Yahoo Autos This Heap of a Four-Cylinder Ferrari Is Expected to Fetch Over $1 Million at Auction
There is perhaps no brand more closely associated with the V-12 engine than Ferrari. While that relationship is well warranted, Ferrari is no stranger to building engines of nearly every configuration in the name of motorsport success. In the early 1950s, Ferrari even produced a number of four-cylinder cars, including the 500 Mondial. One of those early racers is expected to fetch big money at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Monterey auction. Well, what’s left of it is.
The first four-cylinder F1 racer from Ferrari arrived for a test at the 1951 Bari Grand Prix, utilizing a 2.5-liter inline-four designed by Aurelio Lampredi. Later that same month, a 2.0-liter variant of that engine powered Ferrair’s Formula 2 entrant at the Italian Grand Prix. Known as the Tipo 500, the all-aluminum engine featured dual spark plugs and two twin-choke Weber carburetors. This 180-horsepower four-pot proved rather potent in a Ferrari chassis. Alberto Ascari piloted the Ferrari 500 F2 to back-to-back World Championships in 1952 and 1953. The following year, Ferrari developed the 500 Mondial as a customer car in recognition of that motorsports success. The cars featured a 170-hp variant of the Tipo 500 engine, a de Dion rear suspension setup, and beautiful Pininfarina coachwork. Only 13 examples were built in this spider style, with this particular car being the second produced.
This 500 Mondial was sold new to Franco Cornacchia, who ran one of the most successful racing teams in the region in Scuderia Guastalla. The car’s first motorsport endeavor took place at the 1954 Coppa della Toscana, during which it was driven by Franco Cortese. Ferrari fans might know him as the driver who won Ferrari its first race in its very first car. Cortese went on to finish 19th overall, which was good enough for second in class. Cortese finished fourth in class and fourteenth overall at the Mille Miglia that year as well. The car continued to race across Europe with some success until 1958, at which point it was imported to the States. By 1963, the car was under the care of one Stanley Surridge. During his ownership, Surridge swapped an American V-8 engine in place of the Lampredi four-pot. Even Ferraris weren’t safe from the Shelby treatment it seems. The car crashed during a race by 1965, resulting in the condition you see the car in today.
The pile of burnt and twisted metal you see here is expected to fetch between $1.2 and $1.6 million at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction, which takes place on August 17-19. That’s a lot of money for a car as badly damaged as this one, regardless of its pedigree. There’s basically nothing left of the car, other than its ever-important VIN plate. That said, there is no doubt that some Ferrari collector is willing to spend the fortune it will require to restore this four-cylinder racer. The original engine has long been lost, but the sale does include the numbers-matching gearbox and some rear-axle corners. A larger 3.0-liter version of the Lampredi engine is also part of the deal, which is a great starting point. If you prefer your Ferraris a bit more complete, the 500 Mondial is being offered with a collection of 20 other barn finds from Maranello. You might even be able to get one that drives. Or one that has floors.
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