212 Inter at Lark Lane Motor Museum

Morning all,

Is anyone aware of the above mentioned museum, based at 1 Hesketh Street, Liverpool?
Does it still exist?
I believe the musuem is/was owned by a James Baxter but unsure as to whether he is still alive.
In the mid 1980s a Ferrari 212 Inter (# 0153) was on display in the museum that was purchased by Baxter in 1962 (so there is a possibililty Baxter is no longer with us, and the museum has ceased to exist)

So, does the museum still exist (not much being thrown up on Google)?
Yes/No?
Is the Ferrari still there?
Yes/No?
If yes, has anyone seen it or have any images?
Yes/No?
If no, does anyone know of the cars wherabouts?

Many thanks,

Paul

 

Here is a pic of the car in 1986, a berlina 4 posti from 1951...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Cyril where was that photo taken? Is the car on the left a 250 Boano/Ellena?

I remember collecting a Lanchester from a garage in Heswall (not far from Liverpool) about 1985/6. When we turned up, parked next to our car there were 2 250GTs. One was described as a Boano the other an Ellena. I always thought Boano and Ellena were more or less one and the same. The bloke was asking £40,000 each. Less than a year later I saw (what I assumed were) the same 2 cars parked in a small showroom near Hamilton Square station in Birkenhead. Seeing Cyril's photo I wondered if they might be connected in some way.

 

Cyril,

Thanks for the photo, is this the image from Thoroughbred & Classic Cars?

Simon,

The 250 is indeed a Boano (# 0639) that was also owned by Baxter so one can only assume these photos are from the museum.

Paul

 

About Boano's & Ellena's, from DK Engineering:

The early Ferrari road cars were produced in very small numbers, but by 1955 a publicity brochure described a new model as “the first series-produced vehicle benefiting from the experiences of the race track”. The new model that this brochure described was the second series of Ferrari 250 GTs, which became known as the 250 GT Boano Coupé and 250 GT Ellena Coupé. The first series was the Ferrari 250 Europa GT and was significant in that for the first time Carrozzeria Pinin Farina was Ferrari’s preferred coachbuilder, producing 48 of the 53 250 Europa GTs built. Unveiled at the 1956 Geneva Salon, the new model, designed again by Pinin Farina, had more graceful proportions, with a slimmer front grille and clean, straight lines stretching the length of the car from the wings to the upright tail lights. Pinin Farina only produced the first few cars; at this time they didn’t have the capacity to put this car into production. Instead, manufacture of the car was given to a new company owned by former Stabilimenti Farina and Ghia employee Mario Felice Boano and his partner Luciano Pollo. The Pinin Farina design was nearly unchanged but it would be the Boano name that would become synonymous with this car. Boano built 66 of the Pinin Farina-designed coupés, which was considered a large number in Ferrari’s early days. When Mario Felice Boano was asked to head the design department of FIAT, the Ferrari production was handed over to his son-in-law Ezio Ellena and the company became Carrozzeria Ellena, the third to produce the same design. Although the design was the same, all three coachbuilders had subtle differences. The five Pinin Farina-built cars had a slightly higher wing line. The Boanos had a lower roofline, which prompted the commonly used terms “high roof” for the Ellenas and “low roof” for the Boano-built cars. The Pinin Farina and Boano cars had quarter-lights in the side windows while the Ellenas did not. (The first few cars built by Ellena were identical in appearance to the “low-roof” Boanos, but these differences are evident on the remaining cars.) Ellena had produced 50 cars when Ferrari ended the production run. A new 250 GT model had been designed by Pinin Farina and they would produce it themselves; the names of Boano and Ellena would fade into Ferrari history.

 

The 250 GT is the Boano coupe s/n 0639GT.

The pic has been taken in the Larklane Motor Museum, so could be the one you are talking to...

 

Yes, this is the pic from this magazine. Yes, the Boano is 0639GT...

 

It should be noted that 10 first (claimed) Ellenas (starting from s/n 0679GT) were still built using low roof design so they are indistinguishable from late Boanos. High roofs are rarer than usually though: only 40 cars built.

What comes to the early cars, many variations of the theme were built. 3 or 4 different rear fender shapes exist, 2 or 3 different nose styles etc. Best wishes, Kare

 

Cyril & Kare,
Thanlks for your input.

Does anyone know the current wherabouts of 0153?
0639 was auctioned in Monaco in 2001 and is known to be in France more recently.

Were these cars (0639 + 0153) together until 2001 or were they separated earlier?

Paul

 

0153 is still around

 

Do you have any further information?

Paul

 

The Lark Lane museum building became a recording studio - named Pink - coincidentally
0153 is still in the same family ownership. It raced in the 50s and there are some contemporary photos. )riginally was the Earls Court motor show car from 1951 alongside 0165 chassis and engine display that went on to be bodied by Abbot - that chassis now with another engine and rebodied as barchetta

what is your interest?

 

The two ferrari's that were part of the 'Baxter Collection' were on show at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead until about 1989, I remember going to watch them being moved.

The balance of the baxter collection is on show here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirral_Transport_Museum

They maybe able to put you in touch with the baxter family

 

James Baxter is my Father and is alive and well - car still in Family

 

That is good news, its a beautiful car and a great collection. Is its still on the wirral, I would love to take a peek

 

thank you - collection of bikes still there - cars moved on

hopefully back on track soon!