In 1948, a car similiar to this won the famous Italian Mille Miglia (1000 mile) road race.
Ferrari celebrated the event by dubbing the car the MM. The 166 MM was the first car that Enzo
Ferrari produced for direct sale to the public. A total of 47 were ultimately made in a number of different body styles.
This version is called the Barchetta because its lines so closely resemble those of a small boat. The body of the Barchetta was designed by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. They developed a special construction system called the superleggera in which a thin aluminum skin was shaped over an independent support frame made of small metal tubes. This allowed the car's exterior to be constructed as a single unbroken unit.
The result is one of the most subtle and beautiful of all Ferraris. The design is suave, elegant, understated - the epitome of classic Italian style; every detail has been thought through to produce a light and harmonious whole. Notice, for example, the unbroken line that skims along the flanks of the car, swoops and flares under the headlamps, rises over the grill, and then flows back down the other side.
August 19, 2012, 2:11 pm
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