DECIPHERING THE HISTORICAL IDENTITY ON ELUSIVE PREMISES

STARTING POINT
This is the case of a car produced in a very limited number—only four units—all of which were raced by Scuderia Ferrari in top-level competitions during a single season, 1955. Given these circumstances, its history should have been well-documented and "undisputable." However, the near-identical appearance of the four examples, as well as their resemblance to the original models (500 Mondial and 750 Monza), which often competed in the same races, has led even the most meticulous historians, brand experts, and motorsport specialists to draw contradictory conclusions.

RESEARCH
Our approach to definitively establish the racing history of chassis no. 0546 LM was twofold: a detailed examination of photographs sourced from archives and a cross-analysis of numerous historical documents, evaluating all the information in a comprehensive manner. Through this process, we were able to shed light on one of the primary reasons why sources have disagreed regarding 0546 LM’s participation in the Mille Miglia. The confusion originates from the registration documents of the four Scuderia Ferrari cars, which initially assigned them to specific drivers. However, this allocation was made approximately 20 days before the race. Subsequent developments, as documented in period press coverage, led to last-minute changes in these assignments, which is why the official Mille Miglia registration records do not align with the actual cars and crews that competed. The key element in reconstructing the car’s history was its participation in the 24 Heures du Mans. Extensive registration documentation provided an invaluable wealth of details. By contacting the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, based at the Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans and custodian of the event’s historical archive, we were able to trace and obtain an authenticated copy of chassis no. 0546 LM’s original registration sheet. The full set of documents, comprising nine pages, was completed on the test day preceding the race at a precise time, when the car was officially verified. These records offered an exhaustive list of technical specifications, definitively confirming the car’s identity at that specific historical moment.
Based on this documentation, we conducted a cross-analysis of the extensive period photographic record preserved in numerous historical archives. These images captured key identifying features of the car, allowing us to distinguish its uniqueness definitively. Despite the close resemblance among the four 735 LM examples, we identified as many as 20 unique characteristics for this unit. Chassis no. 0546 LM stands out from its nearly identical counterparts thanks to twenty distinctive features that set it apart. These include the peculiar alignment of the front Ferrari badge and the presence of Scaglietti coachbuilder badges on the sides. The bodywork exhibits a protruding lower edge near the wheel arches, while the hood latches are positioned close to the upper edge. The left and right upper hood straps differ in length and alignment, with the left strap extending near the air intake and the right one aligning with the sixth windshield screw. Inside, the dashboard has a unique lower edge design and distinctive material folds at the extremities. It features a single button on each side of the centrally placed tachometer, and the auxiliary windscreen is mounted with a quarter-circle bracket secured by a single screw. The driver’s seat is spaced from the rear wall with a visible bracket, and the headrest padding is notably thin. At the rear, the trunk latches are positioned on the left side, and the fuel filler opening is placed near the edge of the rear hood, recessed into the bodywork. The rear also features three narrow oval-shaped air intakes, and an oval-shaped license plate light is mounted above the plate. The co-driver’s seat cover is equipped with four air intakes. Additional distinctive elements include a lifting bracket with a "fork" design under the left side panel and visible damage to the lower section of the left body side. These combined elements provide a unique fingerprint for chassis no. 0546 LM, distinguishing it from the other 735 LM models. By tracing these features back through earlier races, we validated chassis no. 0546 LM’s confirmed participation in both the Giro di Sicilia and the Mille Miglia.