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1948 Ferrari 166 MM

Ferrari of Modena, Italy built two examples of the 1.5-liter 125 S race car in 1947, the first car to bear the Ferrari name. The first car to wear a Ferrari badge on the radiator cowl was the Alfa Romeo Bimotore constructed in 1935 by Enzo Ferrari and Luigi Bazzi. At the time, Ferrari managed numerous drivers from his headquarters in Viale Trento e Trieste, Modena, Italy, until 1938, when Alfa Romeo made him the manager of the factory racing division, Alfa Corse. In 1937, Alfa Romeo had acquired the shares of the Scuderia Ferrari and beginning on January 1st of 1938, transferred the official racing activity to Alfa Corse. Enzo was dismissed by Alfa in 1939 following disagreements with policies, so Enzo formed his own company, Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, which also manufactured machine tools. Due to agreements with Alfa, Enzo was unable to use the Ferrari name on cars for four years.

Enzo Ferrari's Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 had been built in 1940, and was equipped with an inline-8 while the 125 S was equipped with a Gioacchini Colombo-designed 1,497cc V12 engine with a 9.5:1 compression ratio, single overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder, and three double-choke Weber 30DCF carburetors. It used a steel tube-frame chassis with a double wishbones suspension system with transverse leaf springs in front with a live axle in the rear. Stopping power was provided by hydraulic power drum brakes in the front and rear.

The Tipo 166 Sport replaced the 125 S and would ultimately establish Enzo Ferrari's Modenese workshop as a leading manufacturer of racing cars, defining the sound, look, and character of future Ferrari automobiles. The evolution and development of these early Ferrari vehicles were ongoing with many examples often reworked into later models to suit competition opportunities. At the time, Ferrari was a nascent commercial enterprise and due to the recent conclusion of World War II, resources were scarce. Except for labor, everything was scarce including quality materials and machinery essential for the construction of high-performance racing cars.

With Formula 2 racing regulations adopting a two-liter limit for competition, Ferrari and Bazzi increased the 125's 55x52.5mm bore and stroke to 59x58mm for the 1902cc 159 engine which appeared late in 1947. Displacement grew to nearly two liters for the 1948 season with the first version (of which few were built), had a 1968cc displacement with a 60mm bore and 58mm stroke. Another slight increase in stroke to 58.8mm brought the engine closer to the 2-liter limit, at 1,995cc. Just like the 125, the 166 Model was named in reference to the unitary displacement (166.25cc per cylinder), a naming convention that would be used by Ferrari for many decades.

The early 166 Sports and Spider Corsas achieved success in their own right, with the cycle fendered Botticelli-style Spider Corsa bodies adaptable to both Formula 2 and sports car competition. Two 166 Sports models were built on long-wheelbase (2620mm) platforms, with one wearing coupe coachwork by Allemano. It was driven by Clemente Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone to an overall victory in the 1948 Mille Miglia, and capitalizing on the victory, Ferrari called the new 166 'Mille Miglia' - or MM - and it would dominate sports car racing during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Among the accolades were victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia. Biondetti scored his third consecutive Mille Miglia victory in his 166 early in 1949, Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon won the 1949 24 Hours of LeMans, and Chinetti and Jean Lucas won at the Spa 24 Hours.

The coachbuilder most closely associated with the Ferrari marque during this era was Carrozzeria Touring, based in Milan and headed by Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni. The designs were elegant, and the technically advanced Superleggera construction complemented the sporting characteristics of the simple yet effective chassis. The frame was comprised of two oval tubes with X-members for torsional strength, and the body was supported by outriggers. This design made it possible for Ferrari to cater the wheelbase size to various types of racing, and to accommodate different passenger configurations. The rear suspension used a simple live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and trailing arms to control axle location and torque, also with Houdaille shocks. The front setup was independent with parallel A-arms supported by a transverse leaf spring and snubbed by Houdaille lever-action hydraulic shock absorbers. All four wire wheels hide the large drum brakes.

The Ferrari 166 MM was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in November of 1948 and built in two versions. A long wheelbase 'coupé 2-3 posti' (known as a 2+2 in modern nomenclature) rested on the Touring stand and shared design elements with the Touring-bodied 2-seat roadster (spider da corsa) on Ferrari's stand. The spider da corsa had a wheelbase of 2200mm (86.5-inches), yet despite its small stature had an aggressive (yet graceful) appearance. Design cues included a large and oval grille with egg crate trim with horizontal bars. A swage line traversed the bodyside, beginning at behind the front wheel wells and continuing back to, and over, the rear wheel. The design would later influence several future vehicles including vehicles from the AC Bristol.

By the time production of the first series 166 MM ended in 1951, a total of twenty-six Touring Barchettas ('little boat') had been built. Eleven examples of the 166 MM were built in 1949 followed by a further thirteen examples in 1950. Six examples were retained by Scuderia Ferrari while the remainder were sold and raced by privateers including the Marzotto brothers, Franco Cornacchia and Inico Bernabei.

The Colombo engine powering the 166 would later be used (with the same bore but different stroke) in the company's first series production model, the 250 GT.

by Dan Vaughan

Barchetta by Touring
Chassis number: 0002M
Engine number: 022I

The development of the 166 MM was a watershed where body design, chassis and performance came together, establishing Ferrari's success in subsequent road and racing lines. The 166 MM was the successor to the type 166 competition car, named for Ferrari's outright win at the Mille Miglia in 1948. The sports/endurance racers had natural aspiration and were campaigned by both Ferrari works and individuals, delighting crowds with their iconic engine soundtrack. This groundbreaking design was the brainchild of Touring coachworks and was shown at the Turin Auto Show where it was dubbed the 'little boat' or Barchetta.

This Barchetta is the prototype constructed in late 1948. The first Barchetta had a full Lusso interior and even windscreen wipers, which were deleted on all subsequent Barchettas. It was first shown at the Turin Salon in September 1948 and then at the Paris Salon in October. When first shown, it was not yet completed; the exhaust system was not installed and it had not been road tested. When completed in November 1948, it included an engine from the previous model, the 1948 Spyder Corsa. Luigi Chinetti sold this Barchetta to Tommy Lee in Los Angeles. It was imported in March 1949, becoming the first Ferrari to land in the United States. It has had only three owners from new. In 1995 it was acquired by Robert Lee (unrelated) from Tommy Lee's business partner's estate. This Ferrari has graced the Robert M. Lee Collection ever since and is considered by many to be one of the most important Ferraris in the world.

The Columbo-designed 12-cylinder engine has approximately 130 horsepower and is 2 liters in displacement. The body was made by Touring Superleggera and is made of very lightweight aluminum which was skillfully formed over steel wires that define its elegant shape.

It is a very early Ferrari and one of only 30 examples created. 25 were constructed by Touring. It carries chassis number 0002M and engine number 022I.

Barchetta by Touring
Chassis number: 0006M
Engine number: 0004M

The first of Enzo Ferrari's dual-purpose sports and racing cars, the 166 MM was named 'Mille Miglia' in honor of the previous year's victory in the most prestigious event. The groundbreaking body design was nicknamed the Barchetta, or 'Little Boat,' by an Italian journalist when it was first shown at the 1948 Turin Motor Show. Typical of the time, Ferrari built only the chassis and running gear. The coachwork was designed and built by Carlo Felice 'Cici' Anderloni's Carrozzeria Touring.

Ferrari 166MM with chassis number 0006M is a right-hand drive vehicle with a Touring body in Barchetta Lusso configuration. This is the third Barchetta built and is powered by engine number 0004M. It is fed air through a flat air scoop located on the vehicle's long and graceful hood. The car's first owner was Giovanni Vaccari who took possession in 1948. Vaccari entered the car into the 1949 Mille Miglia where he was joined by co-driver Arnoldo Mori. The duo drove the car to Sixth in Class and Thirty-Fourth overall. It was shown at the Villa d'Este Concours in 1949 where it was awarded a very prestigious, First in Class.

In 1951 the car was sold to its second owner who raced it in the 1951 Mille Miglia but failed to finish the race. From then, the car passed through several owners until it came into the possession of Juerg Brigel during the mid-1980s. Brigel brought the car to events such as the 1989 166 MM Barchetta Reunion in Monterey, California. It was sold to its next owner during the mid-1990s. It was shown at the 1994 International Ferrari Concours in Monterey where it was awarded a Third in Class. It made a trip to the Cavallino Classic in 1995.

The car was purchased by Mr. Ross in 2006 who brought the car to the 2007 Cavallino Classic. Among very stiff competition and a show field full of history and prestigious racing victories, the 166 MM with chassis number 0006M was crowned 'Best of Show'.

The Ferrari 166 MM 'Barchetta' gave Ferrari the identifiable car it needed to establish itself on the world's automotive stage. Enzo Ferrari had been producing cars for little more than a year when his marketing instincts took over.

While every early Ferrari blurred the lines between street use and competition - most were, in fact, outright race cars - the 166 MM was the first Ferrari offered with equipment tailored to both needs. It also was the first Ferrari with styling that identified it as a Ferrari.

The Ferrari 166 MM's all-alloy V-12 displaced 1995cc, had a compression ratio of 10:1 and was crowned by three 32 DCF Weber carburetors. Ferrari claimed 140 horsepower at 6600 RPM, plenty for a machine with a factory-quoted weight of just 1,430 lbs.

Thirty-nine examples of this model were produced from its introduction at the Turin Motor Show in 1948 to its retirement in 1950. It was replaced by the 2.3 liter 195 S in 1950.

Ferrari built 25 of the 166MM Barchettas, or 'little boats,' with bodies by Touring. Racing versions of the model won the Mille Miglia, LeMans, and the Spa 24 hour race in 1949. This is the third of those 25 examples.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe by Touring
Chassis number: 0004M
Engine number: 0002M

This Ferrari 166MM, chassis number 0004 with engine number 0002M, wears custom Barchetta coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. This example is the second car built in the production run of approximately 24. It was also the 1949 Ferrari Salon car. From 1949 through 1957, the car was successfully raced in several Mille Miglias and other noted races. This Touring Barchetta is fitted with several racing options.

After its racing career ended, it was on display at the Harrahs Collection from 1967 until the closing of Harrahs. Since then, it has been in a private collection of the East Coast of the United States.

Spyder Corsa by Fontana
Chassis number: 012I
Engine number: 116MS

Almost immediately after establishing the company sharing his last name, Enzo Ferrari and his team would produce a winning design. Giacchino Colombo would work hard to produce a versatile V12 engine that would lead to the 125. The 125, however, would be just the beginning. The 125 would evolve into the 166 S racing car and this chassis would go on to earn a number of important victories for Scuderia Inter. Realizing he had a successful car to produce and sell, Ferrari would determine to build the 166 Inter.

Named after the Scuderia Inter team that successfully campaigned the 166 S. The 166 would come from its engine size, which had been increased to 1.66-liters from the 1.5-liter engine that had been used in the 125. Developed from the 166 S race car, the 166 Inter would become Ferrari's first true grand tourer. It would be a sports car built for the street and would feature custom-built coach bodies.

Although the 166 Inter would not be introduced until the Paris Motor Show in October of 1949, the first edition of the 166 Inter would first be produced in 1948. And one of those early 166 Inters would be presented at RM Auctions' event in Monaco in 2012.

Chassis 012I, according to official records, is a truly special example in Ferrari's extensive history. Only the ninth Ferrari built according to the sequence in chassis construction. In addition, it would be just the sixth 166 Inter ever to be produced. But the example presented for auction would differ a fair bit from what it originally looked like leaving the Ferrari factory when it was completed in May of 1948.

When chassis 012I was finished by the coachbuilder Ansaloni the chassis would be finished with cycle-wings and would become one of the first to become known as 'Spyder Corsas'. When, the car was finished it would just miss out on an opportunity to take part in the 1948 Mille Miglia. Had the car taken part in the race it would have joined its sister-car in the event. Incidentally, the sister-car to 012I would be driven by the famous Tazio Nuvolari.

Still, 012I would see some racing action. Its first taste of motor racing would come at the hands of Ferdinando Righetti at the Bari Grand Prix. Later on, the car would take part in the Pescara Grand Prix. Driven by Count Bruno Sterzi, the car would go on to earn its first podium result finishing 2nd overall.

Some time later, 012I would take part in the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti with Count Bruno Sterzi back at the wheel. The car would finish the event in 9th place overall. This would be a very impressive result for the car.

Victories would come later on in the car's first season. Giovanni Bracco would take the Ferrari and would compete in a few hill climbs. This would result in a victory at the Rocco di Papa Hill Climb. The victory would earn Bracco the Gallenga Cup.

Bracco, known as impatient young man, seemed to have found his car. The man from Cossila, Italy would end up purchasing 012I in early of 1949. Known for his famous motto, 'Either it goes or I crash it', Bracco would use his talent to road racing and would use 012I to enter no fewer than 13 races throughout the 1949 season. Bracco would campaign the temperamental Spyder Corsa along with co-driver Umberto Maglioli. Bracco would be most active taking part in hill climbs throughout Italy. As a result of his numerous participation and success in them, Bracco would become the 1949 Italian Hill Climb Champion.

After the 1949 season, Bracco would sell the 166 to the well-known Count Emanuele Marzotto for a price around one million lire. This would make 012I one of the first cars as part of the Scuderia Marzotto racing stable. While with the Marzottos, the car would be given Vicenza plates with the identification 'VI 18132'.

The Marzotto brothers were well-known for changing the bodies of the cars with great regularity and 012I would be no exception. The brothers would hire the services of Carrozzeria Fontana to take the car, as it existed at that moment, and would be transformed into what was termed 'Spyder da Corsa Ferrari projecto Mille Miglia 1949', meaning it would be transformed into a Barchetta. Fontana would transform the car into a Barchetta, or, 'little boat'.

While bearing similarity to the well-known Touring version, Fontana's example of the design would feature some appealing departures that would neatly demonstrate both the athletic and the elegant properties. It would include a longer rear end, a peaked full width windscreen and would give the car a much more aggressive look than the design of many of the 166 Inters designed throughout the later 1940s and early 1950s.

Soon after completion, Giannino Marzotto would enter 'Chiodo' (as given by Bracco meaning 'nail') in the 1950 Targa Florio. Marzotto's race would go well until there was a terrible accident involving Fabrizio Serena. A good friend of Marzotto, the accident would lead Marzotto and his co-driver Marco Crosara to abandon the race in an effort to help their friend. This tragic event would lead into 012I's most demonstrative performance.

Numbered '722' 012I would be entered as a Type 195S Barchetta Fontana in the 1950 Mille Miglia. Presumably having an upgraded 2.3-liter engine, 012I would finish the event in 9th place overall and would actually go on to beat every single one of the factory entered Ferraris in the race. This, as it would be noted, would absolutely frustrate and upset Enzo Ferrari. Many suggest this event, and this car's performance would spark the beginning of the love/hate relationship Ferrari had with the Marzotto brothers.

The remainder of the 1950 season would see that car achieve a couple more hill climb victories. Still, the Marzotto brothers would grow weary of the car's new design and would only want it to evolve again. Therefore, it would be sent back to Fontana at the end of the 1950 season for more coachwork. When it reemerged in early 1951, the car would feature the same basic coach-built body but it would now feature a fastback hardtop. The required 'Berlinetta' fixed windscreen would also be added to the car along with some other features like outside door handles, windscreen wipers and a silver livery.

Still, the car would be campaigned in races long after its apparent life-span had come and gone. The car would show the same determined attitude its owners had when it managed a 3rd place overall finish in the Giro di Calabria in August of 1951. The car would continue to impress with a 2nd place overall finish at the German Grenzlandring when it was driven by Franco Comotti. Then, in late September, the 166 Inter would be driven by none other than Ferrari's first Formula One race winner Jose Froilan Gonzalez. Gonzalez would drive the car in the Grand Prix di Modena and would place 6th overall.

012I would remain with Scuderia Marzotto until it ceased in 1953. At that time, the car would be sold, like the other chassis and the large amounts of spare parts. 012I would end up as the property of other brothers, the Mancini brother of Rome. Although well past its prime for motor racing, 012I would still be entered in races. Its last known event would be the Targa Florio in 1955 where it would be entered and driven by Francesco Matrullo. It is noted the car, at the time of the event, had an obvious shorter wheelbase.

From that last entry in the Targa Florio in 1955, 012I would live quietly until 1970 when it would resurface in a garage in the south of Rome. While the Fontana body remained intact, the car featured its auxiliary hard top removed and still with its shortened chassis. Ferrari aficionado Corrado Cupellini would make the find and would document its sad and dreary state when it was found. Still, Cupellini would acquire the car and would set about doing some restoration work just to get the car running again.

After finding a 166 engine from Marzotto's Formula 2 Ferrari, Cupellini would continue with some restoration work and would finally get it up to running condition whereupon it would be sold in 1972 to Jacques Thuysbaert.

Interestingly, a noted Ferrariste by the name of Jess G. Pourret, around 1975, would come looking at the car. He would be blinded expecting something else and would totally ignore and fail to realize the fact he had just seen only the ninth Ferrari chassis ever to leave the factory.

During that same year, the car would be sold to Giuseppe Medici of Reggio Emelia. This sale would prove providential as Medici would immediate embark upon having the car restored. It would be entrusted to Autofficina Piero Mazzetti in 1976.

For years 012I had taken part in the actual Mille Miglia races. When the car emerged from restoration in early 1977 it would be entirely roadworthy and finished in time to enter what was the first Mille Miglia Storica in June of 1977. Wearing number '84', the car would take part in what has since become one of the most highly profiled historic road races throughout the world.

In 1978, after a brief time with Willy Felber, the car would be sold to Jean Zanchi of Lausanne, Switzerland. Zanchi would let the car's racing heritage continue by taking part in a number of historic races, the first of which would be the Coupe de Lage d'Or at Montlhery. The car would also take part in the VII AvD-Oldtimer-Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in Germany. The final race for the car would be the Grand Prix of Lausanne. By that point in time most of the original sheetmetal bodywork had become worn and loosened. Therefore, it was necessary for the car to undergo a proper full restoration.

By the mid-1990s, 012I was still in the midst of being restored when it was discovered in a small garage outside of Turin, Italy by a Californian man. He would purchase the car almost on the spot and would set about completing the restoration efforts with the main focus being to save as much of the original body as possible. He had the goal of restoring the car to its former 1950 glory.

After a slow and frustrating period when Castagno had been commissioned to restore the car, the car would be shipped to California and work would begin restoring the car back to its original dimensions from the 1950 season. Patrick Ottis would be in charge of taking the ex-Scuderia Marzotto 166 F2 engine, that was still in the car. His task was to rebuild it until it was practically a fresh new engine. When he finished, the engine would be tested on a dyno and would produce more than 190 bhp. This would be an incredible amount of power for an engine of its size and in a car of its size.

The chassis and body would be delivered to Curtis Patience of Portland, Oregon. Patience had been part of Brian Hoyt's Perfect Reflections and certainly had the talent and experience for such a project. The entire process of the restoration would be documented in a 2011 issue of The Prancing Horse.

Finally, the car would be sent in its near final form to Phil Reilly & Co. of San Rafael, California. Ivan Zaremba would have the pleasure and the responsibility in doing the final sorting and testing of the completed chassis. This had the potential of being a real nerve-racking and testing experience in its own right but practically everyone would agree the final product would be inestimable in its quality and historic appeal.

With the final stages of the restoration only being completed in January of 2012, the RM Auctions event in Monaco in May would be 012I's first official outing since having completed its glorious restoration. Finished in Italian racing red with the famed '722' it wore in the 1950 Mille Miglia, this iconic and remarkably special 166 Inter would retain its 190 bhp, 2.0-liter engine and Fontana body. And with numerous victories on the track and in hill climbs, this striking 166 Inter Spyder Corsa, despite its compact size, has a rather influential place in Ferrari's early sports car racing history. Being just the sixth Spyder Corsa ever and having been driven by the likes of Giovanni Bracco, Umberto Maglioli, Vittorio Marzotto and Jose Froilan Gonzalez, 012I's place in automotive and motor racing history only becomes more impressive. This fact would be well represented when the car was sold at auction for 1,010,000 EUR.

Sources:

'Lot No. 367: 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter Spyder Corsa by Carrozzeria Fontana', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MC12&CarID=r301). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MC12&CarID=r301. Retrieved 15 May 2012.

'1950 Ferrari 166 Inter News, Pictures, and information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8754/Ferrari-166-Inter.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8754/Ferrari-166-Inter.aspx. Retrieved 15 May 2012.

'Ferrari 125S', (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/532/Ferrari-125-S.html). Ultimatecarpage.com: Powered by Knowledge, Driven by Passion. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/532/Ferrari-125-S.html. Retrieved 15 May 2012.

by Jeremy McMullen

Spyder Corsa by Fontana
Chassis number: 012I
Engine number: 116MS

Chassis number 012I was the ninth Ferrari built, and the sixth of 166 (two-litre) Spyder Corsas. It began its life as a 166 Inter with a cycle-winged bodywork by Ansaloni. Completed in May, 1948, it just missed entry into the 1948 Mille Miglia, alongside its sister car, 010I, driven by Tazio Nuvolari. Its maiden outing was the Bari GP, piloted by Ferdinando Righetti. Next was the Jun Mantua, (Giampiero Bianchetti), then on to the Pescara GP, where Count Bruno Sterzi garnered the car's first podium trophy, finishing second overall. At the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, Sterzi finished ninth overall with co-pilot Enzo Monari. Around this time, it received its first engine transplant (believed to be 022I, now in the first Barchetta, 0002M).

The car's first ex-factory owner was Giovanni Bracco from Cossila, Italy who purchased the car in early 1949. Bracco drove the car in at least 13 different races in 1949 (sometimes co-piloted by Ferrari Grand Prix driver, Umberto Maglioli). Bracco and Maglioli's first race together was in the Giro di Sicilia, followed by entry into the Mille Miglia (24 April, 1949), with Bracco finishing sixth overall in the Grand Prix di San Remo in between.

At the conclusion of the 1949 season, Count Vittorio Emanuele Marzotto acquired Chiodo (as 012I had become known) from Bracco for a reputed one million lire, the first Ferrari to become part of Scuderia Marzotto, established by the five sons of textile mogul Gaetano Marzotto. The car was re-registered by its second owners, the Marzottos, with Vicenza plates 'VI 18132.'

While in the Marzottos care, the car was re-bodied as 'Spyder da Corsa Ferrari projecto Mille Miglia 1949', more commonly known as a Barchetta. The work was completed by Carrozzeria Fontana and has survived, remarkably intact, through the present day.

After the work was completed, the car was entered by Giannino Marzotto in the 1950 Targa Florio (On April 2nd of 1950), with co-pilot Marco Crosara. The duo would abandon the race to save the life of their friend and competitor, Fabrizio Serena.

At the Mille Miglia, the car was entered by Vittorio with the car's designer Paolo Fontana as the co-pilot. It wore the race number '722,' the official entry indicated Chiodo as a 'Type 195S Barchetta Fontana' (indicating what is presumed to be another engine upgrade, to 2.3 litres). At the conclusion of the race, the car had finished ninth overall, and Sixth in class.

Later, hill climb champion Bracco was enlisted at least once again, this time to drive the car at the Parma-Poggio de Berceto hill climb, where he again achieved first place overall. This appearance was followed by a hill climb entry by Vittorio Marzotto, where he also finished first overall at the Treponti-Castelnuovo event, sponsored by the Automobile Club di Padova.

At the close of 1950, more modifications were made to the coachwork, by Fontana for the 1951 season. It was given the addition of a fastback hardtop, along with the requisite 'Berlinetta' fixed windscreen, outside door handles and windscreen wipers, and now liveried in an apparent shade of silver.

It is believed that the car was raced in August of 1951 at the Giro di Calabria, driven by the Mancini brothers (#805), with 2,080 cc, finishing third overall. The next recorded event was the German Grenzlandring with driver Franco Comotti, who placed second overall in September, 1951. Next was the Grand Prix di Modena, where Ferrari Grand Prix champion Froilan Gonzalez (the 'Pampas Bull') placed Chiodo sixth overall for the Marzottos.

Chiodo began the 1952 season at the Gran Premio di Siracusa, again with Comotti at the wheel, and placed sixth overall. Comotti also drove it at the Grand Prix of France at Montlhery where it DNF'ed.

The car remained with Scuderia Marzotto until the team's liquidation in 1953. At that time, it was sold to Ferrari test driver Martino Severi, in a package with nine Ferraris, their transport truck and 'a mountain of parts'.

The last recorded competition entry for Chiodo was as a Targa Florio entrant in 1955, driven by Roman racer Francesco Matrullo, in his last known race. By this point the car's life, after having an eight-season racing career, it was no longer competitive. The car now had a shortened wheelbase, reduced by some 150 mm. This modification was perhaps made for its hill climbing endeavors, where a shorter wheelbase might have provided handling and performance advantages.

In 1970, the car was found in a dark garage in south Rome. The auxiliary hard top had been removed and it wore the Fontana body on the shortened original chassis. Corrado Cupellini purchased the car, along with a 166 engine from the 1950 Marzotto Formula 2 Ferrari, 116MS. It was given a light overhaul and then sold to Jacques Thuysbaert in 1972. Engine 116MS still remains in the car.

It was sold to Giuseppe Medeci of Reggio Emelia in the mid-1970s and given its first restoration, which was entrusted to Autofficina Piero Mazzetti in 1976. The work was completed in time for entry into the first Mille Miglia Storica event, held 17-19 June 1977. The car wore number 84 and was piloted by the owners, Medici & Medici. Sometime later in 1977, the car was sold back to Willy Felber, after which ownership was transferred to Jean Zanchi of Lausanne, Switzerland in 1978.

Zanchi campaigned the car in historic events in 1979, such as the Coupe de Lage d'Or at Montlhéry, Paris and the VII AVD-Oldtimer-Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in Germany, driven by Pierre De Siebenthal. It was raced one last time by Zanchi in the Grand Prix of Lausanne, after which it was given a 'proper' restoration, with the intent on replacing the 40 year-old metal. Thankfully, he did not get very far in the restoration process.

In the late 1990s, the current owner visited the small garage of Beppe Castagno, outside of Turin, to inspect the car. The California individual purchased the car mid-restoration, with the objective of saving the original body, chassis and the F2 engine. Castagno was initially commissioned to re-restore the car, but years later, with little progress made, the owner made the decision to collect the car and bring it to California to complete the work. By the mid-2000s, the car was in California.

Currently, the car wears a 1950 Barchetta body by Carrozzeria Fontana and is powered by a 2-liter overhead-camshaft V-12 engine offering nearly 200 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

In 2012, this car was offered for sale at the Monaco sale presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for €1.100.000-€1.800.000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of €1.010.000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Barchetta by Touring
Chassis number: 0006M
Engine number: 0004M

Sold new to Giovanni Vaccari, this early 166 MM Touring Barchetta made its competition debut in the 1949 Mille Miglia, where it finished sixth in class. Later in the year, it won Best of Show at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. In 1951, it raced at the Mille Miglia again, but this time failed to finish. In the following years, it passed through a variety of French, Swiss and American hands. Chassis 0006M joined the current American collection in 2006 and has since been regularly shown at all the major events, winning Best of Show at the Cavallino Classic in 2007.

Clemente Biondetti and Count Igor Troubetzkoy won the Targa Florio on April 3rd of 1948, marking Ferrari's first major international win. The car was a closed Berlinetta Ferrari 166 and would later capture a victory at Italy's most important race, the Mille Miglia in 1948.

The Ferrari 166 was officially introduced at the Turin Salon in September of 1948. The body was courtesy of Touring utilizing the patented 'superleggera' technique. The alloy coachwork was well proportioned, covering the narrow tube skeleton structure. The frame consisted of an oval tube cross-section ladder with an X-shaped cross member. The short wheelbase car was given a Giacchino Colombo-designed V12, which would become the basic structure that would serve Ferrari road and race car for the next two decades.

In total, there were a mere 33 examples of the 166 MM produced between 1949 and 1951. Most of the 166 models were given Carrozzeria Touring coachwork in either Barchetta or Berlinetta forms. 26 were Barchettas and 7 were Berlinetta models. Of the seven Touring-bodied Berlinettas, only five were the Le Mans Berlinettas, named for Ferrari's victory at the 1949 24 Hours of Lemans in a 166MM.

by Dan Vaughan

It was in 1948 when the newly formed Italian automobile company named Ferrari began selling a promising sports car named the 166. The two-seater sports car featured a 12-cylinder engine mounted in the front and supplying over 100 horsepower to the rear wheels. The engine was just under two-liters in size and had a unitary displacement of 166 cc, thus, the evolution of the model name. Production would last until 1953 with only 38 examples being produced. Even though production was low, its accomplishments are large, with wins at LeMans, Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio.

The 166 was a continuation of the 125, introduced a year earlier. The 125's size of 1497 cc was later enlarged to 1902cc, bringing about the Tipo 159. In 1948, it was enlarged to 1995 cc and became the 166.

As was customary at the time, a rolling chassis was supplied to custom coachbuilders to outfit the vehicles according to customer specifications and their intended purposes. The 166 MM was named after its historic victories at the Mille Miglia. The 166 MM versions were given even chassis numbers and built with racing intentions. The 166 Inter, named after victories at the Coppa Intereuropa at Monza, were given odd chassis numbers and became Ferrari's first road car.

The 166 Inter road cars featured a 2 liter, 12-cylinder Colombo engine producing about 115 horsepower. The engines were mounted longitudinally and given one Weber 32 DCF Carburetor. A five-speed manual gearbox provided power to the rear wheels while drum brakes provided the stopping power. Top speed was achieved at just over 105 mph. Zero-to-sixty took about ten seconds. The tubular frame was given a live-rear axle and a front wishbone suspension. When production began, Carrozzeria Touring was the primary coachbuilder, outfitting the cars in both Berlinetta and Coupe bodies. Later, other coachbuilders such as Pinin Farina, Ghia, Vignale, and others, produced bodies for the 166 Inter.

The phenomenal accomplishments achieved on the race track did much to stir enthusiasm for the cars. To generate even more publicity, in November of 1948, Ferrari displayed examples of his 166 MM and 166 Inter Coupe at the Turin Motor Show. Other shows included the Paris salon in October of 1950 and the Geneva Salons in March of 1951.

With just 38 examples created, the 166 Inter was replaced in 1950 by the 195 Inter. The 195 Inter came into existence by the enlargement of the engine to 2.3 liters. A year later the engine was enlarged to 212 cc and the name changed to 212 Inter. In 1952, after 142 examples were created, production ceased.

166 MM

The 166 MM was a competition version of the 166 Inter. It featured the same 12-cylinder engine but modified to produce 135 horsepower. The suspension and chassis were similar to the 166 Inter. The bodies were lightweight, small, and built to endure the grueling requirements that racing requires. Initially, Ferrari intended the 166 MM to be a customer racing car. After a number of 166 MM models captured a large number of class and overall victories against stiff competition such as Maserati, Cistiralia, and Alfa Romeo, Ferrari commissioned the creation of the 166 MM as factory works cars.

Touring of Italy was commissioned to provide the coachwork for most of the 166 MM, and many were given Barchetta bodies. The name 'Barchetta' came about because of the size and design of the car. Barchetta in Italian means little boat.

Clemente Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone drove a 166 MM to overall victory at the Mille Miglia in 1948. A year later, Biondetti and Ettore Salani captured the victory at Mille Miglia in a 166 MM. Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara capture victory at Mille Miglia in 1950, driving a 166 chassis with a bigger 195 engine. In 1949 a Ferrari 166 MM, entered by Lord Selsdon and mostly driven by Luigi Chinetti, captured overall victory at Le Mans.

The 166 MM's were a powerful, reliable and competitive automobile. Their historic accomplishments are legendary and their designs are elegant, beautiful and breathtaking. VIN #002C, a 166 Spyder Corsa, is the oldest Ferrari car still in existence.

by Dan Vaughan