One to Buy: ex-New York Motor Show 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Vignale Coupe
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To streamline production, in late 1951 Enzo Ferrari signed a contract that saw Pinin Farina become his car company’s official coachbuilder. Customers could still order a car with bodywork by another carrozzeria, but from this point a Pinin Farina designed and built design automatically came fitted as standard.
Among the earliest models produced under the new Ferrari-Pinin Farina axis were the 250 Europa and 375 America, both of which were unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1953.
With the exception of their engines, the two cars were identical; the 250 Europa used a 3-litre version of Aurelio Lampredi’s big block V12. This was then enlarged to 4.5-litres for the 375 America.
The rest of the specification included a traditional tubular steel chassis with independent transverse leaf-sprung double wishbone suspension up front and a live axle with semi-elliptic springs at the back. Houdaillle hydraulic shocks and drum brakes were fitted all round.
At the time, these were the only road cars officially available from Ferrari. However, a small number of VIP customers did commission bespoke road-going 375 Mille Miglias from Ferrari.at considerable expense.
Also extremely expensive was any 250 Europa or 375 America commissioned without the standard Pinin Farina body. As a consequence, very few were built.
One was chassis 0313EU which is currently available as part of ISSIMI’s North American listings.
Only four 250 Europas were bodied by Vignale (three Coupes and a Convertible) all of which were quite distinct from one another. The three Coupes came with Vignale’s trademark inboard headlights plus stylised vents, grilles and scoops.
Completed in late 1953, this car was painted two-tone Tabacco with a Bruno Siena roof and beige leather interior. It was reputedly the first car sent to Ferrari’s new US distributor, Luigi Chinetti in Manhattan, who then displayed it at the New York Motor show a few weeks later.
Chinetti subsequently repainted the car red with a black roof before selling it to its first owner, Mike Garber of Framingham, Massachusetts. Garber retained it until April of 1958.
Today, chassis 0313EU is offered in concours condition and looks fantastic in its original 1953 colour scheme.
