1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta |
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 Bodied by Pininfarina in classic Berlinetta style with oval egg-crate grille, brake cooling scoops over the rear wheel arches, hood tie-downs and sliding lightweight plexiglass windows, the powerful, compact and lightweight 250 MMs were ideal competitors for both long-distance races and shorter hillclimb events. In typical Ferrari fashion, the engines had been tuned to give twenty-five or so more horsepower than the MM’s predecessor, the 250S. They now produced a reliable 240 horsepower at 7,200 rpm. The 250 MM formed the backbone of both the factory and several privateers’ racing activities for the 1953 season. One car was prepared for the 1953 Mille Miglia event to be driven by Giovanni Bracco. The car shown here, 0256MM, is that car. 0256MM’s chassis was delivered to Pinin Farina on January 31, 1953. Ten weeks later, on April 24, it was driven down the ramp in Brescia by the chain-smoking Bracco, partnered with his ’52 MM co-driver Rolfo. While lying sixth at Pescara, the back axle failed and the car was retired. Later, 0256MM was assigned to Eugenio Castelotti with the following results: Targa Florio: DNF; Trofeo della Sardegna: DNF, Varese: 1st; Monza: 5th; Bolzano-Mendola hillclimb: 1st. Castelotti purchased the car from the factory and went on to compete with it, taking a notable win in the Messina 10 Hours. 0256MM is unusual among early competition Ferraris in that its history is continuous and unblemished by serious racing accidents. Its only major component to be replaced during its racing life was its back axle, due to its failure in Bracco’s 1953 Mille Miglia run. The axle fitted following the Mille Miglia failure, Number 039CA, has remained with the car throughout its subsequent career, making it completely as prepared by the Scuderia for Castelotti’s entry in the 1953 Targa Florio and subsequent events. SCM Analysis
And even though named for the Ferrari victory in the Mille Miglia, none of the 250 MMs entered for the 1953 run made it to the finish. (A few MMs did finish in ’54, though.) During the early ’50s, Ferrari was making major inroads in the international competition scene with his small-bore Berlinettas. Good finishes in Mexico and on the continent provided just the kind of press that a small manufacturer of expensive GT cars would need to succeed. The MM model was not a true production car in the way the later 250s (probably beginning with the Europa) would become. However, with its aggressive stance and styling, the MM showed Ferrari the direction his customer cars would go for the next decade. Prompted by the disasters at the 1955 Le Mans event and serious accidents at the Mille Miglia and in Mexico, the FIA put a cap on engine displacement at three liters in 1958, solidifying the 250 series’ role for the following years. The combination of the superb 3-liter Columbo V12, coupled with the new 2400-mm wheelbase, was good enough to be carried all the way through to the 250 SWB and 250 GTO. Most enthusiasts and all auctioneers are well aware of the fact that Ferrari prices are on the move. This steady rise can be felt most strongly when the sale prices of real, no-excuses cars are examined. History is as important as originality in the price equation. It may be hard for many of us to realize now, but the Mille Miglia was the equal of Le Mans in both prestige and fame during its tenure. The moniker “MM car” usually means pure gold for a car’s value and it adds even more luster to a Ferrari. The lack of major racing incidents means that this example has likely survived with its original coachwork, a rarity in these early, hard-run cars. All of these factors, combined with a Bob Smith restoration described as superb, explain this car’s strong showing on the block. Purchased by a knowledgeable and seasoned collector, this car, even at $300K above our Price Guide, was a deal in today’s market. Simply put, the number of superb examples of no-stories Ferraris is fixed, and the number of collectors with deep pockets, who want only the best, is increasing. So long as the economy continues to be strong, it doesn’t take someone with a Ph.D. in economics to forecast what is going to happen to this segment of the market.—Michael Duffey |