The vanishing Ferrari: whatever happened to 166S number three?

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As with historic Bugattis, information on early Ferraris tends to be easy to find, with so many people researching them, writing books about them, building high-quality (and not-so-high-quality) replicas, and what have you. It was no real surprise for us to find that this pretty Ferrari coupé’s history was only a few mouse clicks away, and those who’d like to find out more about its fine lines and interesting back story can find everything they need to know. Well, not quite everything… We did stumble upon a gap, which we wonder if any of our readers could fill in.

This is a 166S coupé bodied by Allemano and seen at the start of the 1948 Mille Miglia with ‘eyebrows’ above the front wheel arches years before Mercedes came up with them. It was raced by well-known Ferrari driver and multiple race-winner Clemente Biondetti and his co-driver Giuseppe Navone. Knowing that, it’s easy to find out that the car is chassis number 003S; a very early car indeed. We found that ‘The first two 166S models were coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Allemano’, so was this one of these? Chassis number 3S seems to indicate it must have been the third instead?

Anyway, it came first overall in the Mille Miglia that year, shortly after which it was transported to Stockholm, Sweden, for the Grand Prix of Sharpnäck, as a works racer, it seems. Once again it came first. Then the car was sold privately to one Signor Giampiero Bianchetti of Milan, who entered it in a number of minor races and hill-climbs. In July of 1948, the car was reputedly involved in an accident in the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti and in November that same year it was crashed in the Coppa Gallenga hillclimb. Oh, Signor Bianchetti! There is photographic material to hand. Although we do not know the colour of his socks worn during the crash, the Ferrari is reported to have been repainted grey.

Then the story gets quite blurry. More races follow until ‘After a road accident the car was completely rebuilt by Carrozzeria Colli and painted dark red’. No date is given, but following the history to 1995 we learn that it has been ‘crashed again and scrapped’, while the engine and gearbox end up in a 212 Inter which was originally bodied by Ghia as a convertible, but later turned into a spyder and then a 340 America coupé. Oh dear! Rumour has it that the mechanics have now swapped cars once more and can be found in a later 166 MM Touring Berlinetta. Wow!

We wouldn’t be surprised if the body and chassis turn up one day after all! Can you help put us on the scent?

Words: Jeroen Booij; picture: Wikimedia Commons
 

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