1953 Ferrari 250 MM Spyder

Of the 31 examples of the 250 MM, thirteen were bodied by Vignale with all but one of those in spider configuration. This particular example, chassis number 0274 MM, was one of the examples to wear spider coachwork by Carrozzeria Vignale of Torino. Built for competition, it has compact proportions, oval portholes, a rounded form, and triangular cutaways in the rear fenders.

Ten of the 12 Vignale Spider 250 MM chassis were fashioned with a Series II design, including this example which was one of the first of three examples built with a staggered seating arrangement and long-range 150-liter fuel tank.

This Ferrari was originally owned by Florentine racing driver Piero Scotti. It was completed in March of 1953 and made its competition debut that April at the Giro di Sicilia with Scotti and co-driver Giulio Contini. Its next events were the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, but it failed to finish either event due to mechanical issues. In May, at the Coppa della Toscana, Scotti and Contini drove the 250 MM one final time as a pair to a 10th Overall finish. Scotti would continue to race 0274 MM for the remainder of the 1953 racing season, with accolades that include a 9th Overall at the Monza Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore, 1st Overall at the Coppa della Consuma Hillclimb, 13th Overall at the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, and 1st in Class at the Aosta-San Bernardo Hillclimb.

Near the close of the 1953 season, the Ferrari was sold to Porfirio Rubirosa, who in turn sold it to Francisco 'Chico' Landi of Sao Paulo, Brazil. While in Mr. Landi's care, the original red livery was concealed under a new paint scheme of white. It competed in December 1953 at the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, where Landi drove the car to 3rd Overall. In January 1954, he entered the Ferrari in the Grand Prix of Salvador, winning the race outright.

For the Grand Prix of Porto in June and the Grand Prix of Portugal in July, the car was shipped to Europe and loaned to fellow Brazilian driver Mario Valentim. Landi was reunited with the Ferrari for the August 1954 race at the Circuito di Senigallia, placing fourth overall. His final race with the 250 MM was in May of 1955 at the Maracana Circuit. It was loaned to another driver for the Interlagos 500 Km, held in September 1957.

Passing through several Brazilian owners during the late 1950s, the care was acquired in 1959 by an American engineer named Edwin Griffin. After relocating to the United States, the car passed through a few additional owners before it was purchased by P. Paul Pappalardo of Greenwich, Connecticut. Gary Schonwald was its next caretaker who owned it until 1986, selling it to Bob Rubin. The 250 MM Vignale Spider was traded a year later to Jess Pourret as part of the transaction that involved a GTO. M. Pourret treated the 250 MM to a complete restoration performed by DK Engineering. The car received a two-tone livery which it retains today and was fitted with a spare engine block, later stamped with the original serial number. The car's original block, stamped with internal no. 018, was retained for posterity and remains with the car (not installed).

The restoration was completed in 1992, after which M. Pourrett drove the 250 MM in numerous classic Ferrari tours and celebrations across the European continent. Among the events were the Ferrari Club France 25th Anniversary Meeting at Pierre Bardinon's Mas du Clos in 1993, the 250 GTO 40th Anniversary Tour in 2002, and the Ferrari 60th Anniversary Meeting and Concours at Fiorano, Italy, in 2007. This car was featured on the cover of Cavallino, the subject of a featured article in Prancing Horse, and illustrated in numerous books on the marque and model.

For the first time in nearly four decades, the car was offered for sale in 2023 at the Gooding & Company auction held in Amelia Island, Florida.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2023