Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta

Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta specifications

What "Berlinetta" means on a 166 Inter

In the late 1940s Ferrari sold rolling chassis, and the customer chose a coachbuilder to make the body. A berlinetta, literally a "little saloon", was a closed two-seat coupé with a fastback or notchback roof. Other 166 Inters were built as open barchettas or as cabriolets, but the berlinetta was a popular choice for road use.

Each car was slightly different, because every coachbuilder worked by hand and adapted the body to the customer's wishes. That is why histories of the 166 Inter often follow individual chassis numbers, which end in "S" on the early cars. For the overall model story, with its racing roots and the Scuderia Inter name, read our main Ferrari 166 Inter article.

The old 1cars text linked the "Inter" name to a Coppa Inter-Europa race. Wikipedia instead connects it to the victories of the Scuderia Inter team in the 166 S, and we follow that explanation.

The Colombo V12 and the 166 chassis

Gioacchino Colombo's 60-degree V12 had a single overhead camshaft per bank and two valves per cylinder. Each cylinder displaced about 166 cc, which gave the model its number. In road form it breathed through one Weber 32 DCF twin-choke carburettor, and the compression ratio was a mild 7.5:1.

Output figures differ between sources, and the 1cars power converter helps to compare PS, bhp and kW. Wikipedia gives 66 kW (90 PS) at 5,600 rpm, while dealer and specification sources, as well as the old 1cars text, quote 82 kW (110 bhp) at 6,000 rpm. The difference probably reflects different carburettor and compression settings from car to car, which the old text also mentions.

The tubular frame was made by the Italian firm Gilco to Ferrari's design. A five-speed manual gearbox drove the rear wheels through a live axle. Steering was by worm and sector, and the steel disc wheels used Rudge-type splined hubs. By our calculation, the 110 PS version carried about 7 to 9 kg per hp, depending on body weight; you can check such figures with the power-to-weight calculator.

Touring Superleggera berlinettas

Carrozzeria Touring of Milan built more 166 Inter bodies than any other firm. Its Superleggera method used thin aluminium panels over a light frame of small steel tubes. The first Touring car appeared at the Turin show in 1948, and a Touring coupé was the star of Ferrari's stand at the Paris Motor Show on 6 October 1949.

A specialist dealer's records list five similar Touring bodies on the early chassis 005S, 007S, 013S, 015S and 017S. Chassis 015S, described as the 15th car Ferrari built, was completed in June 1948 and first sold to Paolo Castelnuovo of Venice. It later lived in South Africa, the United States and England before returning to Italy in 2000. Its dry weight is given as 980 kg.

The later Touring berlinetta 043S of 1950 has the classic Touring shape, with a rounded tail and a small oval grille. The Touring "Aerlux" coupé, chassis 029S, had a transparent roof panel and is now in a Dutch museum.

Stabilimenti Farina and Vignale bodies

Stabilimenti Farina of Turin, run by the brother of Pinin Farina, bodied about ten 166 Inters. One auction listing counts four coupés and two cabriolets, so the exact split is uncertain. The car the old 1cars text describes, the "166 Inter Stabilimenti Farina Berlinetta", belongs to this group. Its bodies were more upright than Touring's, with a taller roof and a more formal grille.

Chassis 037S is the best-documented example: the seventh of the Stabilimenti Farina cars, it was later fitted with three twin-choke carburettors in place of the original single unit. Vignale built seven bodies on the 166 Inter, often with two-tone paint and more chrome. Ghia made one coupé and Bertone one cabriolet.

Known chassis and auction prices

The 166 Inter berlinettas appear at auction only rarely, and prices have risen steeply. The figures below are as published by the auction houses, with an approximate EUR value at the time of sale.

By our calculation, chassis 037S rose in value by about 127 % between 2010 and 2013. Compared with the 1998 sale of 029S, the 2013 price was more than four times higher in US dollars. The old 1cars text quoted a price of about 888,000 US dollars without a date or chassis, so it is not used here.

Driving a 166 Inter Berlinetta

Period reports and the old 1cars text describe a light, responsive car with a free-revving engine and a firm ride. The old text gives 0 to 100 km/h in about 10 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h, which matches the higher power figure. Wikipedia's 150 km/h fits the lower one.

The gearbox in some cars has no synchromesh, so changes need double-declutching. The drum brakes are adequate for the weight but fade with hard use. Owners today drive these cars mainly at concours events and historic rallies, where originality and matching numbers matter more than speed.

Successors and where the 166 Inter Berlinetta fits

In 1950 the 166 Inter gave way to the 195 Inter with a 2.3-litre engine, and then to the Ferrari 212 Inter. The line led to the Ferrari 250 Europa and the 250 GT family, which made Ferrari a serious maker of road cars. The berlinetta form itself became a Ferrari tradition, used on cars from the 250 GT to the F12berlinetta.

For the founder's role in these early cars, see our Enzo Ferrari profile, and the company's story is in the history of Ferrari.

Who should buy a 166 Inter Berlinetta

These cars suit serious collectors of early Ferrari road cars and of Italian coachbuilding. A buyer needs a full chassis history, a Ferrari Classiche or equivalent certificate and confirmation that the engine, gearbox and axle numbers match. Body originality matters, because several 166 chassis were rebodied over the years.

For a broader look at cars of the period, browse the 1940s classics or the Ferrari brand page.