Page 19 - Demo

19 SUBSCRIBE TO SCM TODAY
our spare bedroom.
On October 3, 2011, she got a call from a picker in Michigan. He had
come across an old Ferrari at an estate sale. He wanted to know if we
could help identify it.
A little research determined the car was chassis 0233EU, a 1952
Ferrari 212 cabriolet. The car was a one-off show car by Ghia. A look
at some pictures revealed it was far from its former glory.
The body didn’t look too bad. Most of the original glass and trim was
still intact, but the rest of the car was downright frightening.
The engine had been replaced with an American V8 and the balance
0233EU is one of only two Ghia-bodied 212
cabriolets. It was a coachbuilt show car
when new and is a proven concours
contender today.
of the drivetrain had been similarly bastardized. Inside, a full comple-
ment of hot rod-style gauges was a warning that other mods would be
found.
Concurrent to the call to the club, the picker had tracked down Peter
Sweeney of Forza Motorsports and offered him the car. Restoring the
212 would be a task of monumental proportion.
Peter wasn’t equipped to take on the challenge, but he knew who was.
Ferrari guru Tom Shaughnessy was uniquely qualified to take on the
project, and he was interested.
the king of the toasted Ponies
Tom Shaughnessy is about the most colorful person you’ll ever come
across. Many years back he abandoned a career as a real rocket sci-
entist to play with Ferraris. not just any Ferraris, as his interests ran
toward the earliest and most unusual examples.
He soon began dealing in old Ferraris, Ferrari parts, tools, books
and wheels. His penchant for burnt and derelict Ferraris earned him
the nickname “The King of the Toasted Ponies.”
Shaughnessy built one of the largest collections of vintage Ferrari
stuff on the planet. He’s the go-to guy for the most-hard-to-find early
Ferrari parts. Along the way, he’s made alliances with major Ferrari
shops and enthusiasts.
If anyone could make 0233EU whole again, it was Shaughnessy.
Shaughnessy knew who had the engine for 0233EU, and with this
information, he quickly found a buyer for the car. Along with the pur-
chase came an agreement to manage the restoration.
A massive project
Restoring an early Ferrari is not for the faint of heart.
Just over 100 212 GTs were built. Constant evolution of the mechani-
cals meant there were variations among the few cars.
Several coachbuilders offered a variety of bodies, and few cars look
identical. Knobs, door handles and trim were made in small quantities
— with few parts left over.
In the 66 years since the last new 212 was put in private hands, many
of them were wrecked, run down and abandoned. There are no new
parts available — and few used ones.
Enthusiasts have begged, borrowed and stolen parts to keep the cars
on the road.
A study of 212s reveals a labyrinth of engine, gearbox and com-
ponent swaps. Obtaining the parts needed to resurrect 0233EU was
nearly insurmountable.
But it happened.
A team of craftsmen familiar with 212s was recruited for the resto-
ration of 0233EU. It would be five years and the retail equivalent of
around $1 million before the car would make its first outing.
now a concours contender
Chassis 0233EU made its debut at the 2017 Pebble Beach concours,
where it was entered for exhibition rather than judging.
The next showing was the 2018 Cavallino Classic, where it earned
a near-perfect score and an Excellence in Restoration Quality award.
0233EU is one of only two Ghia-bodied 212 cabriolets. It was a
coachbuilt show car when new and is a proven concours contender
today. It has been returned to its original roadworthy mechanical con-
figuration.
A fast deal
The closing bid at Gooding & Company’s 2018 Amelia Island sale
fell short of the estimate — and it was less than the Shaughnessy’s client
was willing to accept. Less than a minute later, Gooding put together a
post-block sale, and chassis 0233EU had a new owner.
On paper the seller probably showed a reasonable profit, but it came
only after a big investment of money and work. The buyer was an enthu-
siast/dealer who reportedly wanted an early Ferrari to use for vintage
rallies. The no-compromise restoration drew him to the car.
Gooding & Company noted that this car had been renumbered from
0191EL to 0233EU. While Ferrari historians believe that is the case,
only the number 0233EU was found on the chassis — with no indication
of alteration. The story is a little muddy and should have had no influ-
ence on the value of the car. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding & Company.)
June 2018 87