Produced
in an era when Lamborghini was still making tractors, this 1949 Ferrari Inter
Coupe could be the Holy Grail for the right car collector.
Built
in just three examples in 1947, an additional five in 1948 and the rest of the
21 cars the year after, it is the oldest Prancing Horse in the United Kingdom.
The vehicle is also the eleventh road car built by Ferrari, wearing chassis
number 21, and if this doesn’t make any mathematical sense, learn that the
Italians used odd numbers and started with 001.
Making
it even more exclusive is the fact that it's the fourth out of a total of 10
cars that boast Stabilimenti Farina's exclusive bodywork, and despite being as
old as a dinosaur (in car years, anyway), its history is well documented and
starts with its first owner from Milan, Italy, who bought it on July 27, 1949
and sold it to another fellow Italian the same year.
In
1962, the Ferrari 166 Inter Coupe Stabilimenti Farina, which is its full name,
was exported to Houston, Texas, USA, and two years later, it was taken to
Oklahoma, USA, only to be shipped to Ascot, England, the next year, after being
bought by P. G. Palumbo. In 1991, it was listed for sale at RM Sotheby's Monaco
auction, where it failed to sell, but five years later, it changed hands at
another auction, for £ 64,200 (US$ 83,441 at today's exchange rates).
After
that, the classic car was sold in 1996, 1997 and 1998, when it was registered
under a Swiss license plate and driven in the Mille Miglia twice, in 2000 and
2004. Its current owner has it in his possession since January 2015 and is now
looking to depart with it. In charge of finding this 1949 Inter Coupe a new
home is Ferrari specialist Talacrest, who will gladly answer any questions a
serious buyer would have.
