Gilding the lily

RM Sotheby’s, Monte Carlo, Monaco 12 May

we have a particular fondness for the work of Ghia and, had we been in the market for a Ferrari 195 Inter Coupé back in 1950, the Torinese coachbuilder – by that time run by Felice Mario Boano – would unquestionably have been given the job of dressing the chassis.

Vignale, Touring and Motto were also engaged to craft bodywork for the Inter, of which 27 were built by Ferrari, but Ghia’s offering was the pick of the bunch, beautifully proportioned and more stately than sporty.

It would not have occurred to us, it is safe to say, to have a bash at modifying a Ghiabodied Inter, but that is exactly what the first private owner of chassis 0113 S did. And against all odds, the result was not half bad.

The man so sure of his ability to improve upon Ghia’s classic lines was Alfonso Scimé, who acquired 0113 S in June of 1951, paying 2.5 million Lira for his ‘project car’.

The Inter had been ordered new with triple Weber 36 DCF 3 carburettors, and the aesthetic alterations made on Scimé’s watch seem to have been intended to give the car a more modern, high-performance look.

At the back the most notable tweak is to the glass, which wraps around the body, almost meeting the rear wings and no doubt offering excellent visibility. At the front the nose is much lower than standard; as a result the large, vaguely Aston-like grille has been dramatically reshaped; the lights and bumper are altered; and atop the bonnet is a neat scoop.

Scimé was sufficiently pleased with his custom Inter that he kept it until 1958, and the dealer who took the car off his hands seemingly had no trouble finding somebody else to appreciate it: it was quickly exported to Los Angeles, and remained there with Lawrence Knaack for the 1960s. By ’76 the Ferrari was in the care of the collector who spent ten years restoring it to 1959 spec, albeit in red rather than the original white.

It has been well looked after since then, and when it last became available, in 2011, it brought £280,000. RM Sotheby’s, which sold 0113 S on that occasion, will auction it again in May, with no reserve. It will appeal to those who appreciate individuality, and just perhaps to a wealthy, irreverent Scimé type who feels it can be improved further still… rmsothebys.com