RM Sotheby’s is one of the biggest auction houses in the whole of the United States. And they often have some truly stunning cars up for sale, be it classic Mercedes Gullwings or iconic Maserati race cars.
This car up for sale though is truly sensational. It is a 1935 Ford V8 Spider, and it is possible that this was the sole Ford car bodied by Carrozzeria Viotti of Turin. This car forms part of Sotheby’s Monterey auction in August 2022.
A Desirable Custom Classic Automobile
This car is a far cry from the standard machines you would expect to see a Ford V8 engine in. The results of the Viotti metalwork and the Ford V8 though are truly stunning. Allegedly, the car got built at the request of Count Giovanni “Johnny” Lurani, an Italian count who was also a noted racing driver.
The car also at some point found itself in Argentina, before its discovery in the 1960s and then exportation to the United States. This is where it remained in a private collection for some four decades before it was then acquired by Oscar Davis in 2015.
Some Incredible Design Elements
There are plenty of design elements across this car that nicely reflect the avant-garde styling of streamlined vehicles that Viotti produced in the mid-1930s. Its stance is also motorsport-inspired, perhaps most evident with its tapered boattail, the dual side-mounted spares hint at an endurance racing source of inspiration. And when it comes to the power, that comes from a flathead Ford V8 engine that has a single two-barrel carburetor as well as a three-speed manual transmission. An interesting feature is that the car is right-hand drive, with the throttle pedal mounted between the clutch and the brake.
A Truly Incredible Classic Convertible
There are components from this car sourced all over, with the taillights from Ford but the headlamps from Scintilla of Switzerland, and the horn is of Magneti Marelli manufacture. The styling of this Ford is truly unique, and it is quite possibly the only Ford to ever have a body made for it by Viotti. In its older, patinated restoration of striking red and a black tonneau cover, there is no doubt that this car will fetch a lot of money when it goes under the hammer. And it would certainly become a very intriguing addition to someone’s collection.
Source: RM Sotheby's