1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale
In late 1953 Ferrari commissioned Vignale to create bodies for two of the early 250 Europa chassis as a bid for eventual series production. At the Paris Motor Show, the very first Europa, 0295EU, was built alongside the new Ferraris from Pinin Farina. Much more complex than their Pinin Farina counterparts, Vignale’s cars had many unique and controversial details. This might explain why they were some of the very last Ferraris produced by Vignale.
At the time, Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale & C. had an established relationship with Ferrari after replacing Touring Superleggera in 1950 as Ferrari’s main coach builder. Many of Ferrari’s top competition cars were bodied by Vignale including the 340 America which won the 1951 Mille Miglia outright.
For the Paris Motor Show, Giovanni Michelotti of Vignale used a design with sloping fastback profile that was typical of their coupes at the time. The front of the car had a large egg crate grill and lowered headlights which was first introduced with the 340 Mexico competition cars. Some scoops and louvres from the competition cars also made their way onto our feature car: 0313EU.
After Paris, both of Vignale’s show cars were sold new to the United States and 0313EU was displayed at the New York Auto Show in red with a black roof. By 1960, 0313EU had lost its original engine to an American V8 and the bumpers were removed. Painted red, it was retained in California for its entire life until being resurrected by Tom Shaughnessy in 2003.
By 2009 Ferrari collector Mr. Heinrich Kämpfer agreed to take on the project after completing 0327AL, a similar Vignale Coupe built on the 375 America chassis. During the four year project he returned the car back to the original Lechleroid colors of Tobacco 1039 with a Bruno Siena 1118 roof. The result was first revealed at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale Gallery
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250 Europa Coupé Vignale Specs & Performances
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | Turin, Italy |
| body stylist | Giovanni Michelotti |
| coachbuilder | Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale & C. |
| production | 2 |
| engine | V12 |
| valvetrain | SOHC 2 Valves / Cyl |
| displacement | 2963 cc / 180.8 in³ |
| bore | 68 mm / 2.68 in |
| stroke | 68 mm / 2.68 in |
| compression | 8.5:1 |
| power | 149.1 kw / 199.9 bhp @ 6300 rpm |
| specific output | 67.47 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 173.83 bhp per tonne |
| driven wheels | Front Engine |
| front brakes | Hydraulic Drums |
| rear brakes | Hydraulic Drums |
| steering | Worm & Wheel |
| curb weight | 1150 kg / 2535 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2800 mm / 110.2 in |
| front track | 1325 mm / 52.2 in |
| rear track | 1320 mm / 52.0 in |
| length | 2800 mm / 110.2 in |
| width | 1325 mm / 52.2 in |
| height | 1320 mm / 52.0 in |
| transmission | 4-Speed Manual |
| top speed | ~218 kph / 135.5 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~5.9 seconds |
| 0 – 100 mph | ~15.5 seconds |
250 Europa Coupé Vignale Auction Sales History
1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale 0313EU – sold for $2,805,000 One-off, 1954 New York Auto Show car. Unique Coachbuilt Ferrari. One-off Michelotti design for Vignale. Exacting restoration with extreme attention to detail. Ferrari Classiche Certified.Award winner at 2012 Concorso Villa d’Este. Auction Source: 2013 Quail Lodge Auction by Bonhams
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