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#1 MGlendenning

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Posted 14 November 2014 - 18:13

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to fact-check a piece of information, and hopefully somebody here might be able to help. My understanding is that Briggs Cunningham bought the first Ferrari from Chinetti's showroom in New York, and that he did so with the intention to race it. I don't suppose anybody would know what model the car was, and where it first raced?

 

Thanks!



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#2 JoBo

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Posted 14 November 2014 - 22:39

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to fact-check a piece of information, and hopefully somebody here might be able to help. My understanding is that Briggs Cunningham bought the first Ferrari from Chinetti's showroom in New York, and that he did so with the intention to race it. I don't suppose anybody would know what model the car was, and where it first raced?

 

Thanks!

 

Ferrari 166 Inter, chassis #0161 (?)

 

JoBo



#3 B Squared

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Posted 18 November 2014 - 14:01

Ferrari 166 Inter, chassis #0161 (?)

 

JoBo

Correct, according to the Fitzgerald and Merritt: Ferrari the Sports and Gran Turismo Cars (Revised Second Edition 1973) page 19:

 

"The first Type 166 to reach the United States was Briggs Cunningham's Spyder Corsa, No. 016-1, which he and his friends raced in the East with success. He never sold the car and it is now displayed in his Costa Mesa museum."

 

There is an accompanying photo of George Rand racing the car with number 2  displayed on the car at an unspecified track.


Edited by B Squared, 18 November 2014 - 19:16.


#4 fbarrett

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Posted 18 November 2014 - 16:58

I believe the car is now in the Collier collection.



#5 Rupertlt1

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Posted 18 November 2014 - 17:16

I think this is the car that Sam Collier drove in the 1950 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, fatal accident:

 

http://www.racingspo...1950-09-23e.jpg



#6 Tim Murray

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Posted 18 November 2014 - 17:56

There's a very old thread on the car, which includes input from Mike Argetsinger on the Collier accident:

http://forums.autosp...ms-ferrari-166/

#7 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 19 November 2014 - 06:58

Confirmed here too:

 

http://www.briggscun...013-revised.pdf

 

http://www.barchetta...pyder.corsa.htm

 

Vince H.



#8 Jerry Entin

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Posted 19 November 2014 - 21:11

I am afraid that Briggs Cunningham owning the first Ferrari in the U.S. is wrong. Tommy Lee of Hollywood was the first owner, in late March/early April of 1949. He never raced it, though. Cunningham got his in June of 1949, just in time for Bridgehampton. Since his car was raced, it started the myth of being the first one here.
 
Research: Willem Oosthoek


#9 B Squared

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Posted 20 November 2014 - 13:32

 

I am afraid that Briggs Cunningham owning the first Ferrari in the U.S. is wrong. Tommy Lee of Hollywood was the first owner, in late March/early April of 1949. He never raced it, though. Cunningham got his in June of 1949, just in time for Bridgehampton. Since his car was raced, it started the myth of being the first one here.
 
Research: Willem Oosthoek

 

Thanks for this clarification Jerry.

 

I met Dick Merritt and Warren Fitzgerald in my youth going to Ferrari Club of America events in the Detroit area with my Dad's friend and International Harvester co-worker, Lee Wilson. Lee was an engineer and Dad worked as a road test, engineering mechanic in the same department. At the time Lee owned a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT aluminum-bodied SWB California and a 1966 275 GTB/2 short nose, also with an alloy body. Lee's Ferrari knowledge and enthusiasm drove that of my brother and I, eventually to our Dad's interest and us getting our Daytona. Lee and fellow friend, Larry Nicklin a founder of the Ferrari Club of America (and owner of two of the three 340 Mexico's during the course of our friendship) always conveyed that you could take the info in the Fitzgerald/Merritt book to the bank.

 

It makes me wonder how much other bad info have I been passing on over the years. Apologies for adding to the confusion here with my "confirming" post.



#10 D-Type

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Posted 20 November 2014 - 16:21

Was it Bill Boddy or Denis Jenkinson who wrote "Pity the poor historian" ?



#11 Michael Müller

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Posted 18 January 2015 - 18:17

First of all, this was neither serial 0161 nor 016-1, but 016-I (for "Inter"). The 2nd but last of the 166 Inter series with Spyder Corsa (cycle fendered) bodywork, assembled May or June 1948. Original ownership is unclear, but I believe it was a works car, driven by Chinetti (with Louis Chiron) at the 24 h race at Spa in July, and later that year in September at the Montlhery 12 h race (with Lord Selsdon as co-driver, who probably paid for that ride). In October 1948 raced by Nando Righetti at the Coupe du Salon, also at Montlhery. The European period of 016I was closed with some record runs in the 2 litre class in November at Montlhery. Chinetti at the time was living at Paris, and his idea was to get the Ferrari agency for France, but for some reasons he decided to emigrate to the US, most probably with Enzo's promise to act as importer for Ferrari there. He took 016I with him, and sold her to Briggs Cunningham.


Edited by Michael Müller, 18 January 2015 - 18:19.


#12 cabianca

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Posted 05 February 2015 - 22:39

016-I for Inter is correct. Supposedly for Internazionale. You are correct re Spa and Montlhery, except that Selsdon did not drive at Montlhery, Chinetti ran the complete race. After the 12 Hours in Sept, he drove the car again in the Coupe du Salon in October, but retired. It was new when Chinetti got it. He told Ferrari he wanted an unraced car, not something that had not been run into every wall in Italy and straightened, which is what many customers got. Chinetti had been living in New York since 1940, shortly after he came to the U.S. with Lucie Schell's Indy team that year. He did commute between Paris and New York during the immediate post-war years, but his prime residence was always in New York. He did have a showroom in Paris for a time after the war. He showed the Tommy Lee 166 Barchetta at both Turin 1948 and Paris before shipping it to the U.S. Lee's car definitely preceeded the Cunningham car in arriving U.S. by at least 5-6 months. For more details see my piece in Cavallino 179 (Oct/Nov 2010)


Edited by cabianca, 13 December 2015 - 12:34.


#13 marlondylan

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Posted 07 February 2015 - 23:43

016I entered the US on June 7, 1949. The other early US Ferrari, 0002M of Tommy Lee, entered the US in March 1949. Information comes from the excellent article on the subject by Michael Lynch in Cavallino 168 pages 66-70 of Dec/Jan 2008/9 :) .

Best regards Boudewijn


Edited by marlondylan, 07 February 2015 - 23:44.


#14 cabianca

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Posted 22 February 2015 - 02:50

Michael,

Chinetti drove the entire distance in the 12 Hours of Paris and it was he, not Righetti, who drove the car in the Coupe du Salon. Cunningham had expected a new Jaguar XK-120 for the Bridgehampton race in 1949, but when it became obvious that it would not be delivered on time, Cunningham called Chinetti who hurriedly had the car shipped from Paris. It was still in the condition that it was at the end of the Coupe du Salon, where it had retired. Alfred Momo did not have time to prepare the car properly, since it only arrived mid-week before Bridgehampton. Had he worked his usual magic, the car almost certainly would have won Bridgehampton, since George Rand had not trouble keeping the field at bay until the car retired. The comment that Chinetti wanted and did not get the Ferrari franchise for France is an interesting one. Do you have a source for that? It is my belief that although Chinetti did do business in France in the immediate postwar period, he also had begun the US Citizenship process in January 1947, although he did not complete it for a few years. My guess is that he was committed long term to the US. He had already met many of those who would be potential clients and there was a great deal more money floating around the WWII-untouched US than there was in Europe.