A very rare 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ by Pininfarina was sold for a record price by RM Auctions. The american haouse managed to obtain almost 10 million euros for the italian supercar (9.856.000 euros).
Combining rarity, powerful mechanical specifications, important racing history, and ravishing coachwork, 0320AM is one of three 340/375 MM works race cars that Ferrari entered at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans in its efforts to counter mount competition from Jaguar, Maserati, and Lancia. All three cars featured a brand new Pinin Farina body derived from the 250 MM design.
Both 0320AM and 0322AM were built on a late 340 MM chassis with a 2,500-millimetre wheelbase Tipo 340/MM/53, each carrying a 4.1-liter V-12 engine, whilst 0318AM rode on the same chassis type, but it was powered by a 4,494-cubic centimetre long-block Lampredi V-12 derived from the 375 Formula One cars.
In late November of 1953, this 375 was one of five Ferraris entered in the legendary Carrera Panamericana, where Enzo Ferrari showcased his cars to the North American market. With all five 375 MMs competing under the private banner of Franco Cornacchia’s Scuderia della Guastalla, 0320AM began the race driven by Mario Ricci. During the fifth stage of the Carrera, Umberto Maglioli’s 375 MM, chassis number 0358AM, lost a rear wheel, and he then got behind the wheel of Ricci’s 0320AM. He advanced the car from 8th place to a respectable 6th-place finish. Averaging an unbelievable 138 mph for 223 miles, Maglioli and 0320AM set a public road stage record that has yet to be broken. In combination with Guido Mancini’s 4th-place effort in 0322AM, Maglioli’s finish garnered enough points to propel Ferrari to the 1953 Manufacturer’s Championship. Chassis 0320AM appropriately finished the 1953 campaign with a 1st-place finish at the Circuit of Guadeloupe in December, once again driven by Maglioli.
Exhibited at the press days for the 2008 and 2010 Goodwood Festivals of Speed, this sensational Ferrari offers exceptional racing provenance that is equalled by very few sports cars of its era. It is a beautifully restored and well-documented example, and it is one of the three original factory competizione cars that ran at the 1953 Le Mans. Most notably, it is the only known Ferrari works race car to have been driven by three world champions: Alberto Ascari, Dr Nino Farina, and Mike Hawthorn. It would constitute a crowning acquisition for any significant automobile collection.
Source: Ferrari
