modified ferraris

By Brandes Elitch

Bowtie Ferraris:
Chevy-engined Ferraris from the 1950s and 60sIn the February 10, 2015 edition of VeloceToday, author Michael Lynch reviews the book called “Bowtie Ferraris, Chevy-engined Ferraris from the 1950’s and 60’s,” written by Randy Cook. Mr. Lynch is very knowledgeable about Ferrari; I am not. During the Monterey Rolex Reunion in August, I met Randy at the Quail Motorsports Gathering show, “The Legend of the Automobile.” I was intrigued why a 250 GT coupe would have American Racing mags, and when I looked inside and saw the shifter, I knew that there was an American V8 under the hood. [Read more…] about Thoughts on Ford and Chev Engines in Ferraris

Rear view of the Abarth Ferrari. The body was totally reconstructed from photographs of the Abarth body. Courtesy Bill Warner

This week we present a chapter from Randy Cook’s new book Bowtie Ferraris. Meet Randy at Amelia Island this weekend and get a signed copy of the only book ever published about Chevy engined Ferraris. Or, if in continental U.S., order below from VeloceToday.

By Randy Cook

This unusual Abarth-Ferrari has had more rebodies than any of its contemporaries. It was delivered as a Vignale spyder in March 1953 by the factory to Franco Cornacchia’s Scuderia Guastalla of Milan, Italy for Giulio Mussitelli. It was soon re-bodied by Abarth with a unique aluminum body consisting of multiple removable panels, held together with Dzus fasteners, with a very distinctive nose featuring a center headlight.

Musitelli with the Abarth-bodied Ferrari on the Targa Florio. Photographer unknown

This is the only Ferrari ever bodied – or modified –by Abarth. In 1953, Mussitelli drove it in many Italian races and hill climbs. In 1954, it was rebodied by Scaglietti and received a three-liter engine to 250MM specification. Mussitelli continued to race it in Italy until it was sold to Luigi Chinetti who resold it to Gary Laughlin of Ft. Worth, Texas in January 1956.

Paul Hill with the Scaglietti-bodied Chev-powered 0262 at Midland, Texas, 1959. Courtesy Willem Oosthoek

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