When the history of a car is written in sheet metal ...
We are used to seeing superbly restored racing cars from the fifties or sixties, immaculate, as they probably never looked at the time, and impressive in their beauty and efficiency.
However, only a few are allowed to inspect the old aluminum sheet metal that has survived the test of time and shows many traces of an eventful history.
The scraps of sheet metal shown here come from a Ferrari sports car, more precisely from a Ferrari 375 Plus from 1954 (0834 AM), with which Maglioli almost won the 1954 Mille Miglia and which brought Gonzales to the podium at Silverstone.
When the car competed in the 1957 Cuban Grand Prix under Howard Hively, it was repainted in the Cuban racing colors that can still be seen on the salvaged sheet metal.
In summer 2014, someone will be able to bid for the fully restored Ferrari 375 Plus with chassis number 0834 AM when Bonhams offers the unique racing car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
And they will not only receive the car, but also all the salvaged original parts, including the fuel tank, several wheels, half a sheet metal dress, four monumentally large brake drums and a replacement engine.
The only question the new owner then has to ask himself is whether he should put the unrestored tin dress or the as-new car in his living room. They are both artistic sculptures ...
We will, of course, be reporting on the car in more detail.
