The first two Ferrari road cars have been lost to time, but New Zealanders Amanda and Philip still have, and regularly drive, the third example. This 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter, a right-hand-drive coupe, is the oldest Ferrari road car in the world. The couple found the car while reading Hemmings by gas lamplight in Alaska, which is an incredible story on its own. Decades later and the car is fully restored and delightfully touring around New Zealand, as documented by Ferrari’s YouTube channel.
In 1948 this car would have been an incredible sight on the street, but more than that its 2-liter V12 would have been maybe the best sound to ever come from a car at that point. It only made about 90 horsepower, but considering that new-on-the-scene rival Porsche was making do with just 35, it was a stout machine. The 166 Inter was geared for around 100 mph.
While most of the 37 Ferrari 166 Inters built carried Carrozzeria Touring bodywork, this one wears Stabilimenti Farina clothes. Farina is famously the styling house that gave Battista Farina, Pietro Frua, Felice Mario Boano, Giovanni Michelotti, and Alfredo Vignale their career starts. Very important hands carved the curves of this spectacular car.
It sounds like Amanda and Philip have led very interesting lives, and this extremely early Ferrari is testament to that. I appreciate that in spite of the car originally having been painted a dark color, they chose to have it restored in a pale silvery blue, which was Pininfarina’s preferred shade. I’m not one for silver cars, but these folks have built the car the way they want it.
“It needs to be appreciated as the historical artifact that it is, but it also needs to be used. That’s part of what the cars are for me. I like to listen to them. I like to hear.”
What’s the point in having a car if you aren’t going to drive the damn thing? I’m with you, Amanda. Thanks for keeping a piece of history alive, but thanks for driving it, too.