Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider

The 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider, chassis 0426MD, is a remarkable example of Ferrari’s dedication to lightweight, high-performance racing cars. Designed by Pininfarina, this right-hand-drive (RHD) spyder was built as a factory Scuderia Ferrari race car and finished in classic red with a tan interior. Featuring chassis type 504 and engine type 110, the car was powered by a 2.0-liter Lampredi inline-four, producing around 170 horsepower, making it highly competitive in the under 2.0-liter sports racing category. In its early racing career, 0426MD competed under the Scuderia Ferrari banner, with Franco Cortese and Perrucchi driving. It debuted at the Coppa della Toscana on April 11, 1954, finishing 19th overall and 2nd in class (S2.0). A few weeks later, the same pairing took part in the prestigious Mille Miglia (May 1-2, 1954), securing 14th overall and 4th in class while wearing race number #516 and carrying the registration “MI 444 (prova)”. Cortese continued racing the car, finishing 3rd overall at the 3 Hours of Bari on May 22, 1954. In 1955, Dr. Augusto Caraceni of Rome purchased 0426MD, and by 1957, it passed through the hands of Ferrari dealer Gastone Crepaldi before being sold to Alessandro Marchetti. That same year, Alfredo Vaccari drove it in the Mille Miglia (May 11-12, 1957), finishing 50th overall and 7th in class (S2.0) under race number #509, registered as “BS 61389”. By 1960, the car was owned by Jean Luigi Sacardo of Vicenza, who repainted it white with blue vertical stripes on the front fenders. Later, it became part of the collection of Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi, a well-known figure in Italian motorsport. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, 0426MD passed through various Italian collectors, including Roland Leirer, Giulio Dubbini, and his son Federico Dubbini. In 1995, the car found its way to the United States, purchased by Mark Ketcham of San Francisco, who entered it in the Tour de France Auto. It was then offered for sale at $600,000 in December 1995 before returning to Italy under Giuseppe Calgaro in 1996. Over the following decade, 0426MD continued its active participation in historic racing events, including multiple entries in the Mille Miglia (1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006) and the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco in 1997. In 2010, the car won 1st in Class at the Uniques Special Ones Concours d’Elegance in Florence, an award recognizing its exceptional originality and historical significance. In 2012, it was acquired by Leslie Wexner of New Albany, Ohio, via Laurent Auxietre and Axel Urban, adding another chapter to the history of this exquisite Ferrari racing spyder.