09C/012I

Ed, Mark Ketcham says he has owned this car since 1999. Here is his response to your post:

Hello Ed,


Great to have you back in the Ferrari world. You've been missed. You have a great deal to offer the newbies and oldies alike. Hope you're well!!


Anyway, Wayne had forwarded me your comments and questions about the 1948 Ferrari 166 SC Barchetta #012 I.


Your timing and comments are quite unfortunate, as I was hoping to keep the car under covers for another year or so until it finishes restoration, and then have it debut. But, your comments require a response. So here's a brief history of the car:


1) In 1948 the car was completed as a 166 SC (Spyder Corsa), chassis #012 I and used by Scuderia Ferrari, with such drivers as Righetti, Bianchetti, Count Bruno Sterzi and Giovanni Bracco.

2) In 1949, it was sold to Giovanni Bracco. Bracco won the 1949 Championship with the car.


3) In December 1949, it was sold to Count Vittorio Marzotto for the Scuderia Marzotto squad. In early 1950, Count Marzotto commissioned Paulo Fontana, an Italian coachbuilder, to build the barchetta body for the car. Fontana built a number of cars for the Marzottos and others. You will note that Fontana drove the car with Count Marzotto in the 1950 Mille Miglia:

* 1950 Mille Miglia, 9th OA/6th Class (Over 2,000cc cars), Count Vittorio Marzotto/Paolo Fontana #722 (23 April )


There is a picture of this very famous car in virtually every book on the Mille Miglia if you care to look. The best known picture of the car is when they're driving it across the bridge at 'Ponte di Peschiera', probably one of the most famous pictures from any Mille Migia. There's also a great color picture of the car in Alla Mille Miglia, a color photo of the car at Villa Marzotto, sitting next to the 1950 MM winning berlinetta #0026, which Victorio's brother, Count Giannino Marzotto drove to victory that year. Very cool pic and a very beautiful car, showing the riveting along the body's longitudinal side panel. It's quite like the beautiful riveting you see on Ferrari and Maserati fuel & oil tanks. If you don't think that kind of art and craft is beautiful, then I suppose it's a difference of opinion.


4) Ed, you wrote: "The very early engine had been restamped to 116. "


If you read the reports ('Red Arrows' by Marzotto, for example) from the 1950 Mille Miglia, you'll see that #012 I is described as a "195S". Confirming this, I have the original Italian PRA documents which note an upgrade of the engine. The engine was later upgraded again in 1952. Scuderia Marzotto raced this car through 1952.


5) Ed, you wrote: "The entire front of the frame had been changed to coils and tube shocks."


Correct. This was done some time during it's racing career. In it's restoration, I've found original 1948 transverse leafs and hydraulic shocks for the car which are not on it.


6) Ed, you wrote: ""When the car arrived, we searched but could not find a chassis no. ".


Understandable, as it required a helluva lotta looking, sanding and scraping. There are two very clear stampings of #012 I on the car, one on the right rear upright, and the other on the front cross member (passenger side) about 10-12 centimeters in.


7) I bought #012 I in 1999 and it's been undergoing a very slow restoration. The restoration has been both an adventure as well as a helluva lot of frustration and EXPENSE. The adventure, I would think would be obvious, the frustration comes from trying to find and secure 1948 parts. Believe me, it is not like trying to find 250 GT parts.


8) The original chassis, Fontana barchetta body, engine, etc., etc. have all been retainedAnd I definitely have "as found" pictures of the car, so it's definitely not as you query a, "bitsa".


9) Again, I'm sorry this had to come out before the car's debut, but with the wonders of the internet, it's a small world.


If you are interested, here's the race history for the car:


Ferrari 166 SC (#012 I)
RACE HISTORY:
Scuderia Ferrari entries:
1948:
o 1948 Bari GP, DNF, Righetti (30 May) #race number???
o 1948 Jun Mantua, 7th, Bianchetti (13 June) #16
o 1948 Pescara, 2nd OA, Count Bruno Sterzi (15 August) #12 (See the book: "Tipo 166" there is a pic on page 33 of cars #12 (012 I). See pic on computer file.
* 1948 Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomitti, 9th OA, Count Bruno Sterzi/Monari #171 (11 July)
Per David: By the way it appears that #171 Sterzi in the 1948 Dolomiti 9th is 012I using engine 022I (this engine is now in the first barchetta 0002M). There is a not very good photo on pg. 42 of the Dolomiti book.
o 1948 Garda Cup (Circuit del Garda), DNF, G. Bracco (23 October) #18
o 1948 ?, 1st OA, Giovanni Bracco
o 1948 Rocco di Papa Hillclimb (Gallenga Cup), 1st OA, Giovanni Bracco (14 Nov.) #??

1949:
* 1949 Giro di Sicilia, DNF, Giovanni Bracco (20 March)
Also called:
o 1949 Targa Florio, DNF, Giovanni Bracco (20 March)
o 1949 San Remo, 6th OA, Giovanni Bracco (3 April) #12
>>>Sold to Giovanni Bracco 22 April 1949: ok
o 1949 Mille Miglia, DNF, Giovanniimb, 1st OA, Giovanni Bracco (22 May) #??
o 1949 Como-Lieto Hillclimb, 1st OA, Giovanni Bracco (26 May) #??
o 1949 Naples GP, DNF, Giovanni Bracco (19 June) #??
o 1949 Giro di Umbria, DNF, Giovanni Bracco (29 June)
o 1949 Bolzano-Mendola Hillclimb, 3rd OA, Giovanni Bracco (3 July) #??
o 1949 Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomitti, DNF, Giovanni Bracco (17 July) #140
o 1949 Aossta-San Bernardo Hillclimb, 1st Class (2 litre)/2nd OA, Giovanni Bracco (28 Aug.) #62
>>I have these pics of the 1949 Aosta-Gran San Bernardo run held on the 20th of August. They show Giovanni Bracco in his 166 SC. He finished first in class over 2000 cmc. He made the second fastest time overall.
o 1949 Pontedecimo-Giovi Hillclimb, 1st OA, (18 September) #70
o 1949 Biella-Oropa Hillclimb, 1st OA, Giovanni Bracco (25 Sept.) #??
o 1949 Vermicino-Rocco di Papa Hillclimb, 2nd OA, G. Bracco (16 Oct.)

>>>Giovanni Bracco was the Italian Hillclimb champion in 1949.
>>>December 1949 Sold To Count Vittorio Marzotto for his Scuderia Marzotto. In early 1950 Count Marzotto commissioned a one-off barchetta body by Fontana.

1950 (Converted to Fontana Barchetta bodywork):
* 1950 Giro di Sicilia, DNF, Giannino Marzotto/Marco Crosara #455 (April 2)
AKA 1950 Targa Florio
* 1950 Mille Miglia, 9th OA/6th Class (Over 2,000cc cars), Vittorio Marzotto/Paolo Fontana #722 (23 April )
>> Car described as a 195 S Fontana Barchetta in the 1950 MM.
* 1950 Treponti-Castelnuovo hillclimb, 1st OA, Vittorio Marzotto
(1 Oct.) (Speed was 76.84 kph.)
o 1951 Modena GP, 2nd OA, Froilan Gonzales #6 (23 September)
(Scuderia Marzotto entry)
o 1952 Syracuse GP, 6th OA, Franco Commotti #2 (16 March)
(Scuderia Marzotto entry)
Ref: Ferrari Owner Club UK, Spring 1975 pg. 60
o 1952 Paris GP, DNF engine, Franco Comotti #36 (25 May)
(Scuderia Marzotto entry)


Cheers,


~Mark

 

Hi Tom. Mark's reply:

Tom,


You wrote:


"Bill Foss owns this car and has had a difficult time completing the project in Italy since 1999. Long distance restorations generally do not work. Mark Ketcham is the broker, not the owner."


Several things:


1) I bought the 166 (#012 I) from the previous Swiss owner. I have ALL the documentation to prove same.


2) I have a significant amount of money still invested in the car. I have many, many bills and receipts to prove that, as well. Bill Foss is a helluva nice guy, but generally, a pretty low profile guy, which is why I didn't bring his name into the matter... but now that you've shot your mouth off about something you know little about, I suppose it doesn't much matter.


3) Given the caliber of cars I've seen you towing around the last number of years, "hand grenaded", etc., I really don't how you'd qualify as an expert on restorations, here or abroad.


Heh.


All the best,


Cheers,
Mark

 

No such sensorship on F-Chat. I fail to see how the photos you took and posted on this site are in violation of any of our rules.

 

Ok, to make it clear (although some of you know very good and well why the photos were censored!), the photos have been censored on another forum because a party with a financial interest in the car believes that the photos were taken without the permission of the shop owner. The photographer says otherwise. The photos are not being censored on FerrariChat because they were posted by the actual photographer and there is no copyright issue at stake here.