An irreplaceable part of the marque’s history – a Ferrari 166 Inter produced in what was only the second year of the factory’s existence – has long been ‘adopted’ by two true Ferraristi who brought it back to life and drive it still today. In rural New Zealand
Whilst recently touring New Zealand in a small fleet of Ferrari Purosangues, a group of motoring correspondents chanced upon a motoring jewel: a 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter. The convoluted life story of this specimen – serial number 007-S – was revealed only after detailed research by the car’s current custodians, Amanda and Philip, a retired couple living in New Zealand, who “adopted the 166 into our family” some 30 years ago.
See the compelling story of how this beautiful Ferrari 166 Inter ended up being adopted in New Zealand…
Hailing from the factory’s second year of existence, the 166 was a refined machine. Its all-alloy V12 engine produced high performance for its time: 110 cv at 6,500 rpm from a displacement of 2.0 litres, or 166 cc per cylinder. Hence the name.
007-S was the first 166 to carry the ‘Inter’ name. In 1949 it displayed at the Geneva Motor Show and that May raced at the Inter Europa Cup at Monza. Early serial numbers reserved ‘odd’ digits for road cars, with ‘even’ ones for racers, making 007-S the fourth Ferrari road car ever built. 001-S and 003-S are sadly lost forever, and 005-S sits in the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena, making this particular gem in rural New Zealand the oldest road-going Ferrari in the world.
Above: the 166 Inter, chassis n.007-S, powering along the South Island’s beautiful coastal roads
By July ’49 the car had found its first owner, in Genoa, then a second, in Florence, in 1951. Its third custodian was Pietro Barbetti who, despite its ‘odd’ serial number, raced 007-S in the 1952 Mille Miglia, finishing 20th in class. In 1953 Henry Bartecchi, a US Army captain stationed in Italy, acquired the 166, with which he had both success and misfortune, including a month in hospital after a hillclimbing crash. Repairs took their toll on the notchback body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. So, when 007-S crossed the Atlantic in 1954 to reside with Bob McKinsey, the wealthy American lawyer had the body separated from the chassis to complete repairs. But the project stalled. The body sat forlornly in a field for almost two years until Thomas Wiggins came along in 1956. Wiggins made the tough decision to ditch the Touring body due to its terrible state.
But it would be another 15 years before Wiggins succeeded in finding a suitable shell, a coupé body that was one of only five made for Ferrari by Stabilimenti Farina, the Turin coachbuilder founded by Giovanni Farina whose brother, Battista, was ‘the’ Battista who would go on to establish the renowned Pininfarina. The Farina body, itself salvaged from a 166 chassis fallen upon hard times in the United States, needed careful restoration. The sheer scale of the endeavour resulted in the project stalling again. For 23 long years. In 1994 Wiggins finally abandoned his driving dream.
Above: the traditional timber garage that houses the 166 Inter also contains a library overflowing with mementos, books and historic documentation
That is where Amanda comes into the story. She and husband ‘Phips’ already owned two 1966 Ferrari models – a 330 GT and a 330 GTC – when they came across a magazine ad for the 166 Inter shortly after having relocated to New Zealand from Alaska. After six months of negotiations what finally arrived was a rolling chassis with an engine and a loose body shell. Plus five timber crates filled with a variety of parts.
From left: Amanda in the driving seat of her 166 Inter; orange Bakelite highlights in the interior include the original starting key; the 1949 Yearbook, and the car’s original technical manual
Amanda and Phips called in a specialist restoration workshop which confirmed most of the original engine components were indeed still useable. With the restoration finally complete in 1997, the couple realised a long-held dream of taking the car back to its roots. An airline sponsored the 166’s transport to Rome, from where Amanda and Phips drove all the way to Emilia-Romagna where their car featured prominently in Maranello’s half-century celebrations.
Above: Amanda and her beloved ‘Glacier Blue’ Ferrari
Since then, the couple have covered over 50,000 kilometres in their beloved 166 Inter and remain as passionate about it today as when it first arrived all those years ago. “We’re not precious about driving her,” Amanda says. “We’ve never worried too much about showing the car at events. We like to share the car with people by driving it.”
The 166 has taken part in hillclimb events all over New Zealand, and even at its advanced age remains highly useable. Nestled in its large Alaskan-style timber garage located in a picturesque, verdant landscape, this resplendent 166 Inter is a four-wheeled testament to the dedication shown by Amanda and Phips, two true Ferraristi, whose affection for 007-S has preserved a piece of irreplaceable motoring history for future generations to enjoy and admire.
Cover image: the rare Ferrari 166 Inter that left the Maranello gates in 1948. Its gently curved profile is set against the snow capped mountains of New Zealand’s magical coastline, north of Christchurch
THIS STORY WAS TAKEN FROM ISSUE 63 OF THE OFFICIAL FERRARI MAGAZINE