1950 FERRARI 166 INTER COUPÉ BY CARROZZERIA TOURING

- Subscribed for the 1951 Mille Miglia
- Restored by the absolute top Ferrari specialists in Italy, engine at Michelotto and bodywork by Cognolato
- One of the very first Ferrari cars to be made by Enzo Ferrari as daily driver and not race car (the 14th example)
- One of only 38 Ferrari 166’s built
- Owned by the film director Carlo Ponti, husband of Sophia Loren
- Fitted with 2.0 liter V12 engine
- Participant in three recent Mille Miglia editions
- A stylish early Ferrari with known history to this present day
- With Swiss marque authority Marcel Massini detailed report dated the 14th December 2020
- Mille Miglia Eligible
- Impressive history file

Enzo Ferrari had a keen interest in his new Inter. Said his son Piero in a 2001 interview, “You must remember that my father was then 50 years old. Whilst his name would become famous with our sports cars, he had a very strong affinity to the 2+2 because of their comfort and room”.

When most of us think of Ferrari, we imagine the powerful sports cars they make today. But they also have a long history of impressive grand tourers, and the Ferrari 166 Inter was really the first of the breed, a road version of their 166 MM racing cars.

In November 1948, at the Turin Show, Ferrari unveiled the first Ferrari at show in the company’s history. On the stand were both the 166MM and 166 Inter, a pair of racing and road variations, respectively.

Between 1948 and 1951, Ferrari sold some 38 Inters, plus around 46 examples of the 166MM, in various body styles created by various coach builders. This not only put money into Ferrari’s racing coffers, but also demonstrated his ability to juggle both racing and selling.

The 166MM and 166 Inter on display at the Turin Show were dressed in coachwork by Touring of Milan.

Ferrari turned to the best design houses in Italy to style the 166.

Touring of Milan was an immediate choice since they did spectacular work on the Alfa Romeo’s that Enzo Ferrari raced under his Scuderia Ferrari team in the prewar period.

Touring used its patented Superleggera coach building system for the body’s construction. Using the same basic mechanical setup as the 166MM, the Inter was a more civilized package, intended for the road rather than racing.

The Superleggera weighed about 800 Kg. Most of the Inter, of which 37 examples were produced, were coach – builders, the excellence of the genre at that time.

The “Inter” moniker was in tribute to the high-profile racing victories earned by Scuderia Inter for Ferrari at the Targa Florio in 1948 (Troubetzkoy/Biondetti) and repeated for 1949 (Biondetti/Benedetti).

While the “Inter” name was also given to some Ferrari racing cars during this era, it most often is applied to the 2.0-litre, 166 Inter road-car series.

Nonetheless, several 166 Inters were indeed used in competition.

ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

According to the report of Swiss marque authority Marcel Massini, this Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé, was completed in November 1949.

In keeping with tradition it was built with right-hand drive – it being deemed safer to sit on the right when driving across the Alps, which at that time were cursed with poor roads lacking in safety barriers.

At the 8th of May 1950 the Ferrari was sold to its first owner, Mr. Francesco Saveri of Rome, Italy.

The 31st of May 1950 Mr. Severi sold the Ferrari to ATA, a company owned by film director Carlo Ponti, husband of Sophia Loren.

Later that year, in August, ATA sold the car via the dealer Mambretti Sonzongi to the third owner, amateur racing driver Augusto Caraceni in Rome.

This Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé entered the 1951 Mille Miglia was subscribed with number 411 with the drivers Augusto Caraceni and Franco Meloni.

Augusto was the son of Domenico Caraceni, founder of the eponymous Rome based tailors whose clients included Humphrey Bogart and Aristotle Onasis.

Caraceni eventually sold the car to the fourth owner, Juan de Iturralde, Marquis of Robledo, another resident of Rome.

The accompanying Massini Report Lists a further three owners up to August 1955 when the car was sold to Mr. Giorgio Teofisco of Milan, Italy, who kept the Ferrari for the next 18 years.

In March 1973, the Ferrari, was sold to Mr. Luigi Rezzonico Pindemonte, Count of Castelbarco, resident in Imbersago, Italy.

Ten years later, in November 1983, the car was purchased by PA-DA, a motor dealership owned by Dr. Danilo Pizzo.

Restored in 1992, the restoration of the car’s distinctive 166 bodywork was similarly handled with tremendous skill by Italian artisans.

The engine being entrusted to Michelotto and the bodywork to Cognolato, both esteemed marque specialists.

Since it’s restoration, in 1992, 1997 and 2000 the Ferrari has been driven in the Mille Miglia by Danilo Pizzo and co-driver Racca and the car finished without any major technical issues.

The Ferrari has been most of it’s life in Italy and was bought in 2014 by a Belgium collector.

More recently, the Ferrari received a no-expense-spared service by noted specialists Classic Car Service Restoration in Wijnegem, Belgium.

CONDITION EXTERIOR

The body of the Ferrari is in a beautiful condition, due to the extensive work which has been done at the very best company for this type of car, Cognolato of Italy.

It’s clear that it’s been impeccably restored and maintained for a 73 year-old car, with a gleaming deep red paint job.

The paint is extremely nice and from the highest quality. It has a very deep and beautiful shine.

The overall condition of the car is very good, as one would expect from its careful ownership over the years.

The Borrani wheels have been beautifully restored and are correctly finished with the polished aluminum rims.

CONDITION INTERIOR

The interior is the most modern for that time, comfortable and elegant.

All of the seats, door cards and rear section are very fresh and present exceptionally well and according to the original specification.

The entire interior is perfectly trimmed with the correct stitching and details.

Period correct materials have been used resulting in a beautiful interior.

All knobs, switches and meters are in perfectly working order.

To sit in this Ferrari and look around is absolutely fantastic because there are so many small details which ask for attention.

ENGINE BAY/UNDERNEATH

The engine bay and underpart of the Ferrari are in a exceptional nice and correct condition. The engine bay as well as the underpart present very fresh.

The technique has been fully restored by the main specialist of Italy, Michelotto resulting in an absolute superb running machine.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

In the world of historic cars, and Ferraris in particular, two things tend to dictate a vehicle’s value. The first is its rarity, and the smaller the number produced, the better.

The second is its provenance. Who originally owned it and when?

This example is an extremely rare stylish early Ferrari with known history to this present day that it benefits from a full restoration by well-known Italian specialists.

We had the incredible experience of driving the 166 and it brought a magical sense of awe at the rich history of such an iconic and important race car.

The handling of the Ferrari is absolutely superb.

The engine is well tuned and revs enthusiastically. When the pedal is pushed the engine revs immediately without hesitating.

The steering, braking and overall handling of the car is fabulous. It’s a real sportscar.

This incredibly beautiful Ferrari offers a unique opportunity to acquire one of the very rare, early models possessing extremely important known history.

It is, of course, eligible for participation in many of the most prestigious historic motor sports events including the Mille Miglia.

HISTORY FILE

The Ferrari 166 has a very impressive history file.

Included in the history file are amongst other papers:

Copy of the subscription documents of the 1951 Mille Miglia
Lots of restoration pictures
Articles in a variety of magazine
Pictures of recent races like the Mille Miglia
Swiss marque authority Marcel Massini detailed report dated the 14th December 2020
Original Italian Libretto di Circolazione from

Disclaimer
The information provided on this website has been compiled by The Houtkamp Collection with the utmost care. The information contained within this advert is provided ‘as-is’, without warranties as to its accuracy whether expressed or implied and is intended for informational purposes only. The Houtkamp Collection is not liable for any errors or mistakes.