Ferrari 250 MM Vignale

The Ferrari 250 MM Vignale, chassis number 0334MM, stands as a particularly unique example among Ferrari’s 250 MM Berlinettas. While most of these vehicles were produced by Pininfarina, each an extraordinary feat of automotive engineering, the Vignale 250 MM Berlinetta, designed by Giovanni Michelotti, holds a special allure. Only 13 Vignale 250 MMs were ever built: 12 Barchettas and a single Berlinetta – this one. Ordered initially by Swiss gentleman and racing driver Karl Lanz, the Berlinetta was delivered to his home in Bern in the spring of 1954. With its long bonnet and curvaceous rear, it must have been quite a sight, even in this affluent Swiss city renowned for its international flair and elegance. In August 1954, the Ferrari was entered into the gruelling Liège-Rome-Liège Rally. The Lanz/Sägesser pairing claimed class victory, a grand success for its first owner. Remarkably, no mechanical troubles were reported during the rally. Following this triumph, the Vignale 250 MM was sold through an advertisement in Automobil Revue to Peter Monteverdi in 1956 for 10,000 Swiss francs, with his Porsche 356 as a trade-in. Monteverdi, a racing driver, car dealer, and founder of the automobile marque Monteverdi, adored the car. He used it in hill climbs, rallies, and slaloms, and had it painted bronze with a black roof. In 1957, he became the first official Swiss importer for Ferrari, a position he held until a falling out with Enzo Ferrari around 1969. Monteverdi went on to sell Jensens and eventually built his own cars. After passing through a few more Swiss owners, pioneer classic car dealer Rob de la Rive Box found the car advertised for sale and purchased it for trade from an industrialist in Rapperswil for 20,000 francs in 1975. According to Schouwenburg, the seller was the director and owner of an important factory near Lake Constance. The car, which had participated in the Liège-Rome-Liège Rally and won the Concorso d’Eleganza di Stresa in 1957, was very dear to him. He used it regularly from 1966 to about 1969. Since the mid-1980s, the Ferrari 250 0334MM has been well maintained in a family collection in Germany, preserving its legacy and remarkable history.