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properties was Villa Chiaramonte Bordonaro ai Colli. The 18th century
villa was built by King Ferdinand and his wife after an unsuccessful
swipe at napoleon sent them scurrying to exile in Palermo.
The baron preferred to concentrate on motorsports, an activity in
which he participated with the same vigor that his ancestors put into
accumulating property. He was a prolific competitor, driving in seven
Targa Florios, numerous hillclimbs, regional races and the Mille Miglia.
He was a serious contender with a top-five win in a Targa Florio. This
5th-place finish was accomplished with the help of a rather potent piece
of machinery: his Ferrari 212 Export, chassis number 0158ED.
Light, fast and serious
Ferrari’s line of 212 models was introduced just four years after
they introduced their first model in 1947. The 212 line was an update of
Ferrari’s 166 series. The 212 had a mechanical configuration similar
to the 166. with the main difference being a larger 2.6-liter engine over
the 166’s 2-liter engine. The 212s could be ordered in either an Inter or
an Export model. The Inter was generally configured as a street ver-
sion with a long-wheelbase chassis and a single carburetor engine. The
Export was generally configured as the competition version. Exports
had a shorter chassis — by 14 inches — a competition rear suspension
and a more powerful engine.
Like all Ferraris of the era, 212s were built to the owner’s specifi-
cations. Misinformation carried over from early publications on the
model muddy the exact configurations that were available, but the
Exports are generally thought of as having a high-compression engine
with three Weber carburetors. It is reported that 0158ED was updated
with high-performance features normally found on 225 Sports.
Ferrari built the 212 running gear and sent it to the client’s choice of
coachbuilder for dressing. This resulted in a diverse assortment of body
styles from the usual Italian carrozzerias — and a few examples from
lesser-known builders, such as U.K.-based Abbott.
One of the most popular 212 models is the barchetta built by Touring
Superleggera. Touring specialized in a lightweight construction tech-
nique in which alloy panels were fixed to a lightweight understructure
of metal tubing. The patented technique — called Superleggera or “su-
perlight” — produced a lighter car than the competition and was quite
popular in the 1950s. The barchetta was a handsome but minimalist
design that was said to resemble a “little boat” in part because of a
style line down its side which supposedly would be the water line if the
car was floated in water.
The winning combination of the light Superleggera body and
Ferrari’s powerful V12 engine was quite successful in period competi-
tion and remains successful at sales arenas today.
Bred for battle and stellar history
0158ED is no ordinary early Ferrari. It is as blue chip as they come,
and absolutely deserving of a high value. Inter model 212s carried
odd — as in even and odd — chassis numbers. This indicated Ferrari
considered them Grand Touring models. Export models received even
numbers indicating they were competition Ferraris, bred to go to battle
against the best the competition could send their way. 0158ED being
an even chassis number shows this car is an exclusive competition
example. Ferrari also bestowed 0158 the ED suffix, which indicates it is
a high-performance Export model.
The ownership history of 0158 is unbroken all the way back to its de-
livery to Baron Bordonaro as a new car. It was extensively raced under
brutal circumstances — yet it astonishingly still wears its original
bodywork and is still powered by its original engine. The owner’s log
is filled with the names of influential collectors known for only buying
the best examples available. In their care 0158 has participated in top
events in the United States and Europe.
RM Sotheby’s top estimate was over twice the estimated top market
value of the model. That may have seemed like a gutsy move, but any-
one looking over the car’s credentials knew the car would chart new
territory. Touring-bodied 166 barchettas have sold for near $7 million,
so there was precedence for the result.
There’s a vast difference between a sure thing and collecting the
check. The seller undoubtedly knew the result would be high, but they
must have been elated when the hammer struck sold. The buyer knew
he would have to pay up for the car and surely was prepared to meet
the price. The underbidder had to be disappointed and must still be
regretting not upping his bid. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
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