1950 Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta

Ferrari displayed two cars at the 1948 Turing Motor Show. One car was the 166 Mille Miglia Barchetta and the other was the 166 Inter Coupe, so named to commemorate the racing victories by Scuderia Inter. The 166 Inter was produced between 1948 and 1953, with just 37 examples produced. (Odd-numbered chassis numbers between 007S through 0079 S). Coachwork for the 166 Inter was done by Carrozzeria Touring, Bertone, Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina and Vignale.

The 166 Inter was powered by an all-alloy V-12 engine that displaced 1995cc and produced 110 horsepower. The '166' in the model designation referred to the swept volume of a single cylinder in cubic centimeters. The Combo-designed engines had twin camshaft nose-driven Marelli distributors and were fitted with a single twin-choke carburetor as standard equipment. A triple carburetor setup was also available. The 166 Inter had independent front suspension via a transverse leaf spring, wishbones and Houdaille lever-type hydraulic shock absorbers. In the back, there were semi-elliptic leaf springs and similar Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers. Hydraulic drum-type brakes were fitted at all four corners.

This example, chassis number 043S wears coachwork by Milan's Carrozzeria Touring. From May 4th through May 14th of 1950, the car was on display at the XXXII Turin Motor Show. In July it was delivered to its first owner, A.I.C.A.R. S.r.l. of Milan, Italy, whose acronym translates to the International Agency for Automobile and Spare Parts Trading. It was then re-sold by A.I.C.A.R. to the first private owner, Mr. Moretti of Milan, Italy.

The car was later exported from Italy to the United States. In the 1980s, the car was owned by Ron Pinto of Rancho Palos Verdes, California. It was purchased by Lyle Tanner in 1986. The following year, it was purchased by Henk P. C. Van de Meene of The Netherlands. At that time, it was reported to have been finished in red with a brown wool cloth and tan leather interior. In 2008, the car was in the care of Danny Donovan. The current owner acquired the car in 2009 in fully restored condition, featuring a dark blue exterior and brown leather/tan cloth upholstery.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at RM Auction's Arizona sale where it was estimated to sell for $400,000 - $600,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $412,500, inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2011