VIN: the works / Scuderia Inter / Stefano La Motta Ferrari 166 Sport chassis 001S

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<<<166 SPORT PORTAL

HISTORY OF CHASSIS 001S

Following a successful debut campaign in 1947 with the 1.5-litre 125 Sport and 1.9-litre 159 Sport, Ferrari produced a pair of new 2-litre models for 1948: the cycle-winged 166 Spyder Corsa which could race in the sports or monoposto category and the 166 Sport which featured a fully enveloped body and was designed for longer distance events.

In total, three copies of the 166 Sport were manufactured: 001S and 003S which were destined for competition use and 005S which served as the first iteration of a Ferrari designed purely for the road.

Chassis 001S was equipped with a Spyder body by Allemano of Turin while sister car 003S emerged from the same establishment as a Berlinetta.

The little red Spyder was sold new to Ferrari’s earliest patron, Count Bruno Sterzi of Milan who, together with his close friend Prince Igor Troubetskoy of Paris, established Scuderia Inter. In addition to 001S, Scuderia Inter acquired the 166 Sport road car chassis 005S and three 166 Spyder Corsas (006I, 010I and 018I).

001S made its competition debut at the 1948 Giro di Sicilia which took place over April 3rd and 4th. For the single lap 1080km dash around Sicily it was driven by Troubetzkoy and Clemente Biondetti who was on loan from Scuderia Ferrari.

Ultimately, only 32 of the 86 starters made it to the finish line in Palermo, the quickest of whom had been Biondetti and Troubetzkoy with a time of twelve hours and ten minutes at an average speed of 88.7kmh.

The next outing for 001S came at the Mille Miglia which took place over May 1st and 2nd when the car appeared as an official Scuderia Ferrari entry. On this occasion, Bruno Sterzi and Ferdinando Righetti failed to finish the 1833km sprint from Brescia to Rome and back again as 001S retired with mechanical issues. Fortunately, sister car 003S driven by Biondetti and Navone secured Ferrari’s second major road race win of the year.

001S appeared for two more events during 1948, both of which were hillclimbs undertaken by Bruno Sterzi. First up was the Bolzano-Mendola on July 4th followed by the season-ending Vernicino-Rocco di Papa on November 14th. Sterzi placed third overall on both occasions to cap a successful year for 001S.

Bruno Sterzi only contested two events during the 1949 season and both outings came in Scuderia Inter’s other cars. Accordingly, at the end of the year, 001S was sold to Baron Stefano La Motta in Sicily as a replacement for his Cisitalia 202 SMM.

In addition to competitive driving, La Motta was well known in Sicily as the Vice President of Palermo Football Club. He used 001S for three outings, all of which took place in April 1950.

First up was the Giro di Sicilia (April 1st and 2nd) in which La Motta and Gino Alterio finished an impressive third overall. 001S then appeared a week later at the Corsa al Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb (April 9th, finished fourth overall) and the Coppa d'Oro di Sicilia which comprised 55 laps of a local 3.45km street circuit (April 30th, finished third overall).

Unfortunately, Stefano La Motta died racing a works Alfa Romeo on the 1951 Giro di Sicilia, but by this time he had already parted with 001S, selling it to fellow Palermo resident Domenico Tramontana in July of 1950.

Surprisingly, Tramontana waited 14 months before he entered 001S for a race. His first contest with the 166 Sport came on the 1951 Targa Florio (September 9th) which was held over eight laps of the 72km Little Madonie road course around Sicily. With Andrea Cardella recorded as his co-driver, Tramontana started the race with 001S already looking a little bruised and battered following a couple of minor practice incidents. However, an altogether more serious but little publicised off-track excursion occurred in the race and 001S was scrapped soon afterwards.

Notable History

Count Bruno Sterzi (Scuderia Inter), Milan

04/04/1948 Giro di Sicilia (C. Biondetti / I. Troubetskoy) 1st oa, 1st S2 class (#36)
02/05/1948 Mille Miglia (B. Sterzi / F. Righetti) DNF (#178)
04/07/1948 Bolzano-Mendola Hillclimb (B. Sterzi) 3rd oa, 3rd S class (#??)
14/11/1948 Coppa Gallenga, Vernicino-Rocco di Papa Hillclimb (B. Sterzi) 3rd oa (#??)

Sold to Baron Stefano La Motta, Sicily

02/04/1950 Giro di Sicilia (S. La Motta / G. Alterio) 3rd oa, 2nd S2.0 class (#427)
09/04/1950 Corsa al Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb (S. La Motta) 4th oa, 4th Sport class (#12.12)
30/04/1950 Coppa d'Oro di Sicilia, Syracuse (S. La Motta) 3rd oa (#???)

Sold to Domenico Tramontana, Sicily

09/09/1951 Targa Florio (D. Tramontana / A. Cardella) DNF (#12)

Scrapped

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com

VIN: the works / Scuderia Inter Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa chassis 018 I

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<<<166 SPYDER CORSA PORTAL
<<<166 SPYDER CORSA FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS 018 I

Chassis 018 I was one of ten 166 Spyder Corsas campaigned throughout the 1948 season. Seven were scratch built cars while the remaining three had been converted to this latest specification from Ferrari’s trio of machines that variously ran as 125 Sports and 159 Sports in 1947.

Of the ten 166 Spyder Corsas, five were retained by Scuderia Ferrari. Among this quintet was chassis 018 I which made its competition debut at the Bari GP Formula 2 race on May 30th where it was allocated to Tazio Nuvolari. However, because Nuvolari was feeling unwell (a situation made worse by the sweltering heat), Franco Cortese took the wheel mid-race and brought the car home in fourth position.

A couple of weeks later, Nuvolari was again too ill to go the distance and on this occasion 018 I was retired mid-way through the F2 race at Mantova.

For its third outing, 018 I was leased to Milanese industrialist Count Bruno Sterzi who, together with Parisian aristocrat Prince Igor Troubetskoy, had established the Scuderia Inter racing equipe. In addition to chassis 018 I, Scuderia Inter variously campaigned another brace of 166 Spyder Corsas during 1948 (chassis 006 I and 010 I) along with a 166 Sport (chassis 001 S).

During the remainder of 1948, Bruno Sterzi collected a pair of second place finishes in 018 I (at the Biella-Oropa Hillclimb and Garda F1 race) and posted a DNF at the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb.

For its other three outings in 1948, chassis 018 I was driven by works pilot Ferdinando Righetti who placed second in the F2 Coupe des Petites Cylindrees at Reims, fourth at the F1 Albi GP and failed to finish the F2 Firenze GP.

Chassis 018 I then went on to make one final appearance the following year. It contested the San Remo GP in early April of 1949 where Righetti retired with a blown head gasket. The car then disappeared from view.

Notable History

Scuderia Ferrari

30/05/1948 F2 GP Bari (T. Nuvolari / F. Cortese) 4th oa (#6)
13/06/1948 F2 Coppa Nuvolari, Mantova (T. Nuvolari) DNF (#2)
27/07/1948 Biella-Oropa Hillclimb (B. Sterzi) 2nd oa (#??)
18/07/1948 F2 Coupe des Petites Cylindrees, Reims (F. Righetti) 2nd oa (#28)
01/08/1948 Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb (B. Sterzi) DNF (#46)
29/08/1948 F1 Albi GP (F. Righetti) 4th oa (#50)
26/09/1948 F2 Firenze GP (F. Righetti) DNF (#14)
24/10/1948 F1 Circuito di Garda (B. Sterzi) 2nd oa (#34)

03/04/1949 San Remo GP, Ospedaletti (F. Righetti) DNF (#44)

Disappeared

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed

VIN: the works / Scuderia Inter / Dudley Folland Ferrari 125 Sport / 159 Sport / 166 Spyder Corsa chassis 01 C / 010 I

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<<<125 SPORT PORTAL

HISTORY OF CHASSIS 01 C / 010 I

Chassis 01 C, later re-numbered 010 I, was the first Ferrari built.

Originally completed to 125 Sport trim with fully enveloped Spyder coachwork by Peiretti, 01 C was present at Scuderia Ferrari’s debut event as a manufacturer in its own right: the Circuito di Piacenza street race on May 11th 1947. Prior to this, 01 C had departed Maranello for its inaugural test bereft of bodywork on March 12th.

The other 125 Sport (chassis 02 C, which had a skimpy cycle-winged body) was also on hand at Piacenzo, but did not race owing to a disagreement between driver Giuseppe Farina and Enzo Ferrari. Meanwhile, 01 C was allocated to Franco Cortese who fought back to lead after a slow start but retired three laps from the end when his petrol pump seized.

Two weeks later, 01 C ran solo at the Rome Grand Prix where Cortese took the marque’s first victory. The same car and driver combination then recorded another first place finish at the Circuito delle Terme di Vercelli the following weekend.

01 C went on to contest another four races in its original configuration between June and August: Cortese failed to finish the Mille Miglia, but then picked up second place at the Circuito di Parma in mid July. Ferdinando Righetti subsequently dove the car to third at the Circuito delle Cascine a week later, and then Tazio Nuvolari posted a DNF at the Livorno Grand Prix in late August.

For its final outing of 1947, 01 C was fitted with an enlarged 159 engine; it formed part of a three-car entry for the Modena Grand Prix (along with 02 C and a new car numbered 002 C), but failed to start after Righetti crashed during practice.

In anticipation of the 1948 season, Ferrari created a further enlarged 166 engine and two new models dubbed the 166 Sport and 166 Spyder Corsa. Chassis 01 C was rebuilt to 166 Spyder Corsa trim with new cycle winged bodywork and re-numbered 010 I.

It was one of ten cars that ran in 166 Spyder Corsa trim that year and was sold to Scuderia Inter, the racing equipe of Parisian aristocrat, Prince Igor Troubetskoy, and Milanese industrialist and nobleman, Count Bruno Sterzi.

In addition to 010 I, Scuderia Inter also acquired a second 166 Spyder Corsa (chassis 006 I) along with a 166 Sport (chassis 001 S).

1948 saw both Sterzi and Troubetskoy take the wheel of 010 I. Their best finishes were second at the Apertura Grand Prix and eighth at the Circuito di Garda respectively. However, on occasion 010 I also ran under a Scuderia Ferrari entry for factory driver Raymond Sommer who collected a brace of third place finishes at the Roussillon Grand Prix and Grand Prix des Nations in Geneva.

Bruno Sterzi thendid one race in chassis 010 I during 1949 (at the season-opening Giro di Sicilia where alongside Enzo Monaro the car failed to finish). By this time Troubetskoy had retired from racing following an accident while driving 010 I at the Albi Grand Prix back in August of ‘48 and Scuderia Inter had officially been dissolved.

Bruno Sterzi moved up to a Ferrari 166 C single seater for the remainder of 1949 and 010 I was ultimately sold to accomplished Welsh sportsman and gentleman driver, Dudley Folland.

During the 1948 season, Folland had been impressed with the performance of Luigi Chinetti’s 166 Spyder Corsa at the Spa 24 Hour and Montlhery 12 Hour races. Folland arranged for John Wyer to travel to Modena where 010 I was tested.

As Folland did not want to pay the substantial import duty that would have been owed to HM Revenue & Customs, 010 I was brought into Britain on a temporary basis and £4000 in cash was paid to a Ferrari representative at a London hotel.

010 I was delivered to Monaco Motors & Engineering run by Wyer and George Abecassis who maintained the car. A pair of Welsh dragons were painted down each flank and Dudley Folland went on to have a very successful season with this, the first Ferrari ever brought to the UK.

Notable results included a win in the Lavant Cup at Goodwood, third in the Wakefield Trophy at Curragh, fourth in the Coupe des Petites Cylindrees F2 race at Reims and fifth at the Circuit des Remparts in Angouleme. 010 I’s year ended with John Wyer driving it to second in class at the Weston-Super-Mare Speed Trials on October 8th.

Upon the insistence of HM Revenue & Customs that Folland pay substantial import taxes on 010 I if he planned to keep it, the car was reluctantly sent back to Ferrari at the end of the ‘49 season and sold.

Quite what happened to 010 I after that is unclear although by 1970 it was in the custody of collector Anthony Bamford and had at some stage been re-bodied as a Coupe.

Since then it has been returned to its 1947 configuration.

Notable History

125 Sport

Scuderia Ferrari

11/05/1947 Circuito di Piacenza (F. Cortese) DNF (#128)
25/05/1947 Rome GP, Caracalla (F. Cortese) 1st oa, 1st S1.5 class (#56)
01/06/1947 Circuito delle Terme di Vercelli (F. Cortese) 1st oa, 1st S1.1+ class (#22)
22/06/1947 Mille Miglia (F. Cortese / A. Marchetti) DNF (#219)
13/07/1947 Circuito di Parma (F. Cortese) 2nd oa, 2nd S1.5 class (#78)
20/07/1947 Circuito delle Cascine, Florence (F. Righetti) 3rd oa, 3rd S1.1+ class (#106)
24/08/1947 Livorno GP, Montenero (T. Nuvolari) DNF (#70)

Fitted with 159 Sport engine

28/09/1947 Circuito di Modena (F. Righetti) DNS crash in practice (#16T)

Rebuilt to 166 Spyder Corsa specification and re-numbered 010 I

Sold to Count Igor Troubetskoy & Count Bruno Sterzi (Scuderia Inter)

25/04/1948 F2 GP Roussillon (R. Sommer) 3rd oa (#8)
02/05/1948 F1 GP des Nations, Geneva (R. Sommer) 3rd oa (#2)
09/05/1948 F2 GP Apertura, Vercelli (B. Sterzi) 2nd (#178)
16/05/1948 F1 GP Monaco (I. Troubetskoy) DNF (#36)
30/05/1948 F2 GP Stockholm (R. Sommer) DNF (#2)
04/07/1948 F1 GP Switzerland, Bremgarten (I. Troubetskoy) 9th oa (#42)
18/07/1948 F2 Coupe des Petites Cylindrees, Reims (I. Troubetskoy) DNF (#42)
29/08/1948 F1 Albi GP (I. Troubetskoy) DNF (#48)
26/09/1948 F2 Firenze GP (I. Troubetskoy) DNF (#46)
24/10/1948 F1 Circuito di Garda (I. Troubetskoy) 8th oa (#22)

20/03/1949 Giro di Sicilia (B. Sterzi / E. Monari) DNF (#346)

03/1949 sold to Dudley Folland, Swansea

18/04/1949 Lavant Cup, Goodwood (D. Folland) 1st oa (#21) Dudley Folland
28/04/1949 Jersey Road Race, St. Helier (G. Watson) DNS (#??)
25/05/1949 Manx Cup, Douglas (D. Folland) DNF (#19)
12/06/1949 Circuit des Remparts, Angouleme (D. Folland) 5th oa (#6) Dudley Folland
21/06/1949 Circuit du Lac F2, Aix-les-Bains (D. Folland) DNF (#30) Dudley Folland
17/07/1949 Coupe des Petites Cylindrees F2, Reims (D. Folland) 4th oa (#12) Dudley Folland
27/08/1949 Blandford Trophy (D. Folland) DNF (#28) Dudley Folland
17/09/1949 Madgwick Cup, Goodwood (D. Folland) 6th oa (#71) Dudley Folland
10/09/1949 Wakefield Trophy, Curragh (D. Folland) 3rd oa (#??)
08/10/1949 Weston-Super-Mare Speed Trials (J. Wyer) 2nd Class 4 (#80)

Returned to Ferrari

Later re-bodied as a Coupe

c. 1970 sold to Antony Bamford

Subsequently returned to 1947 configuration

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com & unattributed