1950 Ferrari 195 Inter

Following the success of his V-12-engined racing cars, Enzo Ferrari realized that he could attract customers to buy high-performance, luxury cars and help fund Scuderia Ferrari's racing activities. Introduced in 1950, the 195 continued the evolution of the marque, utilizing a chassis that was typical of Ferrari but with two oval longerons, which were cross-braced with oval tubing. The rear suspension employed semi-elliptical springs supported by a solid rear axle, which was located by upper and lower pairs of radius arms. The front suspension used unequal length wishbones with an anti-roll bar and transverse springs. Large 12-inch hydraulically operated aluminum drums with steel liners provided the stopping power and were concealed behind Borrani wire wheels.

The introduction of the 195 coincided nearly simultaneously with the 212, and several 195s were entered in international competition. In 1950, Giannino Marzotto won the Mille Miglia in a 195 Sport Touring Berlinetta Le Mans, with second place secured by Dorino Serafini in a 195 S Barchetta Touring. The Mille Miglia-winning Ferrari also led at Le Mans before being sidelined by a failed generator mount. The primary purpose of the 195, however, was to provide a suitable mount for elegant coachwork created by Ghia, Touring, Vignale, and others. 13 examples were bodied by Carrozzeria Vignale, 11 by Ghia, 3 by Touring and 1 by Motto.

The 195 Inter rested on a 166 Inter wheelbase that had been stretched by 3.1-inches to 98.4 inches. The Colombo-designed V12 engine displaced 2,341cc and had the same 58.8mm stroke of the 166 but used a larger 65mm stroke. Some cars received triple carburetors but most employed single Weber 36DCF carburetors and produced 128 horsepower.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Touring
Chassis number: 0081 S
Engine number: 0081 S

The first of the new Grand Touring Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinettas would make its debut in Paris in 1950. The car would be built around the raw bored-out 2.3-liter Colombo V-12. Tuned for racing, the new car would be capable of 170 bhp. This would make the new 195 Inter much more powerful than the 166 it meant to replace.

The Touring carrozzeria of Milan would be contracted to construct the coachwork for the new car. Just three would end up being produced by the Touring coachworks. One of the three would set the tone with the Paris introduction. Another of the three would provide the emotion.

Touring would go on to produce chassis 0081S. This was a truly unique 195. It would boast of features and elements not included on the other two chassis Touring had completed. This specific car, chassis 0081S, would be prepared for the Torino Auto Show in 1951.

The chassis would sport Touring's signature work of a fastback design sporting large windows and narrow pillars to provide ample light and visibility. While the body-styling remained similar to its other creations, the nose would sport some changes only to be seen on this one chassis. On this one particular car, the nose would undergo some changes. The position of the headlights would be altered. It would also be void of any other headlights. This gave the front of the car a very clean and tasteful look. Another simple difference included the use of a small amount of chrome to accent the grille. The design would draw of the emotion of rest and peace more than on the raw performance the car was capable.

The car would be completed with a luxurious light metallic gold. The interior of the car would end up being tastefully upholstered in light cloth with contrasting vinyl. Inside and out, the car is simple and elegant. Its richness would result from its simplicity and craftsmanship.

The design of the 195 Inter would end up being a winner. Of course, having the Colombo V12 under the hood certainly helped the sales of the car, which would 27 would be built in just one year. However, the 195 Inter designs that would be seen in Paris in Torino wouldn't end up being what the customers would receive. Most of the coachwork for the 195 Inter would shift to rival coachbuilders Ghia and Vignale. Therefore, the first three prototypes of the 195 would end up being especially rare as they would end up being the only Touring-bodied 195s. And among the three, one would stand out amongst the other two.

That particularly special one of the three, the car that would be especially built and would be displayed at the Torino Auto Show would again be on display at Gooding & Company's auction at Pebble Beach in August of 2011.

After sharing the spotlight of the Torino Auto Show, 0081S would end up being sold a month later of Giuseppe Fiocchi. The Fiocchi name is immediately recognized with the Fiocchi Ammunition family. The car would remain the property of Fiocchi for three years.

Then, in 1954, the car would be sold to Francesco Nissotti. Nissotti was a racing enthusiast and was routinely seen entering road races throughout Italy. The car wouldn't remain with Nissotti long before it would change hands again. This time, the car would be sold to Donald Maynard. The American had been living at the United States Air Force's base in Campoformido. A period of about four or five years would pass before Maynard would bring the car to the United States whereupon the car would again be sold. The car would be sold a number of more times and would even be refinished a totally different color.

Over time, it was believed the car had been lost. But it hadn't. It had only been in hibernation, quietly locked away in a garage. It wouldn't be until 2006 that the car would again be seen. Tom Shaughnessy of Oceanside, California immediately recognized what he saw and would purchase the car. What he would purchase; however, was a project that would need a lot of time and work. The work would end up being a little too much and the car would again be sold in 2007. Its owner, an enthusiast with an already impressive collection of sports and racing cars, would immediately contact Terry Scarborough Racing. He would be given the task of restoring the car to its former show car look.

Despite the years, much of the car would remain original and rather unharmed. The car would include original body stampings and would include other such original features as original gauges, steering wheel, trim pieces and windshield wipers and lights. The car would even include the original carpets and upholstery.

When it was all said and done, the car would earn the Platinum Award at the famed Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach as well as the La Bella Macchina trophy. Its other awards would include a Best in Class award at the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance and a Best in Class award at the San Francisco Presidio Concours event.

Being an extremely rare and authentic Touring-bodied 195 Inter and a Best in Class award winner, the car would go on to earn $990,000 at this year's auction.

Sources:

'Lot No. 26: 1950 Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta', (http://www.goodingco.com/car/1950-ferrari-195-inter-coupe). Gooding & Company. http://www.goodingco.com/car/1950-ferrari-195-inter-coupe. Retrieved 23 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Ferrari 195 Inter', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 July 2011, 07:18 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ferrari_195_Inter&oldid=440791411 accessed 23 August 2011

by Jeremy McMullen

Coupe by Touring
Chassis number: 0081 S
Engine number: 0081 S

Ferrari 195 Inter Coupe Berlinetta with chassis number 0081S was created near the close of 1950. It is a right-hand drive vehicle and was originally finished in gold paint. It was given a body by Touring and shown at the 1951 Torino Salon. The car has passed through several owners before coming into possession of its current owner. It was shown at the 2007 Cavallino Classic in very unrestored condition. The paint is non existent. There are no windows and most of the interior panels have been removed. The gears that crank up the window are visible and probably not in working condition; either way, there is no glass. The seats are torn, dirty, and show their age and lack of care throughout the years. There is a front and rear bench seat which appears to be capable of carrying four to five passengers. There are places in the floor board that have been rusted away and now the ground is visible. Bungee cords are used to secure mechanical components on the bottom of the car, probably the exhaust system. There is a spare tire in the trunk of the car that looks to be original and still retaining most of its tread. A single exhaust pipe sticks out the rear middle of the car. Looking under the bonnet, though, is a different story. The chrome is shiny and appears to be recently restored. It carried the car and its passengers onto the upper concours lawn of the Cavallino Classic. As the car gracefully rolled up the beautiful driveway of the Breakers Hotel, it appeared to be in fine running condition and the driver seemed to be enjoying the experience thoroughly. The final view of the car as it rolled on past and onto the lawn was of the blue tape covering the rear brake lights.

Later in 2007, it was brought to the Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, where it had an estimated value of $400,000 - $600,000. After enthusiastic bidding, the lot was sold for a high bid of $429,000 including buyer's premium.

Ferrari built just 25 of these 195 Inter models in late 1950 and 1951 and this car (serial number 0081 S) is the first one. It follows the design and specifications of the road-going 166 Inter. The 195s were powered by a V-12 engine displacing 2.3-liters, and were bodied by Touring, Vignale, and Ghia. Originally painted gold, this car was featured by Touring at the 1951 Turin Salon in Italy.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Ghia
Chassis number: 0101S

Carrozzeria Ghia, under the control of Mario Felice Boano, resumed its coachbuilding business after the war, and in 1950 it built its first Ferrari body. After the first coupe body was fitted on a 166 Inter, a similar style was built for the 195 Inter. This is the fifth example, which was exhibited at the 1950 Turin Motor Show. Ghia's design for the 195 Inter attracted a lot of attention and ten similar Berlinetta bodies were constructed, but only 35 Ferraris were bodied by Ghia. After its first Italian owner, this car was exported to the United States in the late 1950s. Then, after several more owners, the car returned to Italy to be completely restored in 2001. The current owner acquired the car in 2011.

Coupe by Ghia
Chassis number: 0087/S

Ferrari was in just its fourth year as a manufacturer when the 195 Inter was created. Just 28 total with the 2.3-liter Colombo-designed V-12 engine mated to a five-speed transmission and is the successor to the 166 Inter.

This is believed to be the oldest Ghia-bodied Ferrari in existence. It is the first of six Ghia two-seaters built on the Ferrari chassis with the 195 engine. And thanks to a rather complicated three-way engine swap, this car now has both its original 2.3-liter V-12 engine and 5-speed transmission. Much of the car's earliest history is not known, but in 1965, Sally Demler purchased the Coupe for $1,500 as a very special gift for her husband, Roger. At the time, although just 15 years old, the car was, as Roger has reported, 'tired, rusty, and wearing red paint that appeared to have been applied with a broom.' It was also running with engine 0145E. Much later, after two children and five grandchildren, the Demlers began to restore the car with the help of Peter Markowski of RPM Vermont. It was Peter who engineered the swap, regaining the coupe's original 0087/S engine, while sending 0145E to Ghia-bodied 212 145E, and providing a Classiche-approved new block for Vignale-bodied 0097/S. This special steel-bodied coupe has also been returned to its original elegant light green shade.

The Ferrari 195 was introduced in 1950 and followed the styling, chassis and dimensions of the 166 Inter (road). The bore of the 195 engine was enlarged by 5 millimeters which resulted in an engine displacement of 2341. A single Weber carburetor allowed for 130 horsepower, while the triple Webers pushed the competition Sport engine to 160 horsepower. The top speed of the 195 was around 100 miles-per-hour.

Keeping with the tradition of early Ferrari, a variety of coachbuilders were used, however Pini Farina or Vignale did the majority of the builds. Also, a variety of body styles were offered such as a two-seater touring or sports-racer berlinettas and convertibles.

Only a small number, about 24, of 195's were produced.

by Dan Vaughan

Racing takes money, and by 1950 Ferrari was willing and able to concentrate part of the production towards creating exclusive road going cars for customers who were able to pay for them. His V-12 powered racing cars had created the reputation for durability and performance and hopes were that this would translate into a successful line of exclusive road-going cars.

The Ferrari Type 195 was introduced in 1950 and had many familiar Ferrari design features. The chassis was the tried-and-true Ferrari setup with two oval longerons that were cross-braced by oval tubing. The suspension as comprised of a front unequal-length wishbones, anti-roll bar, and transverse springs. In the rear were semi-elliptic springs and a solid rear axle. Larger 12-inch hydraulically operated aluminum drums with steel liners kept the 2200 pound vehicle in the drivers control.

The potent V12 engine could carry the 195 from zero-to-sixty in under ten seconds and capable of speeds reaching 200 kph. As is the case with Ferrari automobiles, many were brought to the track and raced in competition. Gianinno Marzotto drove his Touring bodied 195 to victory in the 1950 Mille Miglia. It was later brought to LeMans where it led the race before retiring to the sidelines due to a failed generator mount.

The Type 195 had been introduced during the same time as the 212 with the 212 featuring a larger displacement and slightly higher horsepower. So customers with racing intentions often opted for the better suited Type 212. The Type 195 had a suitable mount for the automotive artistry of Touring, Vignale, Ghia, Pinin Farina and others. It had a longer wheelbase with a powerplant worthy of carrying the most elegant and heavy of coachworked bodies. In total there were twenty-seven examples of the 195 created.

The 195 was available in two bodystyles, Inter or Sport. The Inter was similar to the 166 and designed for road use. The Sport sat on a shortened wheelbase, given a more powerful engine, and better suited for competition. The primary difference of the 166 and 195 was the engine displacement size, with the 166 displacing two liters while the 195 displaced 2.4-liters. Only a few 195 vehicles were created, as Ferrari soon introduced the 2.6-liter 212.

The Columbo-designed two-liter 60-degree V12 engine found in the 166, with single overhead camshafts, was enlarged to have a bore of 65mm and a stroke of 58.8. Initially, only one carburetor was fitted, and it was a twin choke downdraught Weber 32 DCF. It was not uncommon for up to three carburetors to be fitted either by the factory or by the buyer. Horsepower was rated at about 130.

Touring was a popular coachbuilder for early Ferrari vehicles used in competition. However, only a few 195 Inter were bodied by the Milanese firm. Most were handled by Vignale and Ghia, both were from Turin. Vignale and Ghia both bodied ten examples.

by Dan Vaughan