of the racers could match the rare qualities of 0594CM.

Given that it was the last run for the Lampredi V12 engine, it would be decided that the major focus would be on the competition side and the creation of the 410 S for racing purposes. However, it was also decided that a couple of the chassis would be specially-built road-going 410 S chassis with a bit more subdued 5.0-liter Lampredi V12 engines. One of those two chassis would receive a spyder body similar to the factory racers. However, the second would be a wholly different design. Drawing from Pininfarina's 375MM coupe, Scaglietti would take the basic design and would stretch it, in essence, to fit over the 410 S' wider, lower chassis. Scaglietti would then take and redesign the car to have a much more pronounced nose. And given the fact it is a Berlinetta instead of a Spyder design 0594CM takes off into the stratosphere of exclusivity when it is already marked off as one of the rarest cars in the world and in Ferrari's litany of sportscars.

Specifically-built for Ferrari SEFAC board member Michel Paul-Cavallier, the Scaglietti-bodied Berlinetta would be finished in ivory and would sport a blue leather interior. Complete with triple Weber 42 DCF/3 carburetors, independent front suspensions and De Dion rear, this tubular steel-framed Berlinetta road car was capable of producing some 340 bhp and would be quite impressive in its own right.

Completed in July of 1955, Mr. Paul-Cavallier would make use of the car for years until it was purchased, in 1964, by Hugues Hazard, a French racing driver that had taken part in a number of Monte Carlo and Coupes des Alpes events. And while not necessarily intended for competition, the large 5.0-liter V12 engine would be too much for Hazard not to hear roar at full song, and so, in 1965 he would campaign the car in the Course de Cote de Belleau. One year later, the car would be sold to the Parisian Ferrari collector Pierre Bardinon. Once acquired by Bardinon, 0594CM would take its place as part of the famous Mas du Clos Collection.

For thirty-five years the 410S Berlinetta would remain under the ownership of Mr. Bardinon where it would be greatly cared for and would take part in a number of distinguished events. The car would even be featured in a number of articles and publications during this period of ownership.

Then, in June of 2001, the car would be sold. Purchased by John Bosch of the Netherlands, 0594CM would quickly go through some restoration where all of the mechanical systems would be thoroughly examined and tuned. The engine would go through a full rebuild while the rest of the car received some cosmetic attention. Upon completion of the restoration, Mr. Bosch would participate in the 2002 Mille Miglis and would also take part in the Ferraris Days meeting in Spa-Francorchamps also that same year.

A few years later, the car would be resold and its current owner would have the car displayed at the 2009 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. This would prove successful as the car would garner Honor of Mention in its class.

Confirmed by Ferrari Classiche, this truly one-of-a-kind 410 S Berlinetta is certainly a head-turner and just a marvelous amalgamation of Ferrari sportscar and road car history. Filled with an incredible pedigree and truly unique provenance, this Scaglietti-bodied Berlinetta belongs in a place of prominence in any collection.

Sources:
'Lot No. 117: 1955 Ferrari 410S Berlinetta by Carrozzeria Scaglietti', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO12&CarID=r165). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO12&CarID=r165. Retrieved 30 July 2012.

'1955 Ferrari 410S News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/z18212/Ferrari-410-S.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/z18212/Ferrari-410-S.aspx. Retrieved 30 July 2012.

'Ferrari 410S Scaglietti Berlinetta', (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4133/Ferrari-410-S-Scaglietti-Berlinetta.html). Ultimatecarpage.com: Powered by Knowledge, Driven by Passion. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4133/Ferrari-410-S-Scaglietti-Berlinetta.html. Retrieved 30 July 2012.

By Jeremy McMullen