Hemmings Find of the Day - 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza

As is to be expected with a Lampredi-engined Ferrari, the entire history of this 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza for sale on Hemmings.com is known, and it includes cameos from some of the biggest names in racing at the time: Mike Hawthorn, Peter Whitehead, and Sir Jack Brabham among them. From the seller's description:

Among the first Monzas built; this example was sold new to Irish racer Joe Kelley of Dublin in September of 1954. Immediately, Kelley campaigned the car at the Dundrod and Leinster Trophy races. For Goodwood of the same year, future Formula One World Champion Mike Hawthorn would be entered as the driver, unfortunately retiring with rear axle troubles.

After being acquired by Jaguar Works for performance evaluation against their venerable D-Type, the car was sold onward to Jaguar team driver and 1951 Le Mans winner Peter Whitehead. Sir Jack Brabham imported the car to Australia in 1955, where it was actively campaigned by Stan Coffey, Arnold Glass, Jack Neal, and Oliver Steel through the 1959 season.

After passing through a documented series of known and respected collectors, s/n 0462MD began its Historic Competition career with the 1987 Mille Miglia retrospective, entered by owner at the time, Pietro Brigato of Vicenza, Italy. Other European owners included Engelbert Stieger of Switzerland, who ultimately sold the car via a respected Southern California dealer to Pat Smiekel, of Montecito, California, in 1996. With the assistance of noted Ferrari collector Brandon Wang, ownership passed to Roberto Crippa, who proved to be an avid participant in various historic racing venues throughout mainland Europe before selling the car to fellow Italian Andrea Burani.

Burani was perhaps the most active historic owner of s/n 0462MD, competing in a myriad of events between 2000 and 2009, including the Mille Miglia no less than seven times, as well as Le Mans Classic (2004), and Spa, Goodwood Revival, Mugello, Monza, among other races. Restored at di Diena in Modena in 1998 under Roberto Crippa’s ownership, and maintained by GTO Engineering while vigorously campaigned by Burani, this 750 Monza is best described as an exceptionally strong running example mechanically, with a wonderful and uniform patina cosmetically.

The body, paint, and interior all display good racing cosmetics, which serves as a testament to its extensive racing career. The engine bay and underside show the normal signs of charismatic use, and regular upkeep.

This 750 Monza starts easily and revs freely, making excellent horsepower and ample torque. The transaxle shifts well, and the brakes are effective. The steering is light and nimble, as would be expected of a car fitted with a comparatively light weight inline four-cylinder engine.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of all is s/n 0462MD’s exceptionally clean and clear history. The ownership chain is known from new, as are its international racing achievements. This example has avoided the substitute installation of an American V-8 powerplant, major racing incidents requiring the repairs of replacement of chassis members, and so far as we are aware, any significant body section replacement. Included with the sale of this wonderful 750 Monza is the numbers matching engine (number 0462MD), and a rebuilt spare gearbox (number MD 44). Currently fitted is a racing-prepared 3.0 litre engine by Hall and Hall, which has seen years of conscientious maintenance by GTO Engineering in the United Kingdom.

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1954 Ferrari

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