During a recent tour in New Zealand, journalists participating in the adventure, aboard a fleet of Ferrari Purosangue vehicles, encountered a 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter. We’re talking about a historical gem with immense cultural value. The car they encountered is, in fact, the oldest road-going Ferrari in the world, except for one from the same family displayed in the Maranello museum.
Ferrari 166 Inter: the oldest Prancing Horse car is found in New Zealand
This particular specimen has had a troubled life, but its current owners, who have been preserving it for about 30 years, have restored it to its former glory. They often use it in and out of events to share their passion with others.
The chassis is identified by the code 007-S. The odd number distinguishes it from racing cars, which are associated with even numbers. Specifically, this is the fourth example in the series, but since the first two were destroyed and the third belongs to the parent company, we can say that this is the oldest road-going Ferrari in private hands existing in the world. It was also the first 166 to bear the “Inter” designation.
The Touring bodywork that adorns the tubular steel trellis chassis is splendid. The Glacier Blue color seems perfect to enhance its features. With this creation, the current owners accompanied the journalists engaged in the New Zealand tour with the Purosangue for a few kilometers.
The Ferrari 166 Inter is a highly prized historic car that has carved out an important space in the history of the Italian brand. In the numerical code of its designation, the unitary displacement is highlighted, following an identification criterion recurring in the history of the Maranello car manufacturer. The 166 was the first road car to use the Prancing Horse logo.
Under the hood, it houses a 2-liter V12 engine capable of developing a maximum power of 110 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. The vehicle’s performance is incredible, also thanks to its light weight, which registers 800 kg on the scale, due to the use of aluminum for the bodywork.