1955 Ferrari

1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT

Raced In 50's By Famous Belgium Drivers 

S/N 0419GT 

JANUARY 1956 BRUSSELS MOTOR SHOW CAR

EQUIPPED WITH COMPLETE 250MM TYPE 112 ENGINE

EARLY RACING HISTORY IN BELGIUM:

1956--March 25th raced by famous Ferrari driver Oliver Gendebien, Placed 2nd in class in the Cote de la Roche Hillclimb

1956--March 25th raced by well known Ferrari dealer and race team owner in Belgium, Jacques Swaters, placed 3rd in class in the Cote de la Roche Hillclimb

1956-- Raced by Leon Dernier, Belgium privateer and first owner of the car, in the Tour de Belgique. Dernier was a seven time entrant in Le Mans with five top six finishes

2009 CLASSICHE CERTIFIED BY FERRARI

CAR TOTALLY RESTORED IN 2009 BY FERRARI CLASSICHE, MARANELLO, ITALY

In the early 1950s Enzo Ferrari began to manufacture road-going Grand Tourismo cars. The 250 Europa and 375 America series are generally considered to be Ferrari's first production models, although only 18 of the former and twelve of the latter were built. In period, the Europa and America were considered to be the world’s ultimate GTs, and were ordered by such luminaries as Roberto Rossellini, Tony Parravano, Ingrid Bergman, and the former King of Belgium, Count Somsky. The 250 Europa, with its 3-liter V12, was designed for travel on continental roads, while the 375 America's 300-hp, 4.5-liter, Lampredi V12 was ideal for rapid transport on America's new interstates. Source: Keith Martin's, Sports Car Market

Only one year later in 1954 Ferrari introduced, at the Paris Auto Show, a uniquely different car with visual similarities to the 250 Europa yet a vastly different car that became known as the 250 Europa GT. The car was to be the first Ferrari sporting the legendary Colombo V 12, 250 GT engine that was used to power all the major Ferrari GT cars for the next decade. The list of these cars is impressive for following the 250 Europa GT were such cars as the, 250 GT Boano, 250 GT Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO and culminating with the 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso of the early 60's.Collectively these cars with their genesis the 250 Europa GT were as an impressive aray of Gran Turismo cars ever produced. They represented a shift in production away from purpose built race cars to road cars that were capable of competing on a high level in race events on Sunday. An early example of the competitiveness of the new 250 Europa GT was S/N 0357 GT which was raced by Gendebien and Ringoir to third overall in the 1956 Tour de France Auto. The car pictured here was raced by a trio of famous Belgium race car drivers including Oliver Gendebien, Jack Swaters and Leon Dernier. The first owner of the car was Dernier a wealthy privateer that participated in six Le Mans events in the 50's and 60's.

History of the Car

This 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT S/N 0419GT is a completely original matching numbers car and was the third from last of the 27 Pininfarina production cars of which it is believed only 22 cars are still in existence. Being near the end of the production run, amoung the first of its kind for Ferrari, the car was equipped with all the improvements that make this car so different from the predecessor, Lampredi powered 250 Europa. As produced S/N 0419 came equipped with coil front springs not found on early cars of the model, the much improved 508 chassis, a 250 MM Colombo designed engined and as a result an eight inch shorter wheelbase giving the car less weight and significantly improved handling characteristics. As proof of this a similar 250 Europa GT, driven by Oliver Gendebien finished 3rd O.A in the 1956 Tour de France.

January 1956 Brussels Motor Show Car

April 2009 certified by Ferrari Classiche program

Major Awards

April 2009 an invitation was extended to participate in the 2009 Concorse d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and the car won the prestigious Trofeo BMW Group Classic - "To the most sensitive restoration by the Jury". Winston Goodfellow noted author and judge at Villa d'Este said he really liked the car, nothing that Ferrari Classiche did a beautiful job of "walking the line between originality and over-restoration". The car also won Mention of Honor in its class.

January 2010 entered in the prestigious Palm Beach Cavallino Classic XIX Concorse d'Eleganza. The car won the coveted award for "Outstanding Restoration Quality and Challenge" as well as being awarded Platinum in its class. 

PEBBLE BEACH

The car was shown at the very exclusive 2010 Pebble Beach Consours d'Elegance.

Early Racing History -

1956 - March 25th raced by famous Ferrari driver Oliver Dendebien. Placed 2nd in class in the Cote de la Roche Hillclimb

1956 - March 25th raced by well known Ferrari driver and race team owner in Belgium, Jacques Swaters, placed 3rd in class in the Cote de la Roche Hillclimb

1956 - Raced by Leon Dernier, Belgium race car privateer and first owner of the car, in the Tour de Belgique. Dernier was a seven time entrant in Le Mans with five top six finishes.

Exhibitions

September 1986 - Exhibited at the 1st annual Crepaldo Ferrari Parade and Meeting Monza, Italy.

September 1987 - Exhibited at the 2nd annual Crepaldi Ferrari Parade and Meeting Monza, Italy.

September 2001 - Exhibited at the Third Annual Concours d'elegance Paleeis Het Loo, Holland.

April 2009 - Exhibited at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este Bst restoration and class award.

April 2009 - Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago Special Award "Ladies Choice and Excellence in Class Award.

October 2009 - Exhibited at the 27th Annual Concours d'Elegance, Monarch Beach Golf Link, Dana Point CA Awarded Best in class.

2009 Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance First in Ferrari Class Award.

August 2010 - Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Ownership History

1956 - delivered to dealer Garage Francorchamps, Belgium

1956 - First owneer, Leon Dernier, race car privateer, Belgium

195? - Second owner, Le Comte d'Asche, Belgium

196? - Third owner, Van Peene, Gent, Belgium

1972 - Fourth owner, Dr. Paul Schouwenburg, Holland

1975 - Sixth owner, Andrea Auletta, Itally

2001 - Seventh owner, Dirk Libert, Belgium

2002 - Eighth ownere, Kenneth B. Roath, California, USA

Source: Marcel Massini