so what are the conclusion? yesterday i put a picture but not sur it was this car (interior color-screen) where is Mr Massini? doing Christmas like everyone somewhere...so keep the light open here probably he is coming back fo our reply.
I am sure M..arcel will fine his way onto this thread. I the mean time take a look at the pictures of the back end of this car. You will see two fairly large round red lights near the bottom of the trunk lid.One lenze is missing. Now go to the Barchetta listing for 0084 and see the reference to these same lights on the trunk lid of this car.I don't recall similar lights on any other Touring Barchetta. The original 212 engine was modified to 225 specs. Also the paper work describing the engine in George"s car could have said things about the car that were not correct and the car seems to have arrived in America about the correct time. i am sure there will be other opinions about this car so let's see what happens. tongascrew
As I recall, in Oct. 1957 my wife to be and I drove the 340 from Whittier Cal. north to S.B. airport for race weekend with the Ferrari to be used as Pace Car. This was before the freeways and the drive up Ventura Blvd. was a nightmare. Car ran hot soo every four or five miles I would have to take side roads out of trafic to cool her off. Not wife to be.......Got her home on monday safe. I also found a slide taken at S.B. of Porfiro Ruberosa with his F. race machine. I will post.........George Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you for this color picture! A b/w picture of this blue s/n 0438 with Rubirosa in action at the Santa Barbara Road Races can be found on page 96,in the newest Forza Magazin no.82/dec'07. ivo
Rubirosa bought the car just before these races at Santa Barbara took place. Story goes his then wife actress Zsa Zsa Gabor complained that his blue Mondial got more attention than she did. Von Neumann bought the car the same weekend and thus resolved Zsa Zsa's problem. This photo shows Rubiro's taking delivery of his car coming from the boat from Italy to Florida and flown to the West Coast the same day just 4 days before the main event. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Incredibly interesting. Could that be of the N1M or the N9M Northrop flying wing test vehicles? This photo may have signifigance to aircraft buffs as well.
The Calif. lisc. plate was JLH176 dated 1956 with a red sticker for maybe the month?? Is there any way to cross reference to get to the SN? Thanks ..George
The Red sticker is the 1957 registration sticker for the 1956 plate. As for the CA DMV, they don't have the info on the S/N. They can only tell you if that particular plate is still in use.
I wouldn't go by Barchetta's website as being the most reliable. While most of there info is good they have too many mistakes to used as a positive reference source
Could it be that it was shipped back to Italy for some upgrades or new engine and than re-imported? Just guessing.
I think this is 0124A. It seems that this ex-William Kimberly car was in Santa Barbara in 09/54 - possibly with Hastings Harcourt. It is possible that it then went back to factory and was shipped into USA a second time. Can you make the record straight and verify the dates? Best wishes, Kare
After looking at all the info. I think we have to come to these 3.....0118A, 0120A, or 0124A..I lean toward 0124A considering it may have gone back to Italy before I brought it over in 1957. I have no info. as to this being the Kimberley car but it was red and I do recall you could tell it was originally painted red.......I hope we can solve this. Do we know where 0120A and 0124A are?
0118A has early dash; your photo shows later set-up with gauges further apart. 0120A had cooling vents added to rear of bonnet very early on - and they are still there. This - among a few other details - made me think your car was 0124/A. Best wishes, Kare
I can confirm that 0120A is not the car.. 0120A (which I have seen) has the leather straps at the front off the bonnet while all other 340 America's has that at the back of the bonnet. 0124A might be the best guess. Just sent some pictures to an old owner of 0124A to see what he thinks.. Bert de Boer www.ferrari340america.nl
After much soul searching and time on the internet I believe the answer to my question is: 0124A.....Go to http://home.planet.nl/~fer340am/det-0124.htm Herein lies the answers. From 1953 to 1956 0124 was in Santa Barbara Ca. The XK120 windshield and the two red tail lights were installed maybe by Hastings Harcourt to register the car. Late 1956 0124 was sent back to Italy for work to done? My associate bought the car in Italy and had it shipped to L.A. where I picked it up at the harbor around 7/1/57...Looking at the time frame 1958 it says "sold to Ben ??, Stanford University, driven on the street. Ring and pinion broken". This should read "sold to George, Whittier College, driven on the street. I did break the ring gear". I sold the car early 1958. No records?? Sorry... I have found a few more pictures that I will try to scan and post along with some old Ferrari sales brochures and an owners manual for a 1952 212 inter,250mm,340mexico,342america. Also I found a 1953 Ferrari Yearbook. These items surely should find a home here on this site. Thanks for all your help and any additional info. you might have..............George
I would love to know what cars you got from Michel(e?) Vernola. If you have any photos, copies would be GREATLY apprecaited of all the etceterinis and Alfas! I'll be happy to pay for copies. I understand Vernola also dealt with someone at Road and Track (Harry Morrow?), and was also a correspondent to that magazine. Do you by chance, know anything about an Alfa Romeo 412 with Vignale coachwork, that was at Volpini's shop in Milan and was offered for sale in Road and Track? There was an article about someone driving the car through the streets of Milan in a 1952 issue of R&T...
