A 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder, one out of only 13 such cars coachbuilt by Pinin Farina seven decades ago, has found a new owner who happily handed over $1,875,000 for it. The catch? It’s right here, in the photos!
The Spyder saw the daylight in the early ‘50s and drew its power from an innovative 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. In its 500 Mondial implementation, the unit churned out 170 PS (168 hp / 125 kW).
Pinin Farina built 15 custom bodywork variants for the 500 Mondial, 13 of which were open-top Spiders. When the coachbuilder was done, another company – Scaglietti – picked up where PF left off. The example on sale had chassis number 0406 MD and was the second car made. Its assembly was completed in March 1954, since which it had been taking part in all kinds of events driven by different amateur owners and pro racers, including Mille Miglia and Targa Florio series.
In 1958, the Mondial was imported into the United States where it continued racing with a new American-made V8 under the hood. In the early 1960s, an accident saw it partially burn down. It proceeded to change hands a few more times, but none of the owners came around to restoring it. The latest owner had held onto it for 45 years.
In its current condition, the car is a mangled husk with only the gearbox and some of the chassis intact. The seller bought it along with a 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine known as Ferrari Tipo 119 – a more recent design by Aurelio Lampredi.