Original Luigi Chinetti Motors - Records

I went down this path with my Ellena.

I will tell you that I never got a straight story, but be prepared for an uphill battle.

I was told all of the records do exist, and they were being kept in the storage container in the desert, whatever that is worth. I don’t know if it’s true or not.

I tried multiple angles and was never able to get anything more than the wild goose chase.

Marcel helped as best as he could, but there just wasn’t much to be found once it left the factory. I miss that car.

 

At one point a fellow in Westchester County NY named Paul Resnick acquired some records. I have not heard from him in 25 years now.

 

I thought Dennis McAnn in Ohio wound up with some of the parts inventory?

 

Most of the old parts were dispersed to Will Haible in the Bay Area in the early 1980s. We bought quite a bit of stuff from him.

 

Larry Saukeld from Pittsburgh also acquired a lot of the parts inventory.

 

Just for the record- Dennis McCann of the Columbus, Ohio area.

 

The Chinetti parts were split into two components. The competition parts went to a collector in Connecticut, I brokered that deal.
The street car parts were given to Lyle Tanner on consignment. Will Haible and I remained friends until his passing and never received a penny from Lyle Tanner.

 

I remember from back in 1994/1995 being with Lou Chinetti and a friend of his (whose name I cannot remember). The friend had Chinetti paperwork because Lou was having him organize it. As I remember it, this "friend" was the one that some years later ended up in a dispute with Lou over the sale of one of Lou's Ferraris.

One would suspect that some documents were with Michael Lynch during his writing of the book for Lou. By the way, anyone hear more about this book's release?

 

I believe the friends name is Rick Anderson. Coco enjoy s litigation.
Michael Lynch and I spoke regularly until his death and he never mentioned anything to me about documents.
I you consider the matter from a legal standpoint there maybe unwanted exposure if such documents still existed.
When the Sheriff closed the doors at 600 West Putnam Avenue we were given an hour to remove personal belongings. Subsequently many cars and parts were taken to the public dump in Greenwich. Nereo Iori and i rescued the Bardhal Special from the land fill only to have it reclaimed by Chinetti Jr. years later.
Wayne Sparling suffered the same fate with the cars he rescued from oblivion including an Interim Berlinetta. Also settled in court, very ugly.
I did work for both Sr. and Jr. and this is just the tip of the iceberg of stories.

 

The Bardahl special is currently being prepared and restored.

Marcel Massini

 

Information about the book is difficult to come by, but with three of the book’s prime movers, Lynch, Bull and Simeone, having died, it seems unlikely to happen any time soon.

 

The Ferrari/Kurtis Bardahl Special has been on display at the Simeone Museum for quite a while. Same car?

 

I seem to remember this was the Saratoga NY auto museum?


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Yes that’s the car that we hauled out of the dump, didn’t look like that.

 

Obviously I may be mistaken. I just recall my father saying that this young guy he'd met was trying to start a shop in Westerville, OH and had picked up some Chinetti inventory (no specifics, I was a young teenager at the time). Because he liked the guy more than some other suitors he sold him SWB Comp (SN 3327) he'd been trying to sell. Just before prices started really taking off. This would have been early 1980, the transaction took place at a friend's farm nearby in Sudbury, OH (I remember because I was about a month from getting my drivers license. My dad took me for a last ride on some country roads while Dennis and his guys waited, and I have to admit being a little put out to think I'd never get to drive it.). McAnn sold the SWB not too long after that from what I heard. Around the time I was able to consider getting our 250GT pf coupe back on the road 25 years later I recall he was still in business, but has since passed away. As part of the deal his shop had done fresh grigio conchiglia paint and an engine rebuild on the 250 GT, which is still in service today. Please feel free to correct any of the connections I may have gotten wrong. Aside from the SWB story and the 250 work my knowledge is limited.

 

I talked to Coco Chinetti at the Lime Rock Vintage Festival problem in 2019. He told me that the old records were with an archivist ant to check with him in 3 years. I think it is 4 1/2 years now but I don’t know how to contact him. I have owned my 250 GT/L 5261 since 1970 and only know who I bought it from and that it arrived at Chinetti December’63. It was red when I purchased it and it has just been returned to its original Nocciola.

 

Michael Lynch was puting together a definitive book on Luigi Chinetti Motors and NART prior to his untimely passing. I don't know if anyone picked up the torch.

 

Several others have been involved but the last I’ve heard the project is stalled. Sadly, two of the others involved, Fred Simione and David Bull, have also died.

 

5261 GT:
Jack C. of Hays/KS, from whom you bought it in 1970, had it repainted red.
As you say, it was born Nocciola 19397 M Italver with Nero VM 8500 interior.
It had been completed at the factory on 19 December 1963.

Marcel Massini

 

Just watched an episode of Chasing Classic Cars about the Daytona Spider and Wayne goes to a Filing cabinet and produces all the the Chinetti paperwork for the car !!!! I know ithere is a connection.

 

Carini got a very small part of Chinetti files many many years ago.
There are dozens of cabinets elsewhere with Luigi Jr.

Marcel Massini

 

There was a fellow in Yonkers NY named Paul Renfro that was selling cancelled checks from Chinettis and other documents in the 1980s
Remnants of the company were everywhere.
When Tom Parker left 600 West Putnam Ave. the boiler room was filled with Ferrari parts which I purchased from the landlord for $1,500. It included two NOS windshield for a 250 TDF which I sold to the late Greg Garrison. Fiberglass 246 Dino fender covers, etc.

 

I recall seeing those checks and driver contracts being listed on eBay.