Tag Archives: Rosselini

Rosselini’s Racer – Ferrari 212 Inter Pininfarina Cabriolet #0235EU

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Today’s featured Ferrari 212 Inter Pininfarina Cabriolet was built built primarily as a road car in 1952 it is one of only two 4 seat 212 Inter’s with a Pininfarina Cabriolet body and of the other 77 212 Inters Abbot’s of Farnham fitted 1 cabriolet body and Vignale 4 more.

Ferrari 212 Inter Pf Convertible, The Quail,

The early ownership of this car appears to involve either Californian building contractor Tony Parravano and or Italian film maker Roberto Rosselini. In August 1953 Rosselini entered #0235EU in the 1000kms (600 mile) race for sports cars at the Nurburgring, Rosselini was entered to drive but did not show up, his place was taken by Dutch journalist, with competition experience, Maurice Gatsonides who partnered Riccardo Vignolo.

Maurice is quoted as having said of his ride “I was to have the most magnificent car of the whole field, as this Ferrari was bodied by Pininfarina and carried a four seat drophead coupe with graceful lines, a sure winner at any Concours d’ Elegance”.

In this linked photo the street 212 Inter Cabriolet sticks out like a sore thumb twixt the race prepared #7 Lancia D20 and the #56 Jaguar C-type.

Of the three cars in the photo that finished the race the #1 Ferrari 375MM #0286AM, far left, driven by world Champions Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina won, the three Lancia’s #5, #6, and #7 all retired with today’s featured #0235EU coming through to finish ninth, eleven spots ahead of the #56 C type driven by Belgians Kasimir Olislaegers and Charles de Keerle.

In 1954 the car was sold and ended up in the USA, in the 1970’s the motor and 4 speed transmission were removed and replaced with a cheaper to maintain Chevrolet V8 and 3 speed Muncie transmission.

All the correct bits and pieces were traced in the 1990’s and #0235EU reappeared fully restored for the first time last year.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s featured photo taken at The Quail a few weeks ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Rosellini’s Racer” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Zagato bodied Aston Martin. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Grigio Ingrid – Ferrari 250 GT Competition Berlinetta Speciale #0403

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Unbelievably, thanks to the continuing support from you dear reader the “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres adventure today enters it’s fourth year. To mark the occasion I have selected, in my humble opion, one of the finest Ferrari’s known to humanity.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Speciale, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Chassis #O403 has a one off body by Pinin Farina that was to have been given to Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman in 1956 who was, at the time married to Italian film director Roberto Rosselini.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Speciale, Goodwood Festival of Speed

For reasons that are not clear to me, Ingrid never took delivery of the car, possibly because her relationship with Rosselini whom she would divorce in 1957 was drawing to a close.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Speciale, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The car ended up being sold to American James Gerard Murray who lived in Modena and Pittsburg.
In 1986 #0403, painted red since 1983, was being offered at a knockdown price of $145,000, down from 175,000 by the same vendor.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Speciale, Goodwood Festival of Speed

#0403 changed hands for 1.6 million dollars in 1989, but by 1999 it was bought for ‘just’ $945,000.The following year it was restored to it’s original Grigio Ingrid, a colour mixed just to suit Ingrid Bergman, that had first been seen on a pair of custom Ferrari 375 MM’s built for Rosselini and Bergman in 1954.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Speciale, Goodwood Festival of Speed

When Sergio Pininfarina saw the elegant #0403 at Pebble Beech in 2004 he commented that it was one of his favourite.

Thanks for joining me on this third birthday “Grigio Ingrid” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, thanks also for sticking with the blog, if you have not done so before do not be afraid to like the “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ facebook page, to share the page with your friends or leave a comment below. I’ll be continuing the series commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Aston Martin tomorrow with another car that has a Scandinavian connection. Don’t forget to come back now !

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