Out of this world
Never lost for things to talk about, RickWilson delves into his collection.
When I was a youngster, one Dinky in particular captivated me with its futuristic 'otherworldly' looks - No 220 Ferrari P5. Despite not having racing numbers, because it was a concept show car, to me it looked fast enough to give my awesome Corgi Toys No 385 Porsche 917 (which I knew to be a real racer) a run for its money in my almost daily Carpet Grand Prix.
I've just started work on a more extensive article about this incredible Pininfarina design, complete with two Code 3s in the works to mimic the car's original colours (white with silver wheels, then red with white wheels), but still admire this one so much that I simply had to share it here this month - any excuse!
Based on a real Ferrari sports racing car, P4 chassis number 0862, with a 3-litre mid-mounted V12 engine (therefore justifying my earlier floorbased activities), the Ferrari 250 P5 Berlinetta Speciale, to give it its full name, was first shown at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show.
It was a study in aerodynamic design, and several features would later appear on Ferrari’s production cars, most notably the clear glass covering the engine. Young Leonardo Fioravanti, a new recruit at Pininfarina, was chosen for the project because of his mechanical engineering background that had included a focus on car body design and aerodynamics.
It is reported that Enzo Ferrari himself was not a huge fan and so, along with other commercial considerations, the P5 would not be developed further. As it gradually became public knowledge that it would not form part of the Modena-based concern’s future, Dr. Giuseppe Luraghi, Chairman of Alfa Romeo, took a chance and approached his friend for permission to develop the concept further.
The young Fioravanti went back to work on his design and the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Coupe Speciale was born, revealed at the 1969 Paris Motor Show. Painted yellow, and based on a Tipo 33 chassis, the design proudly bore allegiance to its new custodians, but there was no mistaking its origins thanks to a large percentage of design that was clearly carried over by Fioravanti to this evolution.
Dinky's marvellous recreation clearly caught the eye of many, back in the day, and can still be picked up for fairly reasonable sums in excellent condition. Thanks to Dinky's use of screws to secure the baseplate, rather than rivets, these are very easy to work on and I look forward to bringing you the results of my labours in a future issue.