Page 15 - Demo

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Colombo’s design had limitations, engineer Aurelio Lampredi stepped
in with a competing design.
Ferrari’s choice of engine sizes depended on a complex brew of rule
interpretation for whatever form of racing they were contemplating.
Lampredi’s solution to Ferrari’s dilemma was displacement. He used
size to beat finesse. His logic complemented Ferrari’s belief that the
small-engine cars may pass them in the corners but the bigger engine
will win on the straights.
Lampredi’s engines were rugged, large-displacement units with
features such as cylinder liners that screwed into the head.
Lampredi’s engines were extremely powerful — but more difficult
to service. These engines were limited to Ferrari’s most potent racing
cars and their most exclusive production cars.
Enzo Ferrari may have felt Formula One was the purest form of rac-
ing, but he recognized sports car racing gave him a greater opportunity
to sell race cars. Sticking a detuned Formula engine in a sports car
chassis allowed him to parlay the technology developed in Formula
racing into the lucrative sports car business.
Ferrari’s early sports cars used normally aspirated versions of
Ferrari’s supercharged, small-displacement, Colombo-designed
12-cylinder Formula One engines. While the power was sufficient for a
small, light race car, an assault by large-displacement Jaguar, Aston,
and Mercedes models meant bigger engines were needed.
Fortunately, a new, large-displacement Lampredi engine had been
developed for the Formula cars and it could be adapted for sports car
use.
As Ferrari expanded his empire towards the United States, he fig-
ured the Lampredi-powered cars were a natural fit for the market.
the start of something special
In an effort to draw attention to the brand in the United States,
Ferrari developed a 4.1-liter, Lampredi-powered GT that he named the
340 America. The 340 America came in coupe and open-top versions,
with bodies by Touring, Vignale and Ghia. As Autosport confirmed, the
new 340 America would set the performance standard for the world.
Out of the box, the 340 America would outright win the 1951 Mille
Miglia. While few 340s would see competition, the model would be the
seed for a line of Lampredi-powered race cars and a line of super-
premium “America” models.
While not all were Lampredi-powered, the 340 America would even-
tually spawn the 375 America, 410 Superamerica, 400 Superamerica,
330 America, 500 Superfast, 365 Spider California, and 575 Superfast.
the best of the breed
Our subject car, chassis 0116A, is a highly desirable Touring
Barchetta version. Touring was famous for their patented Superleggera
— super-light construction — in which thin tubing was used to build
a skeleton for the body skin. Touring built bodies for many of the top
manufacturers during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
Few cars in the world are more attractive than the elegant and sporty
Ferrari Barchettas. Toss in Touring’s Superleggera construction, add a
powerful Lampredi engine — and there’s nothing not to like.
Chassis 0116A has the added value of Le Mans history and celebrity
ownership, making it a natural for one of the most valuable cars in the
world.
Ferrari collector extraordinaire Pierre Bardinon recognized the
value of 0116A and made it part of his Mas du Clos collection of impor-
tant Ferraris in 1964.
Somewhat surprisingly, Bardinon sold the car in the 1970s, a move
he may have later regretted.
During the early 1980s, the car made its way to Ennio Gianaroli,
an Italian living in Belgium. Gianaroli was a collector of note and an
enthusiast. Over the next couple of decades, he ran the car in many
Mille Miglia retrospectives and a variety of other European events.
In 2009 he restored the car to its original Le Mans specs, but he did
not compete in the car again.
Chassis 0116A took second billing to a 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder at RM
Sotheby’s Monaco auction, but the 340 was the car that brought home
the bacon. The NART failed to sell, so it was up to 0116A to save the day.
While chassis 0116A sold under the low estimate, it beat the value
guides — and most of the pundits. It is a very significant Ferrari, and
the big number was warranted.
Ferrari reserved even-number chassis numbers for their serious
race cars, and even-number Ferraris rule the collector car market.
The 340 America is a cornerstone even-number Ferrari. It was the
start of the big-bore Ferrari sports racers and the series of ultra-high-
end Grand Touring “America” models. With a significant history of
ownership and competition, chassis 0116A has few rivals.
It’s reported that the car is heading to Ohio, where the ex-Bardinon
290 MM and the ex-Bardinon 335 S recently moved.
All three were recent top-of-the-market sales, and all three are
top-of-the-market cars. Each car has a different owner, but they all
reside within hours of each other. Hopefully, someone can stir up some
Buckeye pride and bring them together for a reunion. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
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