The oldest road-going Ferrari in the world is in the last place you might expect
- The 166 Inter was the first road-going Ferrari ever created
- It was introduced in 1948
- This one, chassis no. 4, is still being driven frequently by the owner
Published on Jul 29, 2024 at 7:35 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 12, 2025 at 7:45 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This is the Ferrari 166 Inter, the oldest road-going Ferrari ever built.
The one see you here belongs to a couple residing in rural New Zealand.
Believe it or not, they actually use the car nearly every day.
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The Ferrari 166 Inter was designed by Ferrari in 1948 to commemorate the racing victories of the first Ferrari ever built, the 125 S.
Enzo Ferrari, the company’s founder, famously only really wanted to make race cars and didn’t really care about road cars.
This is a well-known fact, and one that’s often used to characterize the personality of Enzo Ferrari.
The eponymous movie Ferrari – starring Adam Driver starring as Enzo Ferrari – told this story quite well.
This also explains – in part – why Ferrari only built 37 of these.
The story behind the oldest road-going Ferrari
This example is believed to be the fourth chassis completed and the second oldest still in existence.
The other one – the oldest ever – is a permanent resident of Ferrari’s museum in Maranello.
The owners of this particular model, Amanda and Philip, are determined to put miles under its tires.
In the clip shared by Ferrari on YouTube, Amanda explained why.
“I think that cars need to be driven. They’re rolling sculptures, and it’s neat to be able to see them going down the road,” she said.
“People need to see them.”
The 166 is powered by a 2.0-liter V12 and, in this case, it is actually a right-hand drive model.
When the Ferrari 166 Inter met its ‘great-granddaughter’
In 2023, Ferrari organized an event to promote the launch of the (then) newly-born Ferrari Purosangue SUV.
Ferrari knew that Amanda owned this car and they invited her to join the parade.
“To see enthusiastic people that were not into the brand name, but they were into the actual car, and the history of it – it was fabulous,” Amanda said.
Well, we can’t disagree.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
