The barn-find that competed at Le Mans
The story of this Ferrari 340 America is long, winding and incredible. Originally designed by Giovanni Michelotti, lead designer for Alfredo Vignale, this Ferrari is finished in French racing blue with No. 14 livery adorning its flowing coachwork. It is powered by a 4.1 litre V12 engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. Originally designed for its intended purpose of sports car racing, Andre Simon and Lucien Vincent finished fifth in this car at the 1952 24 hours of Le Mans, with Vincent also competing in the car at Montlhéry in France that same year.
After its European run of racing was complete, the 340 America was exported to the United States via Luigi Chinetti, who is reputed to have sold the car to defence attorney Bill Galvin. As the 1950s wound down, Paul Owens of Texas purchased the car and installed a Chevrolet V-8 engine. Remember, the 340 America was a race car that, like all other race cars, was considered disposable. The goal for a car like this was simply to go fast, not stay true to provenance. After the original Vignale coachwork was damaged in an accident, the Ferrari was fitted with custom open coachwork resembling the 1956 Bangert Manta Ray. This body was reported to have been damaged in a transporting accident, after which the Devin Spider fibreglass body was fitted. Such indignities were not uncommon at the time, but they seem shocking through the lens of history. The Ferrari’s original engine was then sold by a Chicago-area resident. In 1963, Chassis No. 0202A was titled in Salt Lake City before it fell of the radar screen for decades.
Automobile enthusiasts have dreamed for years about coming upon the ultimate barn find; Chassis No. 0202A is that car. Drag racer Mike Sanfilippo purchased the 340 America in 1990 for the pittance of $200. After originally planning to cut up the chassis to make a Hot Wheels-type dragster out of the body, Sanfilippo thought better and the car sat mostly undisturbed for several years. He had no idea that beneath the Devin bodywork lay the bones of a precious Ferrari.
In 2006, automotive restoration expert Tom Shaughnessy of San Clemente, California, purchased what was listed as a vintage Devin sports car on eBay for $26,912. It was Shaughnessy’s plan to restore the Devin to its former glory, but he was in for a big surprise. After taking a closer look at the car, Shaughnessy and Ferrari expert Hilary Rabb soon found out that underneath the fibreglass Devin bodywork lay a genuine competition Ferrari—one of just 475 produced from 1948 to 1974, nearly all of which are known to the Ferrari world.
From there, the discoveries only got better. Thanks to Ferrari expert Marcel Massini, Chassis No. 0202A was verified to be one of only 24 examples of the 340 America built. It also has the provenance of racing in Europe, including the world’s most famous sports car race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After this regal history was revealed, it became clear to Shaughnessy that he would need to spend hundreds of thousands dollars to restore the car to its former glory, and the renowned restoration experts at Ferrari Classiche undertook the task of meticulously returning 0202A to its proper form.
Mecum Auctions will be offering this beautiful 1952 Ferrari 340 America at their upcoming Kissimmee auction held between the 7th-17th January 2021. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below.
Photos: © Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.