1950 Ferrari 166 Inter

The Ferrari 166 Inter was produced from 1948 to 1950 with 38 examples built. They were the company's first true grand tourer and an evolution of the 125 S and 166 S racing cars. They were also the first Ferraris to be purchased for the road rather than the race track, albeit, some were indeed used in competition. The '166' portion of the name was in reference to the unitary displacement of the engine while the 'Inter' commemorated the victories at the Targa Florio achieved by the 166 S models of Scuderia Inter. The dangerous Sicilian race was won in 1948 by Troubetzkoy/Biondetti and again in 1949 by Biondetti/Benedetti. The 'Inter' name was also used by Ferrari years later on some of their racing cars.

The 166 Inter shared its chassis with the 125 S and 166 S - an Aurelio Lampredi-designed tube frame suspended by an independent setup in the front with A-arms, transverse leaf springs, and lever shock absorbers. The rear used a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and lever shock absorbers. The 1995.02cc, SOHC, Colombo-designed V12 engine with output ranging from 100 to 140 bhp with single to triple carburetors. It was backed by a five-speed manual transmission and braking was controlled by four-wheel hydraulic drums. Most examples wore coupe or Barchetta style coachwork created by Touring. Carrozzeria Ghia produced one-off coupé designed by Felice Mario Boano, and Bertone bodied one cabriolet. Vignale created seven bodies. Other examples were built by Stabilimenti Farina in either coupe or cabriolet configuration.

Derived from the company's competition models, the 166 Inter was essentially a thinly disguised racing car in GT form.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010