Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950 - World Of Classic Cars -

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

By 1950, Enzo Ferrari was sufficiently established enough that he was able to concentrate part of his production on the creation of an exclusive road going car. He realised that, thanks to the success that his V-12-engined racing cars had achieved, he could attract customers to buy high-performance, luxury cars, which would hopefully help fund Scuderia Ferrari’s racing activities.
When the 195 was introduced in 1950, it was the newest Ferrari in the continual evolution of the marque at the time, as it utilised a chassis that was typical of Ferrari but had two oval longerons, which were cross-braced by further oval tubing. The front suspension was by unequal length wishbones with an anti-roll bar and transverse springs. At the rear, semi-elliptical springs supported a solid rear axle, which was well-located by upper and lower pairs of radius arms. Braking was achieved by huge 12-inch, hydraulically operated aluminium drums with steel liners. Borrani wire wheels were standard, with most Inters weighing only about 2,200 pounds.

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

The 195 was introduced almost simultaneously with the 212, and it did not see a great deal of competition use, as the 212’s larger displacement offered a slight advantage. Nonetheless, any Ferrari was suitable for racing, and several 195s did very well in international competition. Giannino Marzotto, a handsome young member of Italy’s industrial aristocracy, won the Mille Miglia in 1950, and that same car led at Le Mans before being side-lined by a failed generator mount. Racing victories aside, the real purpose of the 195 Inter was to provide a suitable mount for the exquisite artistry of Ghia, Vignale, Touring, and others. Its longer wheelbase and increased power output made it ideally suited to the task.

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

Carrozzeria Ghia was, and is, one of the most famous Italian automobile design and coachbuilding companies. Between the world wars, Ghia designed special bodies for Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia, with one of the most famous being the Fiat 508 “Ballilla” Sports Coupé in 1933. The design and construction of automobile bodies for both touring and competition had been Ghia’s foundation for nearly 25 years before the Second World War broke out.
When Giacinto passed, Santina Ghia was determined to have the family name continue, so she offered what was left of her husband’s company to two of his closest associates, Giorgio Alberti and Felice Mario Boano, with the latter having been chosen as a successor by Ghia before his death.

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

The Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta presented here, chassis number 0089 S, was completed on 26 October 1950 and delivered on 16 January 1951. Soon thereafter, it was shown at the Brussels Motor Show. Afterwards, it was delivered new to Comptoir Automobiles Richard SA in Brussels and later sold to Leon Sventorghetski, better-known as Leon Sven, who was the manager of the Spa Francorchamps race circuit. The car was raced on the legendary Liège–Rome–Liège Rally in late August 1957, at the hands of De Lannoy and Henry. It is pictured racing in the book Marathon de la Route 1931–1971 by Jean-Paul Delsaux, where the car is seen wearing Belgium registration plate 57.6206.

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

Mr William D. M. Hay, of Surrey, England, acquired the car in the 1960s in Zimbabwe and had the car flown back to the UK on a British Airways flight. Whilst little is known of the interim history, it has been confirmed that the car was totally disassembled and received a full restoration by UK-based specialists Hall & Hall in 2003. At this time, it was repainted dark red with black sides.
In May 2006, it was then driven on the Mille Miglia Storica by Mr and Mrs Hay, where it wore race number 233 and British license plate 803 UXC. In May 2008, the Ferrari was acquired by Mr Fritz Neuser, of Nürburg, Germany. Later that year, Neuser sold the car to Mr Werner Schmidt, of Schmidt Gingerbread Cake fame, who was a resident of Schwaig, Germany. The car then reappeared on the Mille Miglia in 2009, being driven by Werner and Maximilian Schmidt and wearing race number 133. In 2010, the 195 Inter was shown at the Unique and Special Ones Concours d’Elegeance, held in Florance, Italy. It was subsequently put on display at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello during 2011.

Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta by Ghia 1950

As the fourth of only thirty-six Ferraris bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia, chassis number 0089 S represents one of the most important remaining examples of an early coachbuilt, road going Ferrari, and of course, it would be welcomed with open arms at the world’s most prestigious historic automotive events.