Unloading Dana Mecum's 1954 Ferrari Monza at Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Ferrari 250 Monza Prototype, 1954/1959 Oct. 13, 2021, 2:07 PM, Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga TN (Video ©2021 Ronald W Williams) I shot this video on my iPhone 7 as my wife and I were walking behind the Chattanooga Convention Center where the cars were being unloaded for the Mecum Auction in Chattanooga on Oct. 15 and 16 as part of The 2021 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. The man in the foreground with the Mecum shirt told me that this car was Dana Mecum’s personal car. I overheard him telling the other Mecum worker that he was glad to get the car off the truck! When he told me that this car is valued at $35,000,000, I understood why he was glad to get it off the truck! This is the most beautiful automobile I have ever seen! Ron Williams The following is from the Mecum website: Description Chassis type 504 Engine type 11/ (engine described on assembly sheets as ”Prototipo 250/GT”) Gearbox type 50 1/279 internal #6/MD Pinin Farina Job #12594 The Prototipo 3.0L short-block Colombo V-12 engine in 0432M was the prototype for the 250/GT, thus the basis for the 250 GT Tour de France, 250 Testa Rossa, 250 SWB and 250 GTO. This is a very important engine in Ferrari’s history. This new engine helped usher in a romantic golden era of touring/racing success that has helped make Ferrari the world’s most powerful brand to this day. April 12, 1954 Engine completed by mechanic Baldi, supervised by foreman Franchini April 13, 1954 Engine tested by foreman Storchi April 28, 1954 Gearbox completed by mechanic Frigeri, supervised by foreman Franchini *May 12, 1954 Completed by Pinin Farina for Scuderia Ferrari May 13, 1954 Chassis completed by foreman Franchini Maurice Trintignant was one of the top drivers in the world from 1953-55. In 1953, he finished 1st in class at The 24 Hours of Le Mans. On June 5, 1954, Trintignant won the the 12 Hours of Hyeres and would go on to win 1st overall for Ferrari at The 24 Hours of Le Mans just one week later. This shows how important it was for Ferrari to make a statement with its new engine by enlisting one of the world’s top drivers to pilot 0432M for its first race. The 1954 12 Hours of Hyeres marks the first win in competition for the new 250/GT Prototipo 3.0L Colombo V-12 engine, the short-block replacement for the Lampredi long-block V-12. June 3, 1954 Delivered to preferred Ferrari client Luigi Piotti, Italy, as a Ferrari 250 Monza PF Spyder *June 5, 1954 Raced at 12 Hours of Hyeres by Scuderia Ferrari factory driver Maurice Trintignant and Luigi Piotti, race #6, placed 1st June 20, 1954 Raced at Shell Gran Premio dell’Autodromo di Imola by Giulio Musitelli, race #38, placed 2nd June 27, 1954 Raced at Il GP Supercortemaggiore at Monza by Luigi Piotti and Robert Manzon, race #54, placed 11th Conjecture is that 0432M was traded on the first 250 GT Tour de France Chassis No. 0503 by Erasmo Simeoni (Kammamuri). While there is no document to prove this, it is a fact that 0432M was back at Ferrari and Simeoni was in 0503 by May 1957 for the Mille Miglia. August 8, 1954 Raced at the Giro di Calabria by Luigi Piotti, race #24, placed 1st April 30/May 1, 1955 Raced at the Mille Miglia by Erasmo Simeoni (Kammamuri), race #717, placed 15th May 29, 1955 Raced at the at Il GP Supercortemaggiore at Monza by Erasmo Simeoni (Kammamuri), race #58, placed 3rd A World Sports Car racing rules change stipulated 3.0 liters as the maximum displacement for engines. Ferrari had three cars in house with 3.0L engines, chassis No. 0666, 0704 and 0432M. 1956/57 0432M goes back to Ferrari *1957 Ferrari recommissions 0432M to Carrozzeria Scaglietti for new Pontoon-fender coachwork. *1959 0432M is delivered to the U.S. in 1959 as a direct sale from Ferrari to Luigi Chinetti in white with blue stripe NART livery. It is first marketed in the U.S. as a 1959 Ferrari. This is at the same period of time that 0666, the first prototype Testa Rossa, and 0704, the second prototype Testa Rossa, are also recommissioned. 1960 Jeff Scott purchases 0432M and proceeds to race it at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut as a 1959 Ferrari. 1961 0432M is listed in March 1961 issue of “Road and Track” magazine as a 1959 Ferrari Super Monza. Early 1960s Jeff Scott sells 0432M to Wayne Sigmund, with no specific date of sale confirmed. Early 1960s Wayne Sigmund sells the car to Ferrari collector Jack Reuter, August 5, 1968 Sold by Jack Reuter to Ken Hutchison, 1986 Sold by Ken Hutchison to Peter Sachs. 1992 Sold by Peter Sachs to Antoine Midy. 1998 Sold by Antoine Midy through a broker to Peter Agg. 1999 Sold by Peter Agg through auction to Jack Croul. 2012 Sold by Jack Croul to Dana and Patti Mecum. * These are the most important dates in the history of 0432M.

Added 3 Jun 2026