1949 Ferrari 166 Panoramica Sanction II

1948 is generally regarded as Ferrari’s first full racing season, marked by the debut of the 2-litre version of its V12 engine, created for a new family of models destined for both sports-car competition and Formula Two. This was the beginning of the successful and long-lasting “Tipo 166” series, which played a major role in establishing Ferrari’s early international prestige. Designed to compete in the 2-litre class, the 166 was an evolution of the 159 S, itself directly derived from the first 125. It quickly proved competitive and achieved important successes in period. The 166 family included the 166 S, the 166 MM, the road-going 166 Inter, and the 166 F2 single-seater, all sharing the same basic 2-litre Colombo V12 architecture. The chassis and suspension layout were only slightly revised from the earlier models; the tubular steel frame was a Ferrari design and was built by Gilco. The engine was the well-tested 60-degree V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo, enlarged to 1,995.02 cc in order to reach the limit of the 2-litre class. With up to 140 hp in sports-car form, it appealed to many gentlemen drivers of the period, while its flexibility and robustness made the 166 suitable for virtually every kind of competition. As was Ferrari practice, the model name referred to the displacement of each individual cylinder. In 1953, Ferrari introduced a second series of the 166 MM, known as the 166 MM/53, intended to keep the model competitive in the 2-litre sports category. With mechanical updates and revised bodywork by several coachbuilders, this later development extended the racing life of the 166, although by then competition from increasingly advanced rivals, especially Maserati, had become stronger.

The ‘Panoramica’ bodywork concept, invented by Ugo Zagato in the late Forties, recalls once again the aeronautical vocation of the brand. Built with the cockpit of an aircraft in mind, it meant to optimize visibility and consequently drivability and comfort. One key factor was the use of plexiglass, a type of material that was still innovative at that time. Zagato preferred it to glass because of its objective qualities: light, pliable, and safe. In this way, it became possible to produce extensive transparent surfaces, up to the roof, making the cabins of the Zagato Panoramica’s a lot more habitable than those of traditional coupes, while keeping the weight down. The tail then had the task to link the central part of the car to the waistline and the flanks, which were always low and sleek. Zagato applied these solutions to very diverse cars in spirit and vocation: the Fiat 500’s Zagato and 1100’s, the Lancia Ardea’s, the Alfa Romeo 8C’s 2300, but also an MG YA and a Maserati A6 1500 were all Panoramica. The Ferrari 166 MM Coupé Panoramica (it was described as such in an advertisement that appeared in July 1949 in the magazine ‘L’Automobile’ to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Carrozzeria Zagato) was born as a race car. This was thanks to Elio Zagato, who envisaged strong racing abilities for the Panoramica-bodied cars, and Antonio Stagnoli, a renowned gentleman driver, who made a specific request for such a car. Both of them, Scuderia Ambrosiana drivers, turned to Enzo Ferrari (who used to call Elio: ‘Zagatino’, i.e., little Zagato) to ask him to produce a Panoramica body for a Ferrari chassis to race in the Mille Miglia. After all, it was a Ferrari that had won the 1948 Mille Miglia, giving the new-born scuderia the opportunity to join the big players in the car racing world. The chassis (numbered 0018M) and the engine (12 cylinders, 2.0 liters), purchased in Maranello, were then taken to Zagato’s workshop in Milan, where they were clad with a light body of thin aluminum panels. It seems that Gioacchino Colombo, a consultant for Ferrari and a friend of Ugo’s, had his say in this, proving that the two brands worked very closely together on the project. The 166 Coupe Panoramica was completed in the summer of ’49 and started racing immediately at the Senigallia track. But its real debut happened the following year: in 1950, it won the Coppa Intereuropa, the Parma-Poggio di Berceto, and the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo races. Unfortunately, it failed to win the Mille Miglia, as it finished only 36th overall and fourth in its class. This disappointing result and at the same time the notion of its big potential in the steeplechases could be the reason why Zagato transformed it into a barchetta ‘siluro’ (torpedo) at the end of 1950.