1952 Lazzarino Sport Prototipo Roadster

This Lazzarino Sport Prototipo emerged from the shop of Carrozzeria Lazzarino, in 1952. Bautista Lazzarino was an Italian immigrant who moved to Argentina in 1927. He worked in the family repair shop in La Paternal. The family became well known after a Packard they had re-bodied was used to transport Cardinal Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII.

The first owner of chassis number 004 was the chairman of Ford in Argentina. He wanted a Ferrari 375MM but was unable to import one from Italy. The car uses a custom tubular frame and is powered by a modified Ford 239 cubic-inch flathead V8 engine. The car was essentially hand-made. The seats, the gauges, and the steering wheel were all hand-made. It was hand rolled from steel panels. The car raced through the 1950s.

The car was found by its second owner, Jorge Luis Peneda, Sr. It participated successfully in the 2006 Pan-American race from Philadelphia to San Francisco.

This car was sold at auction in 2006. The prior owner had intercepted the car on its way to a dealer in Belgium and had it delivered to the United States. The car was then refurbished and then used for long-distance events and even was used in competitions such as the Great Race from Philadelphia to San Francisco.

The car is capable of racing from zero-to-sixty mph in the sub-eight-second range and has a top speed in excess of 100 mph.

No evidence has been uncovered of the existence of any earlier cars. Chassis numbers 001-003 were - likely - something unrelated, if they indeed existed at all. It is believed that this is the one and only Lazzarino Sports Racer.