By: Jack Booker
The owner of a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena may have found the original engine, and only 15 were made.
It’s nice to have friends, especially ones that go out of their way to help you, offering their resources and insight. And that’s exactly how this saga begins, with a friend and simple question- where is this Ferrari engine? Built over 60 years ago and lost about a decade later, this engine has been separated from the car since half a million people were watching Santana in Bethel, New York. So how on earth did someone find it and where exactly is it?
Like most investigations, this search starts with a clue. The owner has paperwork showing the purchase of the car in 1970 by a Dutch Ferrari dealer. His name was Rob de la Rive Box and his dealership was Garage De Montchoisy SA in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ferrari Ellena owner finished of his clue saying, “I have original sales paperwork from Rob Box showing the sale of my car with a used engine installed. So it seems reasonable to assume that my engine was removed in Switzerland.” We have a name, we have a location, and we have a time. A good start.
The problem now is, where is Rob de la Rive Box and/or who else do we know in Switzerland? And that is why this question was posted on FerrariChat in the first place. One man might not be able to locate a old engine, but the greater Ferrari community surely can figure it out! In fact, the original poster is not the owner himself, rather a friend of the Ellena owner… that also happens to own an Ellena. Must be nice to have friends fully engaged in the vintage Ferrari world!
As expected, someone had answers for us, the great Marcel Massini. Few Ferrari historians have the knowledge, connections, and documents that Marcel has. He is an expert among experts and just happens to know Rob (Robert) de la Rive Box. They are friends and speak ‘regularly’. Mr. Massini even went so far as to show us a photo of Box from 1972. So from here it seems we have a strong lead, only we still don’t know where the engine is. Fortunately, Box is a very helpful Ferrari fan. As one user shared, Box helped him get missing parts for a Ferrari 250 GT/E decades ago. Hope grows stronger.
“This photo was taken during the 1972 BFOCS UK event in Prescott and at Sir Anthony Bamford's home. On the very left, the man in the grey suit and red tie is Robert de la Rive Box, a Dutch car dealer resident in Switzerland. who brokered many classic Ferraris (and other rare cars) from the 1960s to the 1990s.” - Marcel Massini
So Mr. Massini reached out to Mr. Box of course, and then reported back to FerrariChat. At first, Massini decided to communicate privately with the original poster, considering the importance of such information, but this of course left the greater Ferrari Community in the dark! Luckily, Massini returned with clarification and an ultimate conclusion to the search. Not only does he know where the engine is, but he and Box have known the owner of the engine for decades. Furthermore, Mr. Massini shared the original invoice from Maranello to the original dealer before the engine was separated from the Ellena.
So after 60 years, multiple countries, and various owners, this long lost engine was found. And It only took 4 days, thanks to the wonderful Ferrari community. It’s hard to tell which came first sometimes, the cars or the fans. Chronologically, the cars (and winning races) came first. But it sure is hard to imagine the storied brand that we know today without the incredible dedication and passion of people like Massini, Box, and a genuine friend going out of his way to ask an important question.
