Page 11 - Demo

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Scuderia was structured to provide cars and support for wealthy patrons
who wanted to go racing. As winning became more important than fun,
veteran drivers often replaced the owners in the Scuderia’s cars.
A shake-up at Alfa resulted in Enzo Ferrari being shown the door
and led to the founding of Auto-Avio Costruzioni. Auto-Avio fabricated
parts for the automotive trade. The firm would also construct two cars
for the 1940 Mille Miglia. They would be the first automobiles produced
by Ferrari; however, a non-competition agreement between Ferrari and
Alfa would prevent the cars from wearing the Ferrari name. named Auto-
Avio Costruzioni 815, the cars would have an impressive racing career.
World War II interrupted racing, and Auto-Avio shifted production to
products for Mussolini’s war effort. The work would help Ferrari collect
the equipment and personnel to start his own car company.
Ferrari is born
After the war, in 1947, Ferrari S.p.A. was founded.
The mission of Ferrari S.p.A. was to produce race cars. Scuderia
Ferrari, the factory race team, would promote the business. The first car
produced was the 1947 125 S. The 1.5-liter 125 S was the first 12-cylinder
Ferrari and the first Ferrari to bear the Ferrari name.
The Type 125 was quickly replaced with the larger-displacement Type
159 model.
Then Ferrari struck gold with the new 2-liter Type 166. Great perfor-
mance and a selection of attractive models made the 166 the hot ticket of
the late 1940s and early 1950s. One particular model, a Touring-bodied
Berlinetta, probably was the inspiration for the dual-purpose berlinettas
that followed.
Touring body is a reference to a body builder — not an intended use.
Touring — or more correctly, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera — de-
veloped a process of building a lightweight body by wrapping a tubular
substructure with lightweight panels. The process is called Superleggera,
or super lightweight.
Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Pegaso and Lancia are just a few of the
manufacturers besides Ferrari to commission Superleggera models.
Touring built as many as six 166 Berlinettas. The model was nick-
named 166 Touring Berlinetta Le Mans in honor of a 166 Barchetta MM
winning Le Mans in 1949. The Berlinetta Le Mans featured handsome
Superleggera coachwork and Ferrari’s 2-liter, Colombo-designed V12.
Finding that the 166 engine didn’t have quite enough oomph, Ferrari
upgraded several 166s to 195s by boring their engines out to 2.3 liters.
All but one of the 2.3-liter Berlinetta Le Mans cars were converted back
to 2-liter 166 specs. Chassis 0060M kept its 2.3-liter engine, which is still
installed today. As Ferraris traditionally are named after their engine,
0060M was renamed 195 S for the 195-cc displacement of a single cyl-
inder.
Race history and famous owners
Chassis 0060M had a light — but impressive — race history. Several
significant drivers piloted the car, and a Who’s Who of Ferrari enthusiasts
have owned the car.
Chassis 0060M was a Paris show car, Best of Show at a Ferrari Club of
America national Concours, second in class at Pebble Beach, and shown
at the Cavallino Classic.
In modern times, chassis 0060M has participated in the Mille Miglia
revival no less than seven times. It has been to the Coys Historic Festival
twice and participated in the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The car has been on the cover of Motorsport magazine and The
Prancing Horse (twice). It has been the subject of a feature article in The
Prancing Horse and received a mention in Road & Track.
A charmed life for a racer
Despite extensive use, the car has survived relatively unscathed. A non-
racing shunt damaged the left front, but otherwise 0060M has escaped
major damage.
Evidence of welding on the block reveals some type of previous cata-
strophic engine failure. The repair dates back 40 years with no reoccur-
rence, so that’s a non-issue.
An extensive restoration in 1999 brought the car up to Pebble Beach
standards. It has been used little since and is described as still being in
show condition.
the right people in the tent
A car can get lost in Scottsdale auction week, but fortunately, Gooding
did their job in getting 0060M in front of the right people and keeping
their attention.
The “Little Blue Coupe,” as it is sometimes called, sold at the very top
of a rather optimistic estimate. The result was impressive but not unex-
pected for such a dazzling car.
It is a one-of-a-kind example of a beloved Ferrari 166. It has history up
the … well, let’s just say, it has a lot of history. It is a car that is welcome
at every important event on the planet.
neither side had an advantage in this sale. The seller got all the money,
but the buyer got great value. There’s no money left — the car sold at full
price — so you’re more likely to see 0060M at a vintage event rather than
a future auction. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding & Company.)
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