Ferrari 290 MM

Information

Beginning life as a 290 MM, the car raced three times for Scuderia Ferrari in the 1956 season. It was then loaned to the Equipe Nationale Belge team in Belgium for use in the 1957 season (where it raced on seven occasions) and Gotfrid Koechert in Austria for use in 1958 (two races). Subsequently, the factory retained the car for testing purposes.

In 1959, Brazilian racer Chico Landi wanted to purchase a 250 Testa Rossa from Ferrari but with a transaxle, as fitted to the Works cars. No customer cars were available, so Ferrari pulled the 290 MM out of storage, fitted it with a spare 3-litre Testa Rossa engine and sold it to him as a 250 Testa Rossa. The car raced across Brazil throughout 1960, passing through numerous owners, until it came into the hands of Aguinaldo Goes, who it is believed raced it only once.

On 20th May 1962, Goes entered the car into the 'Festival Automobilistico ACESP' at Interlagos but was unable to drive himself due to ill health. Instead, he loaned the car to Fernando Mafra Moreira, who raced under the pseudonym 'Rio Negro'. On the second lap, Moreira lost control at Turn 1, crashing into the eucalyptus trees that lined the track. The car was torn in two and Moreira was killed instantly.

The rear portion of the chassis escaped rather unscathed and was gifted to Camillo Christófaro (a nephew of Chico Landi), who built a 'special' out of it, using a new front chassis section and a V8 engine. He raced it for a few years before other projects took priority.

In 1986, English-domiciled Italian Stefano Sebastiani purchased a collection of parts (rear chassis frame, suspension and transaxle, plus others), thinking it was the remains of 250 Testa Rossa chassis 0726TR. He began a restoration of '0726TR', using a reconstructed front chassis portion, new aluminium body and 3-litre 250 GT V12 engine.

In 1991, the reconstructed '0726TR' was sold to John Godfrey, who, upon researching the history further, concluded that what he had purchased was in fact the 290 MM/250 TR. This left him with a car that had a 250 Testa Rossa-type front chassis portion and was incorrectly left-hand-drive. However, ill health meant that he never got to restore the car correctly and he passed away in early 1998.

Remaining with his widow Joan for five years, it was subsequently purchased by the current owner, who commissioned Neil Twyman Ltd. to restore it to the specification in which it was sold to Chico Landi in 1959, and in its Brazillian racing livery. This involved constructing a new body (using Les Wexner's 290 MM chassis 0626MM as a template). The owner has subsequently shown it at concours events across the world.