1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder

Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder with coachwork by Pininfarina and having chassis number 0408MD was created in March of 1954. It was sold to Valdemar Stener who used it in competition during the 1954 and 1955 season. His first outing was at the Helsinki Grand Prix where he scored a 5th in Class. The second owner was Bjorn Martensson who took possession in 1956 and competed with it until 1957. It was sold in 1957 to Mas-Olle Persson and then to Lars Edin in 1958. It was then rebodied in fiberglass. In 1973 it was sold to Christer Mellin who sold it to a US individual named Gary Schmidt for the sum of $35,000. Schmidt used it in the 1977 Mille Miglia and the Oldtimer Grand Prix Nurburgring. It was sold in 1980 to Stefano Arborini who raced it in the Mille Miglia in 1982, 1984, and 1986.

It was raced at the 1987 and 1988 Mille Miglia by De Ghellinck and the 1989 Mille Miglia by Carlo Tonolli.

In 1991 the fiberglass body was removed and given new bodywork to Pinin Farina Spyder specifications by Carrozzeria Bachelli & Villa of Bastaglia, Modena.

It was sold at auction in 1997 for the sum of $344,000. In 2001, at the Quail Lodge auction, it was sold for $520,000. Since then, it has been owned by atleast two other owners and has continued to race in vintage events.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2009