THE 250 EUROPA

The introduction of the 250 Europa at the Paris Motor Show in late 1953, marked a major milestone in the development of Ferrari as a series-production manufacturer. Realizing that a degree of production uniformity was essential for profitability, Ferrari launched its seminal 250 GT series. As the distinguished first installment of the long running 250 GT, the Europa generally wore elegant high-waisted coachwork by Pinin Farina and was powered by a 200-bhp Lampredi V-12, derived from the larger engine found in the America models.

Ferrari introduced a second series in late 1954, named the 250 Europa GT, the most notable change being a new Colombo V-12 powerplant that developed an additional 20 horsepower over the original Lampredi unit. This new engine became the workhorse for the remaining 250 GT iterations, powering some of the most notable and revered Ferraris ever built. Referred to as the Europa GT, as its chassis numbers featured a GT suffix rather than the first series’ EU designation, the 250 Europa GT was made in a small quantity of roughly just 34 examples. Today it remains an exceedingly rare and highly collectible benchmark of Italy’s greatest sports car company.

CHASSIS NUMBER 0377 GT

The 11th of 43 total examples produced, this 250 Europa GT, chassis number 0377 GT, was completed with its handsome coupe bodywork by Pinin Farina on 26 November 1954. Equipped with three Weber 36 DZ3 carburetors, the car was originally finished in the rather striking color combination of Azzurro (Duco 4354) with a Grigio (MM 15702) roof and beige leather interior, as it appears today.

The factory delivered the Ferrari in January 1955, through Luigi Chinetti Motors, to original owner Jan de Vroom. A beneficiary of Margaret Rockefeller de Larrain and her husband Raymond, De Vroom was a silent partner and major financial backer to Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART), as well as an avid amateur Ferrari racing driver of the period, often co-driving with partner George Arents. He was described by Dominick Dunne in Vanity Fair as “a tall, blond adventurer who dominated drawing rooms by sheer force of personality rather than good looks.” Reportedly, he maintained this Ferrari in the South of France, where one of his several homes was located.

In 1970 the car was imported to the United States by a new owner in Houston, Texas. It was sold through John Delamater to architect and noted early Ferrari collector Ken Hutchison of Tower Lake, Illinois, next passing to George Rummel. In the 1980s it was acquired by well-known vintage racer and collector Dennis Machul of Oak Brook, Illinois. Mr. Machul had the car fully restored to its present appearance, in burgundy with a tan leather interior, and memorably registered it in Illinois as SCUZA. He displayed the car at several Midwestern events and drove it in the 1991 Copperstate 1000 and Colorado Grand. It was also photographed by the late Nicky Wright for his book, Ferrari: The Enduring Legend (pp. 30–33), and appeared as a color feature in Cavallino, number 68 (pp. 29–31), pictured without its bumpers.

The current owner acquired the car in the early 1990s. It has been exhibited only once in that time, at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance in 1997, while otherwise maintained in a private collection. Overall the previous restoration has been quite well preserved, with good chrome and an interior that appears tight, fresh, and virtually new. Inspection indicates that the steering box is a correct replacement unit. The odometer at the time of cataloguing reflected 4,236 miles, and a correct full-size spare is housed in the trunk. Most recently the car benefitted from a fresh repaint in its original and fetching color combination of Azzurro with a Grigio top.

Presented with elegant flair in its original and unusual color combination, this handsome 250 Europa GT represents the dawn of an important era of Ferrari road car production. Its current availability offers a rare opportunity for the serious Ferrari collector to acquire an indelible piece of a Maranello legend.