​History of the car


Ferrari's original F2 car, introduced in 1949, was the two-litre V12 engined 166 F2. It struggled against the more straightforward British cars that featured twin-cam, four cylinder engines. Enzo Ferrari was very impressed with these engines and asked his lead engineer, Aurelio Lampredi, to develop a similar unit. Lampredi initially focused on a multi-purpose 2.5 litre version but once the change of formula for the World Championship was announced, all attention was diverted to the 2 litre. He closely followed the British example and created an alloy unit with chain-driven, twin-overhead camshafts. Breathing through two Weber carburetors the new Ferrari engine was good for 165 bhp at the start of the season.
Dubbed the 500 F2 (in reference to the engine's unitary displacement), Ferrari's new Formula 2 car was virtually identical to the company's earlier single seaters. The ladder type chassis was constructed from two oval-tube members with considerable cross-bracing. The front suspension was by double wishbones with a single transversely mounted leaf-spring. A DeDion axle was installed at the rear but here Lampredi broke with convention by employing two trailing arms to keep the axle in check. Hydraulically operated drum brakes and a four-speed gearbox completed the mechanical package. The rolling 500 F2 chassis was clothed in a simple but elegant single seater body. Unlike Ferrari's earlier single seaters, the new Formula 2 car featured an open nose.

This car is a Chassis: 0188F
In addition to the works cars, Ferrari built a total of five 500 F2 chassis for customers. This is the third built and was sold to Bobby Baird in Northern Ireland. He had bought it for Roy Salvadori to pilot but he enjoyed driving it so much that he raced it himself. In 1954 chassis 0188F was sold to Reg Parnell, who fitted it with a 625 F1 engine and campaigned it quite successfully in local events, scoring several victories. At the end of the year, he traded the car in for a newer 553 'Squalo.' Ferrari subsequently donated the car to the Biscaretti Museum in Turin. The car is seen here in the Galleria Ferrari in 2007 when the Biscaretti Museum was undergoing a complete renovation.