The Ferrari 166 MM is undoubtedly one of the most important cars in Ferrari’s early history. It was named in the Ferrari tradition: after the displacement of one of its cylinders, 166 cc, and “MM” after the Mille Miglia, the famous 1,600-kilometre race on Italian roads.
Developed as a long-distance racing car, it won the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Le Mans and was instrumental in making Ferrari (and still is) a globally respected racing and sports car manufacturer. Powered by a Colombo V12 engine sending power to the rear wheels and built on a steel Superleggera frame, just 25 were built – making it almost impossible to own one today.
Superleggera was a method of body construction developed by Carrozzeria Touring, using a frame of thin steel tubes which was fixed to the chassis. To this frame the lightweight aluminium alloy body panels were then fixed. It was a method not unlike the way fabric was stretched over a wooden frame in the construction of early aircraft, resulting in a strong and light structure, hence the name,
Since most mortals will never be able to own a Ferrari 166 MM (with 35 major race wins under its belt), what do you think of this? This is a 1:2 scale wireframe sculpture of the Ferrari 166 MM. It was made by Allegretti from Modenaa company run by Mario Allegretti, a Modena-based coachbuilder who worked on the Maserati 250F and A6GS in the 1950s, before making bodies for the Ferrari 250 chassis.
When he wasn’t making actual car bodies, Allegretti was doing some interesting artistic projects. One example is the series of large-scale wire sculptures (this one is two metres long) like the one illustrated here. He continued making them until the 1980s.
This Ferrari 166 MM sculpture is original by Allegretti de Modène, finished in red and featuring the racing number “22” on each door and the boot lid. Inside you’ll find a pair of single seats and a steering wheel, it also has Brooklands-style headlights, taillights and twin windscreens.
This unusual piece of art was sold a few days ago in Napa, California, for $6,500. It might be bought by a Ferrari collector, but it would also make a great display item in any dealership. Where would you put it?
