Racing cars lead abusive lives. Let’s get that fact out of the way now. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and even in the hands of a caring owner who is meticulous about maintenance and upkeep, the simple rigors of going out onto the track and doing battle take their toll on the chassis over the years. By the time it’s all said and done, the car has given everything it has and it is time for the owner to move on to the next ride. It’s a sad fate for most, really, but there are the lucky few that do get their second chance, either due to their fame or due to their pedigree. Take Robert A. Phillips, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, and his Scaglietti-bodied 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II. The car had been raced in Venezuela and the United States, but by 1960 it had been relegated to the back of a Rambler dealership with a seized differential and had been sitting there, gathering dust. This isn’t a V-12 or even a V-8 powered Ferrari…the Mondial was powered by a 170 horsepower 2.oL inline-four Lampredi engine. A five-year-old, four cylinder Ferrari with a broken rear axle and years of racetrack abuse might have been worth a little coin back in the day, but compared to where the values sit now, the Admiral made a wise choice. Yet he sees the even higher value in the Mondial than the jaw-dropping auction results. Check out this beautiful Petrolicious film and let him explain what I mean here:
Thumbs up to him for keeping it real!
Even a 4cyl Ferrari sounds good! Then again what Ferrari sounds bad?