Ferrari 166 S and 166 MM: the two-litre Ferrari that won everywhere

The Ferrari 166 S is the sports car with which Ferrari evolved the 125 S racer into a two-litre machine between 1948 and 1953. Only twelve 166 S cars were made, but the derivative 166 MM (Mille Miglia) — 47 built — became one of the most successful racing cars of its day.

Ferrari 166 S at a glance

based on one source (English Wikipedia).

History of the Ferrari 166 S

The 166 was a direct evolution of the 125 S racing car. It kept that car’s Aurelio Lampredi-designed tube frame, its double wishbone and live axle suspension and its 2,420 mm wheelbase, but the Colombo V12 was enlarged to two litres — 1,995 cc with a bore and stroke of 60 by 58.8 mm — and given single overhead camshafts. Output was between 110 and 130 PS depending on carburation, for a top speed of 170 to 215 km/h. The 166 MM pushed power to 140 PS at 6,600 rpm and top speed to 220 km/h.

Bodies and the Inter

The 166 S was built in small numbers: nine Spyder Corsa with cycle wings, and three Sports. The first two were coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Allemano and the last by Carlo Anderloni at Carrozzeria Touring; most 166 MMs were bodied by Touring as barchettas. For the road, the same mechanical package was adapted into the 166 Inter grand tourer.

Racing: three classic wins

The 166 S won the 1948 Targa Florio with Clemente Biondetti and Igor Troubetzkoy, and the 1948 Mille Miglia with Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone. In 1949 Biondetti won the Targa Florio again in a 166 SC. The 166 MM Barchettas finished first and second in the 1949 Mille Miglia, with Biondetti and Salani ahead of Bonetto and Carpani, and then won the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans with Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon. No other car has won all three races; another 166 won the 1949 Spa 24 Hours. In 1950 a 166 chassis fitted with the larger 195 S engine won the Mille Miglia again, driven by Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara. The 166 was replaced by the 2.3-litre 195 S, and Motor Trend Classic later named the 166 MM Barchetta sixth in its list of the ten greatest Ferraris of all time.

Surviving cars

The oldest Ferrari with an undisputed pedigree is s/n 002C, a 166 Spider Corsa that began life as a 159 and is driven by James Glickenhaus. S/n 0052M, a 1950 166 MM Touring Barchetta, was found in a barn and shown publicly for the first time since 1959 in 2006. One 1949 166 MM, s/n 0018M, was bodied by Zagato in ‘Panoramica’ style — Ferrari’s first Zagato body — and was later rebodied as a Zagato Spyder; the original car was recreated in 2007 under Zagato’s Sanction Lost programme.

Design and features

• Two-litre Colombo V12: enlarged from the 125 S unit, with single overhead camshafts and 110–140 PS.
• Tubular chassis: the 125 S frame and suspension carried over almost unchanged, including the 2,420 mm wheelbase.
• Touring barchetta bodies: most 166 MMs wore lightweight open Touring coachwork.
• Triple crown: wins at the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia and Le Mans make the 166 the only car to have taken all three.

Ferrari 166 S versions

• 166 S (1948–1953): twelve cars, nine of them Spyder Corsa with cycle wings.
• 166 MM (1948–1953): the Mille Miglia version, 47 built, 140 PS and 220 km/h.
• 166 Inter: the road-going grand tourer version of the same design.
• 166 Spider Corsa: open competition body, including the oldest-surviving Ferrari, s/n 002C.

The 166 S grew out of the Ferrari 125 S and was replaced by the 195 S; its racing lessons went into the 250 series. More cars are in the Ferrari collection.

Video: EPIC RIDE in a unique FERRARI 166 MM Barchetta through Central London!

Video by TFJJ on YouTube.

Sources

• Ferrari 166 S, English Wikipedia: design, production numbers, racing record, surviving cars