VIN: the Emperor Bao Dai Ferrari 375 Mille Miglia chassis 0450 AM
History of chassis 0450 AM
Chassis 0450 AM was one of 22 Ferrari 375 Mille Miglias built between late 1953 and mid 1955.
Although conceived as the firm’s top flight sports racing car, ten were purchased for street use. Of these, Pinin Farina completed six as Berlinettas and three as Spyders. The final example received Coupe bodywork by Ghia.
As for the trio of Pinin Farina Spyders that were destined for life as high performance road cars, one was sold to Italian film director, Roberto Rossellini (0402 AM), one to American oil heiress, Willametta Keck (0460 AM) and this car (0450 AM) went to Emperor Bao Dai of Vietnam.
Born in 1913, from age 12, Bao Dai (born Nguyen Phuc Vinh Thuy) was the Emperor of Annam, a French protectorate in the central part of what is now Vietnam.
His role as the 13th Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty lasted between 1926 and 1945, at which point the French administration was ousted by the Japanese (during World War 2).
The country was renamed Vietnam and Bao Dai stayed on as its ruler. However, five months later, he was forced to abdicate when Japan surrendered (in August 1945).
Appointed the Supreme Advisor to Ho Chi Minh’s new Viet Minh ruling party, Bao Dai increasingly began to spend his time outside the country as Vietnam began its inexorable slide into civil war. He was eventually ousted for good in a fraudulent 1955 referendum that established Vietnam as a Republic.
That year, Bao Dai relocated permanently to the French Riviera. He kept a yacht in Monaco and bought a casino in Lyon. He also purchased a pair of new big block Lampredi-engined Ferraris to complement a 340 America he had acquired in 1952 (chassis 0212 A).
Both the new cars were painted blue and ranked among most expensive Ferraris produced at the time.
Bao Dai’s Series I 410 Superamerica (0493 SA) was equipped with a Coupe body by Pinin Farina.
While the 410 was considered the ultimate Gran Turismo, the 375 Mille Miglia was a different animal altogether. Fast enough to win practically any major motor race, it was the most powerful vehicle available for road use.
0450 AM’s chassis was completed in July 1954, after which there was a long delay prior to handover as this was a low priority build for the competition department.
Bao Dai took delivery of the car in spring 1955: it was uniquely finished with metallic blue paint, a red leather interior and registered 06 IT 10.
At some stage during the next few years, 0450 AM’s engine expired and was replaced with the unit from Bao Dai’s 410 Superamerica.
Then, in 1960, the Spyder bodywork was swapped for the shell from 250 GT Berlinetta chassis 0723 GT.
0723 GT had suffered a minor fire and its repaired single louvre body (along with the dash) was switched over to 0450 AM.
Re-painted blue with a silver roof, Bao Dai sold the re-bodied and re-engined 375 Mille Miglia to Hans and Fritz Schlumpf in 1968.
It has remained in the Schlumpf collection (now the Cite de l’Automobile) ever since.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
