Drogo 250

I was at a hill climb near Lake Konstanz at the weekend.
Some nice vintage Ferraris, but one car that caught my eye was a '1960 250GT Drogo' (program description)

Does anyone have any information on the history of this car and how it started life?

Cheers Simon


I'll add some pictures of a couple of Daytonas and a 365GTC just for the hell of it.
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365GTC
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Daytonas
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THIS is NOT a Drogo and has NO relation to a car bodied by Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena. Even if the current owner thinks it is a Drogo it will never become one. It is chassis #1257 GT. Originally a standard 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupé delivered new to first owner Giacinto Tanassi in Rome, Italy. The car later crashed and its chassis was shortened in 1986. Carrozzeria Allegretti of Modena 1986-90 recreated the car with a fantasy Coupé body along the lines of the former body on chassis# 3445 GT. 1990 this fantasy car was owned by T. B. of W., Switzerland, who had it for sale in spring 1991. NOT a real and genuine DROGO! Largely advertised in several British car magazines. January 1992 still for sale in the Swiss Automobil Revue. February 1994 again advertised in Automobil Revue. 2007 still with same owner.

Coachbuilder Piero Drogo died in a Ferrari 365 GTC on the motorway near Bologna on 28 April 1973. Carrozzeria Drogo ceased to exist.

The father of Mario Allegretti was an employee of Drogo's Carrozzeria Sport Cars in the 1960s. That's the only relation to Drogo.

See also article about Drogo in the Ferrari Club of America magazine, issue #102, or the book "Making a Difference", authored by Angelo Tito Anselmi and Marcel Massini.

The white Daytona plexi is S/N 13875 and is owned by a former Swissair pilot since several decades. The original color was Azzurro 106-A-32 with Nero 8500 leather and it was sold through official dealer Motor SpA in Bologna to Count Agusta (of Helicopter and Motorbike fame) in Italy. It was completed 25 October 1970 and has assembly sequence number 326.

Marcel Massini

 

Thank you Marcel. I had a sneaky feeling it isn't what it purports to be

 

The car in question is WELL known since many years. Interestingly it always turns up at the less well-known or non-official meetings.
Marcel Massini

 

Marcel,

Could you tell me please where I might find either of these two references. From the tone of your post you seem to hold Drogo in very high regard. Is this correct? Others have suggested that cars rebodied by Drogo in period are no different then those GTE's rebodied in more modern times. Where do you stand on this?

Thank you,

Mark Lindman

 

Mark

Piero Drogo was a sensational panel beater in Modena in the 1960s and produced some of the most beautiful competition Ferraris. Think 206 S Dino or 330 P4, etc. Drogo is an important part of the Ferrari history. I will HERE not further comment on rebodied GTEs of the 80s or 90s, everybody on ferrarichat does already know my opinion about fakes and replicas and there are plenty of threads about those.

There is not so much printed information about Drogo available and that's one of the reasons why certain owners of rebodied Ferraris (PF Coupés and 250 GTEs) claim their car was done by Drogo. In almost all of the cases this is NOT true.

Prancing Horse magazine is the official quarterly magazine of the FCA. See their website.
The book "Making a Difference" can be purchased in USA from Mrs Carol Roush in Stone Mountain/GA, see www.ferrarimarketletter.com

Marcel Massini

 

marcel

so the dark blue rebodied 250 GTE which turns up on modena trackdays each year is a fake too?

regards

 

No comment without chassis number. Which car are you talking about, please?
Marcel Massini

 

He must speak of 2423GT I think...

 

IF we really talk about 2423 GT now:

2423 GT: Originally a 250 GTE 2+2 delivered new to Franco Britannic Autos in Paris. Only in 1987 chassis 2423 GT was fitted with the Drogo Coupé body coming from 250 GTO #3445 GT for Martin Hilton. Job done in England by Terry Hoyle. Displayed at Louis Vuitton Concours at Stowe, England, July 28, 1990, painted bluemetallic. Registered on British plates 722 HYR. Unsold at Coys of Kensington auction at the Nürburgring, August 10, 1991. British plates MMP 293L, featured in Classic & Sportscar magazine of September 1991. 1993 owned by John Collins' Talacrest Limited in England. February 1994 for sale by Collins, asking GB Pounds 79'995. 1996 sold to Jürgen Rohwer, Hamburg, Germany, registered on German plates HH-SB 16. August 10/11, 1996, seen at the AvD-Oldtimer-Grand Prix. etc.

Marcel Massini

 

Marcel,

As the owner of a Drogo bodied car (#0147E) I am just trying to see where I fit in with the Ferrari community. On one hand my car is a rebody of a Vignale Coupe which makes it a fake or replica. On the other hand it was done in period (1965) by a well respected carrizzeria and retains it's original motor, transmission and frame. Unfortunately, Ferrari Classiche won't certify it and I am not sure it would be welcome at Cavallino or other national events.

I will call FML about the book and back issues of Prancing Horse. Thank you.

Best,
Mark Lindman

 

I had heard that Glenn Jones also created(?) a Drogo bodied Ferrari, what was the story with this, does anyone know?

Best,

Yale

 

Mark
I sent you an email. A photo of your 0147 E with the original Coupé Vignale body can be found on page 104 of my book "Ferrari by Vignale".
Marcel Massini

 

Sorry meant Greg Jones.

 

Isn't the term "in period" a very vague terminology? What if a given rebody was done in 1970,....or 1974? How far away from "in period" can you get before it is "out of period"? Before you can define the latter, you first have to define the former. And since they are both ambiguous undefinable terms,....why can't everybody just look at the car itself and take if for what it is???
(As JG would say,...let the metal do the talking.) The quest for documentation and defineable pedigree sometimes borders on snobbery that refuses to accept automotive art for what it is. Reminds me of sitting down to a beautiful tasty dinner, and after eating that dinner, you find out that it was cooked by the neighbor's grandmother instead of a world class chef. Was the dinner therefore any LESS delicious?

 

I have never seen a post that equates the two. There is a massive difference.

Drogo's rebodies were period rebodies when the original car was worth nothing historically (as Ferrari would just make another), his rebodies were to make the car BETTER/FASTER/etc. and NOT to simply replicate somebody elses work. I think Drogo's work influenced the 275GTB.

Anybody can copy other peoples work and create a replica, but people who work on CURRENT cars and create something unique (like Drogo and like Jims' Enzo - P4/5) are the clever ones.
Pete

 

Actually Pete it was you.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77698&highlight=0147E

 

Mark,

But that car in question was actually a replica. I guess Drogo was a bit short of work and built this WITHOUT any design changes of his own. So yes this is a very old replica, and yes I forgot about this poor taste work by Drogo ... I'm amazed he was not able to talk the owner into allowing him to improve the design.

In 99% of the case period rebodies have NOT been to replicate an existing car ... again big difference.

Thus to be clear on my opinion, this car is no better than a modern replica on a 250GTE. I'd most definitely restore it to Mille Miglia form!
Pete

 

Pretty harsh. Thanks......

Mark Lindman

 

Mark,

I was not aware that you owned the car ... feeling very embarrassed right now (just gone back and reread a few posts and I missed this important point). I myself would be over the moon to own a Ferrari that raced in a real Mille Miglia, infact I'd be over the moon to own any car that raced in the real Mille Miglia. That is what I would be focusing on ... the very interesting 212 (I think) underneath.

I'm off to hide now ... my appologies if I came over like a pr!ck. Also please remember I was just stating my opinion (which is slanted because I hate replicas that use real Ferrari chassis' ... and ofcourse there are always complications. I do not know what to refer to your car as ... it's got all the right incredients ).

In hindsight I have yet again broken a rule that I stated in my overly assertive way, and that is: Why not take a current Ferrari and use it to create a replica. By this I was meaning buy a 550 and make a 250GTO look-a-like from it. This is fine by my insignificant standards. Now thinking about this a bit more, this is exactly what the Count and Drogo did back in 1965. I am not sure of the year of this 212, but it would be equalent ... thus I am completely wrong. This IS a period replica that has done nothing wrong, as a 212 in 1965 was not a historic car.

Please accept my full appologies and I would be happy to ask the moderators to remove my posts from this thread and the other if you wish.
Pete

 

Generally the rule is "rebodied within 10 years after the car was born". Ferrari 212 Inter Coupé Vignale #0147 E (today owned by Mark Lindman) was born in October 1951. Ten years later would be 1961. The certificate of origin was issued by the factory on 7 March 1952. This particular car was rebodied by Drogo for Count Giovanni Lurani-Cernuschi in Italy, similar to a California Spider, between late 1965 and 1969. Let me also state that there is NO onehundred percent proof that the rebody on 0147 E was REALLY executed by Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena. I have painstakingly researched this car's history, in all details.
Marcel Massini

 

Because when people buy replicas using existing 250- or 330-chassis, they fool themselves into thinking that they have bought an exact reproduction. This, of course, is not the case as these cars are very far from original, but most people are naiive enough to fall for this...