1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe

• The very first grand touring Ferrari powered by a 3-liter Colombo V-12 engine, and the first of 22 Europas built
• The first of two 250 Europas that feature the 3-liter Colombo V-12; and one of three Vignale-bodied 250 Europa coupes

The Ferrari 250 is a sports car built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. It was replaced by the 275 and later, the 330. These cars were the company's most successful early line, and over the years the 250 series included several variants.

The Ferrari 250 Europa was introduced in Paris in 1953 at the 40th Annual Paris Auto show. This was an entirely new design for Ferrari and it looked totally different than any previous model. With the long 110.2-inch wheelbase and Ferrari America-style bodies, it was designed specifically to be a Grand Tourer, unlike any previous 250. Both Pininfarina and Vignale handled the coachwork, and a mere 21 were made. This Europa Coupe is chassis number 0295 by Vignale.

In late 1953 Ferrari commissioned Carrozzeria Vignale to create bodies for two of the early 250 Europa chassis, and this car - the very first Europa - was shown alongside the new Ferrari 375 America at the Paris Auto Show, held at the Grand Palais. The 250 Europa was Enzo Ferrari's first real touring car, which had been suggested by his North American importer, Luigi Chinetti, to attract wealthy customers and finance the company's racing exploits. The 250 Europa was fitted with the new 3-liter V-12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo, which powered Ferraris for the next 10 years. Since its Paris debut, the coupe has spent its entire life in America, where it has been shown only at the second annual Ferrari Club of America meeting in May 1966. It was restored to its original condition between 2012 and 2015 and was then displayed for the first time in 50 years. The 2015 Pebble Beach Concours was only the third time the car had been shown in public.

The 250 GT is Ferrari's longest-running and most celebrated vintage model, and this particular Vignale-bodied example is the very first 250 road car produced. At its core is a Gioacchino Colombo-designed V-12 engine with a 2,953 cubic-centimeter displacement (3-liter) and a single-cylinder volume approaching 250 cubic centimeters (the source of its '250' name). Ferrari had relied on the Colombo-designed engine since its inception in 1947, originally with a 1.5-liter displacement size which gradually grew to 1.9, 2.3, 2.6, and 2.7-liter configuration. The Colombo short-block 3-liter V12 would power the 250 GT series through 1964 and was instrumental in cementing Ferrari's legacy in history, earning numerous victories in endurance racing events over its 13-year production lifespan.

The earliest 250 engines were installed in competition cars, beginning with the 250 Sports that Giovanni Bracco drove to victory in the 1952 Mille Miglia. This achievement was rewarded with a short run of 250 MM (Mille Miglia) Berlinettas and spiders, followed a year later by a 3-liter V12 grand touring car - chassis number 0295 EU - a Vignale-bodied Coupe. It was one of two examples that received the 3-liter Colombo 250 V-12; the following 20 examples of the 250 Europa were fitted with a Lampredi-designed engine. Additionally, chassis 0295 EU is one of three 250 Europa coupes bodied by Vignale.

The styling penned by Giovanni Michelotti was clearly influenced by the Vignale-bodied 340 Mexicos that competed in the Carrera Panamericana, with the half-chromed fender protuberances and chrome-molded side scallops painted in a complementary two-tone color scheme. It was given a low-roof, high waistline, and a large eggcrate grille. When it was first unveiled to the public in October 1953 at the Paris Salon, it wore a shade of Rosso Rubino, with a dark hue of Amaranto red in the distinctive coves.

After the 1953 Paris Salon, this Europa was sold to its first owner, Robert Teakle of Detroit, Michigan. It would pass through seven additional American owners over the next eighteen years before it was purchased in August 1971 by Gilbert Walton of Danville, California. The Ferrari would remain with Mr. Walton for 37 years, during which the Europa was mostly stored in preparation for a restoration.

Some restoration work commenced in the mid-1980s, but when Mr. Walton sold the car in 2008 to Brian Hoyt, it remained in a partially disassembled state. Mr. Hoyt was the proprietor of Perfect Reflections in Hayward, California, and upon purchasing the long-forgotten 1953 Paris Salon show car, he commenced an exacting refurbishment. The original Colombo 3-liter V-12 was sent to marque specialist Patrick Ottis, who completely rebuilt the engine, including the installation of new pistons. The running gear and ancillary systems were all rebuilt, the aluminum coachwork was stripped to bare metal and then given a deep two-tone finish in Rosso Rubino, with the side coves finished in contrasting Nero. The interior was trimmed in beige leather upholstery.

Upon completion of the five-year restoration, the Europa was sold to its current Kentucky-based owner. Following additional research, it was determined that the side covers were originally a very dark red - not black. Mr. Hoyt was enlisted to refinish the coves in a thin coat of red paint that returned them to a deep red hue.

This Ferrari was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2015, where it participated in the Grand Touring Ferrari class. Five months later, it was shown at the Cavallino Classic, winning a Platinum Award and the Elegance Cup for the finest coachbuilt Ferrari. In April 2016, it was certified by Ferrari Classiche with a Red Book. This 250 Europa has its numbers-matching chassis, engine, and coachwork; the gearbox and rear differential have been replaced with correct-type components stamped by Ferrari Classiche.

In May 2016, the Ferrari was exhibited at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza at Lake Como, Italy, and a month later, it was the featured cover car of Cavallino magazine. In 2017, the Europa was presented at the Arizona Concours d'Elegance, collecting a class award and a special award for the Most Elegant Postwar Car, and at the Salon Privé Concours d'Elegance in Great Britain, where it won an Outstanding Coachwork award during the event's tribute to 70 Years of Ferrari. It was then shown at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. Additional awards were earned at the 2019 Concours d'Elegance Suisse (Best of Show), the 2019 Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance (Best of Show, Post War), and the 2021 Cavallino Classic Middle East edition at Abu Dhabi (Best of Show and Gran Turismo Cup). During September 2022, the car participated in the Ferrari Factory Cavalcade Classic staged through the Dolomite Mountains in Italy.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2024