The winners of the two most important awards at the 30th Cavallino Classic, the top Concorso for classic Ferraris worldwide, were assigned during the weekend. “The Scuderia Ferrari Cup”, awarded to the most important competition Ferrari, went to a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT TdF, while “The Gran Turismo Ferrari Cup”, for the best Ferrari GT, was won by a1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet Pinin Farina.
The two awards were presented by John Barnes, founder of the Cavallino Classic, and Luigi Orlandini, Chairman and CEO of Canossa Events, which in 2020 took over the management and organization of the Cavallino Classic. Orlandini’s participation in the ceremony formally marked the handover. The event attracted a good-sized crowd, with both the public tickets and the entry spaces for owners all sold out. It has been confirmed that in 2022, Cavallino will return to its traditional slot in the third week of January (specifically, January 20–23, 2022).
At “Cavallino 30”, the conditions — warm and slightly breezy — couldn’t have been better, for participants and public alike. The Concorso d’Eleganza took place on Saturday, April 24, in the gardens of The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Normally held in January, the event had to be postponed this year because of the pandemic. As always, the Concorso was the culmination of the “active” part of the Cavallino Classic — two days of fun for owners at the wheels of their cars, first on the track and second on a tour of Palm Beach — and the cultural part, which takes the form of numerous forums (all open to the public) that examine, in depth, the history of Ferrari, its models and the fascinating history of single cars. This year, for example, the spotlight was on a 250 GT Berlinetta SWB that has been with the same owner for over 30 years.
The event attracted a sizeable crowd, with enthusiasts eager to see cars “in the flesh” again, as opposed to online. The most important US-based Ferrari collectors were in attendance, but the European, South American and Asian ones (and their cars) were absent, for obvious reasons.
There were over 100 cars on display, and as usual the standard was very high. The following important models were each represented by two cars: Ferrari 250 GTO, 250 SWB (one was a “competizione” version), 275 GTB/4 and 250 GTL, as well as the more modern 288 GTO, F40 and SF 90 Stradale. Other highlights attracting the attention of enthusiasts were a 2015 FXX-K (chassis #289090), one of the only 40 produced, the 2001 Formula 1 F2001b (chassis #215) formerly driven by Michael Schumacher, a 1957 250 Testa Rossa (chassis #0704 TR), and the 1952 Arno XI racing motorboat (keel #001), built by Cantieri Timossi and equipped with the 4.5-liter 12-cylinder engine usually used on F1 375s. Furthermore, a remarkable 12 Ferraris —we are talking about the 365, 512 and 512i models, plus the various evolutions of the Testarossa — all equipped with the 12-cylinder Boxer engine, came together to mark the 50th anniversary of the unveiling, at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, of the 364 GT/4 BB, the first road Ferrari to adopt this type of engine.
The winners of the two main prizes, for the best road and the best racing Ferrari, were selected by a panel led by Chief Judge Chris Current and overseen by Emeritus Chief Judge Ed Gilbertson, founder of both the IAC/PFA (International Advisory Council for the Preservation of the Ferrari Automobile) and the ICJAG (International Chief Judge Advisory Group):
– The best competition Ferrari, and therefore winner of “The Scuderia Ferrari Cup”, was the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France. #0619 GT was delivered on March 28, 1957, to its first owner, France-based gentleman driver Pierre Noblet, who used it for racing. After making its competition debut at the “Coupe Fernandez” in May 1957, the car went on to win the Rally Jeanne d’Arc on June 16, before taking 8th place overall in the Tour de France (September 15-21, 1957). By the start of 1958, #0619 GT was in Venezuela, where it was entered in several races before ending up, in 1959, in the United States, where (apart from about ten years in an Italian collection) it has remained ever since.
– “The Gran Turismo Ferrari Cup”, for the best Ferrari GT, went to the 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet Pinin Farina. This car (chassis #0235 EU) was the second and last 212 Inter dressed by Pinin Farina with Cabriolet bodywork, and the only one built in LHD configuration. It was shown on the Ferrari stand at the October 1952 Paris Motor Show, and at the Brussels Motor Show in the January of the following year. It is a specimen with a fascinating story as well as a very respectable racing history. Its most important results include 9th place overall and third in class at the inaugural 1000 Kilometers of NĂĽrburgring in August 1953. It was exported to the United States in 1954. Restored and certified by Ferrari Classiche in 2012, chassis #0235 EU is still equipped with its original, 0235 EU marked engine.
The two main awards were presented in person by John Barnes, founder of the Cavallino Classic, and Luigi Orlandini, Chairman and CEO of Canossa Events, which has owned the event and its brand since 2020.
“The Cavallino Classic”, Orlandini said, “is the world’s most important event dedicated to vintage Ferraris. Despite having to postpone it by two months this year due to the pandemic, the turnout of participants and public has been great — all the tickets to the event were sold. At Saturday’s Concorso d’Eleganza, held in the gardens of The Breakers in Palm Beach, we had an incredible selection of cars on display, including two 250 GTOs, a Formula 1 driven by Michael Schumacher, and many other “four-wheeled works of art”.
For Canossa Events, born in the heart of Motor Valley, the acquisition of Cavallino, a name indissolubly linked to the extraordinary event created by our friend John Barnes, is a crucial investment, especially in these hugely difficult times for our sector, and it offers us great prospects for the future. We are full of ideas, and plan to start working on them on Monday, as soon as this world-unique event is over!”
During the Cavallino Classic, Luigi Orlandini also announced that Cavallino is to pay tribute to Enzo Ferrari through a special by-invitation-only event due to take place in Modena from 2 to 4 July. This will be followed in December by a “special edition” Cavallino Classic in Dubai, which will coincide with Dubai Expo, the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix and, for anyone interested, also the “first” F1 Gran Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Here is a list of the other awards won at the event:
-The Coppa Dodici Cilindri, for the best 12-cylinder Ferrari:
Ferrari 342 America Cabriolet Vignale, 1952, chassis #0232 AL
– The Coppa Otto Cilindri, for the best 8-cylinder Ferrari:
Ferrari 328 GTS, 1989, chassis #81932
– The Coppa Sei Cilindri, for the best 6-cylinder Ferrari:
Dino 246 GT, 1979, chassis #01016
-The Preservation Vintage Cup (pre-1975):
Ferrari 512 BBi, 1984, chassis #49893
Ferrari 365 GT/4 BB, 1974, chassis #18385
-The Preservation Classic Cup (1976-1990):
Ferrari F40, 1990, chassis #85788
Ferrari 328 GTS, 1989, chassis #81580
-The 330 GTC/GTS Cup:
Ferrari 330 GTS, 1968, chassis #10999
-The Flat 12 Cup:
Ferrari 512 BBi, 1984, chassis #51723
-The Robert Tallgren Memorial Elegance Cup (for the finest coachbuilt Ferrari):
Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupè Pinin Farina, 1959, chassis #1305 SA
Ferrari 342 America Cabriolet Vignale, 1952, chassis #0232 AL
-The Wayne Obry Commemorative Cup (for the car best representing excellence in restoration):
Ferrari 275 GTB/4, 1967, chassis #09925
-The Ferrari Spirit Cup (for the car best representing the spirit of track and Concorso events):
Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet Pinin Farina, 1952, chassis #0235 EU
-The Ferrari Supercar Cup (for the finest among 288 GTO, F40, F50, Enzo or FXX):
Ferrari F40, 1992, chassis #92936
-The Honorary Judges’ Cup (for the car selected by the Honorary Judges):
Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupè Pinin Farina, 1959, chassis #1305 SA
-The Chief Judge Emeritus Cup (for the car chosen by Chief Judge Emeritus Ed Gilbertson):
Ferrari 288 GTO, 1985, chassis #56643
A full report on the event and an in-depth analysis of the cars that participated in it will appear in the coming issues of the bimonthly magazine “Cavallino”, founded by John Barnes in 1978, and now published by Cavallino Inc. owned by Canossa Events.
More information can be found at: www.cavallino.com
Report by canossa.com
Photos by Courtesy of Canossa Events
