412 MI Ferrari ©DennisGray2009

412 MI Ferrari here driven by Chris Cox.
In 1957 Ferrari entered the Mille Miglia with a new 4 cam V12 engine in a new car the 335 Sport. In one of these 335 Sports team driver Marques de Portago and his friend and navigator Ed Nelson ran off the road killing them both, ten Italian spectators and the Mille Miglia as a race. The engine was removed from the wreck and installed in a “Grand Prix” car for the Monza race of “Two Worlds” where Musso drove it to a 3rd overall. In 1958 California Ferrari distributor John von Neumann wanted a car to beat the West Coast RAI Scarab Chevrolet Specials. In answer to von Neumann’s request this same engine from the cars of de Portago and Musso was installed in a 1957 250 Testa Rosa chassis body by Scaglietti. Phil Hill début this potent combination at the 1958 Watkins Glen Formula Libre race and a month later at the Riverside GP on both occasions he was a DNF. ©Dennis Gray 2008