VIN: the Michele Alboreto Ferrari 288 GTO chassis 56195
/ Ben Tyer
HISTORY OF CHASSIS 56195
Chassis 56195 was the 288 GTO delivered to Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver Michele Alboreto in May 1985.
19 year old Alboreto began racing in 1976 with his home-made CMR in Formula Monza. Three years later he had graduated to Formula 3 with the Euroracing team; the 1979 season yielded second in the Italian championship and sixth in the European series.
Alboreto continued in Formula 3 for 1980 (when he became European champion) and also a picked up a factory drive with the Martini-backed Lancia sportscar team. Ken Tyrrell then signed the Italian with a three-year Formula 1 contract for 1981 through ‘83 which Alboreto dovetailed with his Lancia commitments.
After winning the 1982 F1 season finale at Ceaser’s Palace, Alboreto followed up with a second victory at Detroit in 1983.
These wins and his many other promising performances saw Enzo Ferrari sign Alboreto for the 1984 season. He was the first Italian to drive for the Scuderia since 1973.
Although the new Ferrari 126 C4 was blighted by often appalling reliability during the 1984 campaign, Alboreto was a frequent podium finisher when the car went the distance. He took a famous win at that year’s Belgian Grand Prix and eventually placed fourth in the Drivers’ standings.
In the Constructors’ championship, Alboreto and team-mate Rene Arnoux helped Ferrari to second behind the dominant McLaren team.
The 1985 season got off to a good start as Alboreto took pole and finished second at the opening race in Brazil. Afterwards, Enzo Ferrari sacked Arnoux and replaced him with Stefan Johansson.
Alboreto finished on the podium in all but two of the races his 156/85 made it to the chequered flag and took another two wins (in Canada and Germany). He ended up second in the 1985 Drivers’ standings behind McLaren’s Alain Prost.
Michele Alboreto took delivery of his 288 GTO on May 9th 1985, eleven days before he finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix. The car departed Maranello wearing the Escursionisti Esteri tourist plate EE 034 AK and was registered to Alboreto’s Monaco residence on Avenue Princesse Grace. Alboreto configured chassis 56195 with the optional extras of electric windows, air-conditioning and orange seat inserts. It also came with the rarely seen gold-painted gearbox.
Soon after delivery the car was switched to the Monaco plate F909.
Michele Alboreto retained his 288 GTO until 2001. It was sold to a fellow Monaco resident just before Alboreto’s untimely death during a pre-Le Mans test for Audi at the Lausitzring in April.
The car’s second owner kept the car until May 2007 at which point chassis 56195 was sold by Bonhams in Monaco.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com
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