Topic: Solved - NEH 1351: Biondetti Jaguar C Type Special - 1951

[Carnut]

This car has appeared on AP before, but not with its own puzzle. So, for 1 point who built it, what chassis does it sit on and what powers it?

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[Jean-Marie H]

Jaguar 3400 Speciale Châssis I-GP/001

Pilote / Co-pilote : Clemente Biondetti / R. Cazzulani

Mille Miglia 1952

[Carnut]

I really didn't think this puzzle was so easy it would be solved in only 2 hours..!
Could you PM me your source please?
That chassis doesn't quite tie in with my info - can you enlarge on that as well?

[Carnut]

Thanks for your PM Jean-Marie and I see how you got there.
The info on that site doesn't seem to be complete/accurate though acc to my info, which I hope is correct..
For you to get that point I still need the correct chassis on which this body was built, so it's locked for you until your return next week to see what you can find.

[Jean-Marie H]

Although listed on the Mille Miglia entry as a Jaguar C Type and powered by the same specification engine, this car was not actually a Jaguar. Clemente Biondetti’s Jaguar engined special had originally worn a Ferrari 166 SC body and was known as the Ferrari-Jaguar, though there are questions over how many Ferrari parts other than the body were used.

[Carnut]

I'll give you that because I was looking for 'Ferrari 166'.
My information is that this car actually sits on a Ferrari 166 chassis, but whether that is accurate or not I can't say with certainty.  I don't know about the body.  It doesn't look like a Ferrari 166 to me, or at least it must be much modified if it is.

This car still exists today and still enters the retro Mille Miglias; current photo below.

[D-type]

There were two Biondetti Jaguar-powered specials.
The first is normally described as a Ferrari 166 with Jaguar engine.  The body certainly resembles a Ferrari Spyder but some experts suspect there may have been more Maserati than Ferrari in the chassis.
This is the second one.  Jaguar refused to sell Biondetti a C-Type (I don't know why).  So he built his own based on an XK120.  The body resembles a C-Type but I suspect that the chassis does not.  I think its first appearance was the 1951 Mille Miglia carrying number 437.  In 1950 Biondetti was driving an XK120 and was still racing the "Ferrari-Jaguar as late as the  the 1951 Giro de Sicilia.  The photo shows the car in the 1952 Mille Miglia driven by Primo Pezzoli and R. Cazzulani (Biondetti drove a Ferrari in 1952)
As this is not a Jaguar C-Type, perhaps a more accurate description would be Biondetti Jaguar "C Type" Special, 1951

[Carnut]

Thanks for that D-type.

Below is the info I used for this puzzle, whch I obtained from what I thought was an authoritative site..

I know you can't believe everything you see on the 'Net though...!