Help me find this 1954 Ferrari Vignale Cpe | FerrariChat

Help me find this 1954 Ferrari Vignale Cpe

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by srslusso, Aug 15, 2005.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Page 1 of 5
  1. srslusso

    srslusso Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2005
    874
    Encino,Ca.
    Full Name:
    Steve S.
    #1 srslusso, Aug 15, 2005
    That is the first Ferrari I ever saw at (age 10 48 years ago) rode in and worked on. I met with the previous owner at Crystal Cove on Saturday, then went to his house and we dug up the photo; the only one that he thinks exists.
    I said in the world of Ferrari and the internet we could track the car down and with your help, Ferrari Chat"s help Forza's help, Cavallino's help everyone that is a historian from Massini, Sheehan,the Factory, Tom Shaunessey, the FCA Website as well as FOC etc. etc. We could probably find out all the information by the time I get back from Monterey as to its History, ownership since he sold it, who has it now, what its worth, etc.etc. I'm sure its around somewhere. If it was cheap ( ha) maybe I'd buy it, it is probably worth close to a million dollars.
    We do not have its serial number though he is looking for it on some title or insurance paper nor its California Lisc plate number.
    What we know is It was a 1954 Ferrari Vignale Coupe, it supposedly was first built for Ana Magani a famous Italian Opera singer and as such was fitted with the dash knobs made of tortise shell. It had a 6 carb V12, rare most of this type were 1 carb if a 166 or 3 carb max. It may have been built as early as 1952 since the cars in those days were sold first then given a year later. I think the V12 was 1 1/2 liter or 2 1/2 liter which didn't run that well or have that much power and my friend took it out and installed a Corvette engine but sold it later with the original engine( he thinks). He bought the car in Burbank,CA. USA in 1956 or 1957 he had it in 1957 when he moved in next to me, in Sherman Oaks and later moved to Encino where the photo was taken. He sold it to Max Baer Jr the actor around 1967. It was Red of course and had either Black or Tan interior.
    A lot of my emotions are tied up in this car and my love of Ferrari's etc. etc. I would really like to track it down. Thank you in advance for your help.

    Steve Steinhardt


    ----- Original Message -----
     
  2. srslusso

    srslusso Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2005
    874
    Encino,Ca.
    Full Name:
    Steve S.
    #2 srslusso, Aug 15, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I forgot to post the correct size photo in the last post
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  3. Aardy

    Aardy F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2004
    4,807
    France
    Full Name:
    Cyril TESTE
    #3 Aardy, Aug 15, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. srslusso

    srslusso Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2005
    874
    Encino,Ca.
    Full Name:
    Steve S.
    #4 srslusso, Aug 15, 2005
    Who is the women in the photo of what is obviously a different later car. Is that Anna Magani ?
     
  5. Aardy

    Aardy F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2004
    4,807
    France
    Full Name:
    Cyril TESTE
    #5 Aardy, Aug 15, 2005
    Steve, your pic don't show 0181EL at all.
    It's a 1951 Vignale coupe.
    Nothing to do with Anna Magnani and 0181EL...
     
  6. Aardy

    Aardy F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2004
    4,807
    France
    Full Name:
    Cyril TESTE
    #6 Aardy, Aug 15, 2005
    Yes, the women is Anna Maganani and 0181EL in early 1952.

    Nothing to do with your car.
     
  7. Aardy

    Aardy F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2004
    4,807
    France
    Full Name:
    Cyril TESTE
    #7 Aardy, Aug 15, 2005
    Only 8 cars have this body :

    0062M
    045S
    051S
    059S
    067S
    069S
    071S
    083S

    Your car has an altered nose.
    We can eliminate 051S which was rebodied in Vignale cabriolet.
    0062M, 045S, 059S, 069S and 071S are well known cars.
    I don't know about 067S and 083S ???
    And what about 061S ??
     
  8. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    May 15, 2003
    4,133
    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    #8 Boudewijn, Aug 15, 2005
    I think it is #0091S. Had a V8 Chevrolet engine.
     
  9. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    May 15, 2003
    4,133
    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    #9 Boudewijn, Aug 15, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  10. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    May 15, 2003
    4,133
    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    #10 Boudewijn, Aug 15, 2005
    I start to doubt.
     
  11. CMY

    CMY F1 World Champ

    Oct 15, 2004
    10,142
    Redondo Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Chris
    #11 CMY, Aug 15, 2005
    In comparing the photos, 0091S has a different roofline than the car he's looking for.
     
  12. Aardy

    Aardy F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2004
    4,807
    France
    Full Name:
    Cyril TESTE
    #12 Aardy, Aug 15, 2005
    100 % sure not 091S !! The Steve's car has the first 1951 Vignale design.
     
  13. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
    Full Name:
    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    #13 dretceterini, Aug 15, 2005
    Are you sure the car had 6 carbs? It looks like a 195 or 212 to me.
     
  14. miked

    miked Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2001
    823
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    #14 miked, Aug 15, 2005
  15. T308

    T308 Formula 3

    May 12, 2004
    1,008
    Southern Cal
    #15 T308, Aug 15, 2005
    Indeed. No air intake from grille to hood.

    067S (166 Inter) vanished in 1952. Mille Miglia participant, 4th in class. Massini's book says exported to the US or South America, so this could be a candidate. There's another car wearing 067S, but it is 100E restamped.

    083S (195 Inter) had a similar life. Exported to Argentina but the engine turned up in the midwest in the 1970s. It's now in 0179EL. Chassis is missing.

    061S (166 Inter) seems to have no history after delivery to Alfredo Rosso.

    Interesting, where are they all now???

    T308
     
  16. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
    Full Name:
    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    #16 dretceterini, Aug 15, 2005
    Shaughnessy has them all :)
     
  17. srslusso

    srslusso Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2005
    874
    Encino,Ca.
    Full Name:
    Steve S.
    #17 srslusso, Aug 16, 2005
    Tom S are you on line tonight ?
     
  18. kare

    kare F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Nov 11, 2003
    3,634
    #18 kare, Aug 16, 2005
    > I met with the previous owner at Crystal Cove on Saturday, then went to
    > his house and we dug up the photo; the only one that he thinks exists.

    Can you share the name of this previous owner? It might really make a big difference in trading down the car!!! By the photo I would say, however, that the car this is 059/S. It seems that it had a later 195-engine installed very early on (as the original unit was reported in UK), which probably had a 3 carb set up. It could very well have had a hot rod set-up or 6 carbs, but in this case it was hardly of Italian origin. 059/S later received a Chevrolet V-8.

    What comes to 091/S, 095/S and 097/S something seems to be terribly wrong here. I am not sure that Boudewijn's photo would actually show 091/S. Somebody did a pretty bad job creating history files for these cars and many Vignale cars have been confused with each other.

    > What we know is It was a 1954 Ferrari Vignale Coupe, it supposedly was
    > first built for Ana Magani a famous Italian Opera singer and as such was
    > fitted with the dash knobs made of tortise shell.

    Anna Magnani was an actress.
     
  19. srslusso

    srslusso Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2005
    874
    Encino,Ca.
    Full Name:
    Steve S.
    #19 srslusso, Aug 16, 2005
    He asked me to keep his name out of the scearch as he is well known in some circles. Possibly after we identify the car and where it is now, he will change his mind.
     
  20. kare

    kare F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Nov 11, 2003
    3,634
    #20 kare, Aug 16, 2005
    Then there is not much that can be done...
     
  21. T308

    T308 Formula 3

    May 12, 2004
    1,008
    Southern Cal
    #21 T308, Aug 16, 2005
    Tom's got 0313 and 0337, dretceterini was kidding!

    T308
     
  22. Simon

    Simon Moderator
    Moderator Owner

    Aug 29, 2003
    6,751
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Simon
    #22 Simon, Aug 16, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  23. SefacHotRodder

    SefacHotRodder F1 World Champ

    Dec 20, 2003
    11,148
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Chris
    #23 SefacHotRodder, Aug 16, 2005
    I considered it being that car but there are too many differences
     
  24. Simon

    Simon Moderator
    Moderator Owner

    Aug 29, 2003
    6,751
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Simon
    #24 Simon, Aug 16, 2005
    Yeah, but only small things like the flash on the front of the hood and the mirrors. These can easily be shifted.

    Edit. On second thoughts, perhaps the grill is shaped a little differently
     
  25. Erich

    Erich Formula 3

    Sep 9, 2003
    1,190
    Poway CA
    Full Name:
    Erich Coiner
    #25 Erich, Aug 16, 2005
    First disclaimer. I am a total amateur at iding cars from grainy old photos.

    The bodies look the same to me.
    There is a body crease that runs from the top of the front wheel opening back under the door handle. Both cars have this feature.
    The front bumpers have the same dip in center.

    The grills are clearly different. The B&W photo shows a recessed eggcrate with Cavallino rampante. The blue car has a flush eggcrate sans cavallino.

    That said, the shape of the opening appears very close. Its hard to tell about the corners because the driving lights are in the way on the B&W pic.

    The turn signals are also the same location and type.

    My vote says they are the same car.

    Erich
     
Page 1 of 5

Share This Page