Forza Magazine – November 2011

SECOND CHANCE – It took a couple of tries, but this modified 250 GT Cabriolet found the perfect owner.

F O R Z A THE MAGAZINE ABOUT FERRARI — No. 113 — Story and Photos by Zachary Mayne.

New Mexico Ferrari enthusiast Jerry Roehl knows something about second chances.  If it wasn’t for a twist of fate, he wouldn’t own this unusual 1957 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet Series 1 (s/n 0801GT).

Roehl first saw the car in August 1999, at the annual automotive bacchanalia known as the Monterey Weekend.  In between the vintage racing, car shows and other events, he found himself at the Christie’s Pebble Beach auction.  “I was just sort of looking for a car,” he remembers.

While the search was casual and Roehl was open to whatever interesting cars he might come across, he did have a few requirements.  Most important, he was looking for something old enough to enter in vintage road-rally events like the Colorado Grand, which are generally open to historically significant cars manufactured before 1961.  At the time, Roehl owned an F40 and a Jaguar E-Type, but wanted something older – and one of the classic Ferraris being auctioned off at Christie’s was our featured car.

Ferrari produced 40 Series 1 PF Cabs, and none of them are identical; standardized production hadn’t then taken over in Maranello.  But this particular car seemed much different from those Roehl had seen before, and he was right.

S/n 0801 first appeared on the Pinin Farina stand at the Geneva Auto Show in 1958.  At that time, it was painted grey and featured a red interior, but it didn’t wear its current front or rear bumpers, taillights or dashboard.  So what happened?

According to Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, s/n 0801 was modified extensively in 1974 by Milanese Ferrari dealer M. Gastone Crepaldi.  In addition to the changes mentioned above, Crepaldi painted the car’s exterior blue, redid the interior in cream leather, replaced the original drum brakes with discs and installed a later, outside-plug engine.  (S/n 0801’s original 3-liter V12 currently resides in a 250 GT Ellena).

The PF Cab was then imported to the U.S. by the Chinettis.  “I don’t remember this particular car, but we bought many cars from Crepaldi,” said Luigi Chinetti, Jr.  “In some cases, the car had been in an accident and they had fixed it up, modifying it along the way.  Other times, a car was modified to a customer’s request.  It was very cheap to do over there, and a number of modified cars made their way over here.  We never had any trouble selling them; if someone liked the look, they were as happy as a claim.”

Many modified vintage Ferraris have since been restored to their original condition, but s/n 0801, although it had been repainted red and refitted with drum brakes, still wore its Crepaldi bumpers and interior when it arrived in Monterey.  And when the Ferrari rolled onto the auction block, Roehl and three other bidders immediately began vying for it.  “I just loved the lines of it,” he says.

Soon, it was down to Roehl and one other potential buyer.  But when the bidding went over the car’s estimated sale price, Roehl backed out, and the car was sold to the other bidder.  For the next few months, he regretted his decision to not keep going:  “I kept thinking I should have bid higher.”  Little did he know he would soon have the chance to do just that.

Early in 2000, Roehl, his wife and four children went to the south of France for a vacation.  The day before they were scheduled to return home, Roehl, on a whim, decided to drive to nearby Monte Carlo for a classic car auction.

When Roehl arrived, he was unimpressed by the cars on display, and, after taking a quick look around, left.  A few minutes later, at an outdoor café on the Mediterranean, he began to chat with the owner about the disappointing action.  “You went to the wrong auction,” the man told him.  “The better auction is the Brooks auction at Prince Rainier’s private museum.”

After getting turned around on the way, Roehl finally walked into the right auction.  He quickly spotted a familiar-looking PF Cab, and when he asked the auctioneer about the car he learned that it had been sold in Monterey one year earlier.

“I said, ‘Oh, my God, I narrowly missed buying this very car at auction,’” says Roehl.  “And he said, ‘It’s your lucky day, you can bid again!’”

Roehl figured his wife would kill him if they didn’t return to the U.S. on time, so he submitted an absentee bid for the car.  The auctioneer advised him that his offer was too low, but told him that he would receive a fax if it was accepted.

When Roehl arrived home, that very fax was waiting for him.  Two weeks later, the Ferrari arrived in his driveway.

In 2002, Roehl was finally able to fulfill his goal of entering a vintage car in the Colorado Grand.  He reports that tackling the Rocky Mountains in what was then a 45-year-old Ferrari was thrilling and, at least initially, trouble-free.  At the 750-mile mark, a leaking master cylinder ended his rally.

After the event, Roehl left the car with Ferrari technician Dave Helms of Colorado, who had helped tune the carburetors for high altitude during the rally, to fix a few other mechanical maladies.  But by the time the PF Cab was returned to Roehl almost two years later, the entire driveline, including the engine, had been rebuilt.  Helms handled the lion’s share of the work, although the engine rebuild was done by Rick Vungfeld.

Since then, Roehl has shown the Ferrari when the opportunity arises.  One of his favorite moments with the car came at The Quail in 2007, where it was displayed alongside 17 other Series 1 Cabriolets.  “That was wonderful,” he says.  “I got to see the other cars with all of the variations.”

He still enjoys driving what he calls his “luxury cruiser,” despite his 275 GTB being a far more exciting, and significantly faster, car.  So I’m intrigued to find out what it’s like behind the wheel of the PF Cab.

Feeding in a little throttle to prime the trio of Weber carburetors perched atop the 3-liter V12 engine and twisting the ignition key brings the engine to life with a smooth mechanical flourish.  At idle, the noise coming from the engine bay is louder than the exhaust note.  There’s a lot going on:  The 12 cylinders fire in harmony, the timing chains fizz away happily and the valves chatter.  The whole car tingles and vibrates sympathetically.

Once underway, the Ferrari is a breeze to drive.  With the exception of the heavy steering, which is alleviated slightly by the thin wooden steering wheel’s large diameter, the controls are easy to modulate.  Outward visibility is positively panoramic, thanks to the thin-framed windshield and the lack of a top.  The upright driving position provides a terrific perspective of the road ahead, with the curving hood and the hump of the left and right fenders framing the bottom of the view.

At low revs, the engine remains a quiet, distant force, humming away contentedly.  Find a section of empty road, though, ladle on a full dose of throttle through the heavily sprung gas pedal and the engine comes to life in the manner expected of a Ferrari V12.  It spins freely and enthusiastically, if not exceptionally quickly, accompanied by a muted exhaust bellow in concert with the busy mechanical symphony emanating from that long front end.

The clutch is stout but easily modulated, while the shifter, located a short drop from the wheel, offers an incredibly direct, mechanical feel.  There is absolutely no side-to-side slack, and the longish throws are perfectly in keeping with the car’s GT character.  The drum brakes slow the Ferrari quickly, if not quite authoritatively.  The pedals are all offset slightly to the right.

As I crank the steering wheel over and head into a corner, the vintage tires squeal in protest.  I have to brace myself against the wheel; the seats are devoid of any side bolstering.  The PF Cab leans noticeably, but once it takes a set it carves through the turn, feeling both planted and well controlled. The ride is firm and nicely damped, if a bit floaty over dips and bumps.

Taken in the context of its era, the PF Cab is almost magically sophisticated.  With its combination of smooth, accessible power and accommodating ride, it’s easy to see why this would be a perfect pick for a long-distance GT.  It also has real presence from behind the wheel, and feels fairly luxurious, with its leather-covered dash (which was originally crinkle finished) and softly padded leather seats.

Although the Ferrari’s modifications aren’t to everyone’s taste, and certainly won’t please the purists, Roehl tells me that he would be happy just to sit and stare at the car in his garage.  For Roehl, his second chance proved to be the perfect opportunity.