VIN: the works / Giovanni Rota Ferrari 125 Sport / 159 Sport / 166 Spyder Corsa chassis 02 C / 020 I
History of chassis 02 C / 020 I
Chassis 02 C was one of two 125 Sports built up for the 1947 racing season which was to be Ferrari’s first as a manufacturer in its own right.
Whereas 01 C was given a fully enveloped body by Peiretti, 02 C was a cycle-winged creation by Ansoloni that, with its headlights and mudguards removed, could be raced in monoposto events.
01 C and 02 C were set to debut alongside one another at the Circuito di Piacenza sports car race on May 11th 1947. However, while Franco Cortese managed to grab pole in 01 C, Giuseppe Farina only went sixth fastest in 02 C and demanded to switch cars. When Enzo Ferrari refused, Farina failed to turn up for the start. As a consequence, Scuderia Ferrari did not recall him to drive for nearly twelve months.
02 C’s next appearance came at the Circuito di Caracella on June 8th in what was the third and final weekend of racing at the Rome street circuit (dubbed the Primavera Romana del Motor or Rome Motoring Spring). With two wins from his last two races in the sister car, Franco Cortese took the wheel of 02 C for the 45 lap single-seater contest but failed to finish.
However, a week later Cortese took 02 C’s maiden victory at the Circuit de Vigevano (June 15th) which began a sequence of four consecutive wins for the car. Cortese followed up with a first place finish at the Varese Circuit Colle Campigli (June 29th), after which Tazio Nuvolari took a brace of wins at the Coppa Luigi Archangeli in Forli (July 6th) and Circuito di Parma (July 13th).
Having posted a DNF at the Circuito delle Cascine in Florence on July 20th (with Cortese), 02 C was fitted with Ferrari’s latest 1.9-litre ‘159’ engine to replace the original 1.5-litre ‘125’ unit. The car was also re-bodied in a similar style to 01 C with a fully enveloped Peiretti body.
In its new configuration, 02 C contested two more races in 1947; Franco Cortese finished second in the Coppa Acerbo in Pescara on August 15th and then Ferdinando Righetti placed fifth at the Circuito di Modena on September 29th.
During the winter of 1947-1948, chassis 02 C was fitted with Ferrari’s latest two-litre ‘166’ engine. At this point the car was also re-numbered 020 I.
Scuderia Ferrari retained 020 I for the ‘48 season, during which it had three outings and was driven exclusively by Franco Cortese.
Cortese and Righetti crashed out of the Giro di Sicilia (April 4th) and also failed to finish at the Mille Miglia four weeks later. In its final outing as a works car, 020 I claimed fifth spot at the Circuito di Pescara (August 15th).
Just under a year later (on August 12th 1949), 020 I was sold as a rolling chassis to Ferrari’s agent for Rome, Franco Cornacchia.
Cornacchia commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to fit 020 I with the latest Berlinetta body and took delivery of the finished car on January 6th 1950. Having been issued a certificate of origin on January 20th, 020 I was sold as a new car to Giovanni of Rota of Milan on April 5th.
Alongside Luigi Toscano, Rota contested the 1950 and ‘51 editions of the Mille Miglia but failed to finish on either occasion.
In February 1952, Giovanni Rota sold 020 I to Rome-domiciled American, Edward Griffin, who subsequently exported the car to his native United States in 1955.
Notable History
125 Sport
Scuderia Ferrari
Ansoloni cycle-winged Spyder
11/05/1947 Circuito di Piacenza (G. Farina) DNS (#166)
08/06/1947 Circuito di Caracalla (F. Cortese) DNF (#32)
15/06/1947 Circuit de Vigevano (F. Cortese) 1st oa, 1st S1.5 class (#46)
29/06/1947 Varese Circuit Colle Campigli (F. Cortese) 1st oa, 1st S1.5 class (#22)
06/07/1947 Coppa Luigi Archangeli, Forli (T. Nuvolari) 1st oa, 1st S1.5 class (#72)
13/07/1947 Circuito di Parma (T. Nuvolari) 1st oa, 1st S1.5 class (#80)
20/07/1947 Circuito delle Cascine, Florence (F. Cortese) DNF (#36)
Re-bodied as fully enveloped Peiretti Spyder
Fitted with 159 engine
15/08/1947 Coppa Acerbo, Pescara (F. Cortese) 2nd oa, 1st S2.0 class (#21)
28/09/1947 Circuito di Modena (F. Righetti) 5th oa, 2nd S1.5 class (#16)
Fitted with 166 engine and renumbered 020 I
04/04/1948 Giro di Sicilia (F. Cortese / F. Righetti) DNF (#??)
02/05/1948 Mille Miglia (F. Cortese / A. Marchetti) DNF (#10)
15/08/1948 Circuito di Pescara (F. Cortese) 5th oa, 4th S1.5+ (#1)
12/08/1949 sold to Franco Cornacchia as a rolling chassis
Re-bodied as Touring Berlinetta
05/04/1950 sold to Giovanni Rota, Milan
Registered MI 146140
23/04/1950 Mille Miglia (G. Rota / L. Toscano) DNF (#713)
29/04/1951 Mille Miglia (G. Rota / L. Toscano) DNF (#351)
02/1952 sold to Edward Griffin, Rome
1955 exported to the USA
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
