Ferrari 166 Inter Spider Corsa Fontana

The Ferrari 166 Inter Spider Corsa bearing chassis number 012I represents one of the earliest and most eventful examples in Ferrari’s postwar competition history. Originally constructed in May 1948 as a 166 Inter Spyder Corsa by Ansaloni for Scuderia Ferrari, it was among the first Ferrari sports cars to transition from pre-war Alfa Romeo underpinnings to Ferrari’s proprietary V12-powered platforms. Originally equipped with engine number 012I, the car received a replacement engine (022I) by June 1948. It debuted at the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti in July 1948, where Bruno Sterzi and Enzo Monari secured 9th overall and 5th in the 2.0-litre class. Notable results followed at the Coppa Acerbo in Pescara (2nd OA) and Coppa Gallenga hillclimb (1st IC) with Giovanni Bracco. In 1949, Bracco and co-driver Umberto Maglioli campaigned the car extensively, starting with the Giro di Sicilia and the GP San Remo, followed by the Mille Miglia, where they failed to finish. Nevertheless, Bracco scored three consecutive hillclimb victories in May and June 1949 and placed 3rd OA at the Bolzano-Mendola. The vehicle endured an accident at the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti that July but returned to finish 2nd OA at the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo and win the Pontedecimo-Giovi. By late 1949, the chassis was rebodied by Carrozzeria Fontana as a barchetta and repainted red. Now in the hands of Count Vittorio Marzotto, the car was updated with a 2.0-litre “195” specification engine and resumed competitive use. Marzotto, often paired with Paolo Fontana, competed in the 1950 Mille Miglia, Giro di Sicilia, and several hillclimbs. In 1951, the car received a roof and a 2.5-litre engine. It continued to race under various drivers including Eugenio Castellotti, the Mancini brothers, Franco Comotti, and Froilan González, before becoming a privateer entry in hillclimbs and circuit events into the mid-1950s. In later years, the car underwent multiple restorations. Its provenance includes significant collectors such as Jacques Thuysbaert, Jean Zanchi, and Les Wexner. By 2020, it had returned to active historic participation, appearing in events like the Mille Miglia and Ferrari Cavalcade Classiche, and remains an important artefact of early Ferrari competition history.