Model 166 MM (Mille Miglia) was Ferrari's earliest car to see more than token production. Some background is
here, though slightly buried.
What is noteworthy from a styling perspective is the Barchetta version by
Carrozzeria Touring, a design that set the image of Ferraris for years to come. This was largely in the form of the grille -- a modified oval frame with eggcrate bars over the opening.
Images below are of a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta by Touring. Those showing a blue-dark green car are via Ferrari unless noted otherwise. Photos of a red car are via Bonhams Auctions. The black and white racing photo is via RM Sotheby's Auctions.
Gallery
The dark paint colors and shiny surfaces show off the design's form in stronger fashion than in the images of the red car below. The grille on this car is eggcrate, but with chromed horizontal bars dominating.
The main body rises above the fenderline, front and rear.
A side character line drapes across wheel openings, fading away at the rear.
Photo via supercars.net. The interior seems rather fancy for a car capable of Mille Miglia competition: something more industrial might be expected.
Dashboard and cockpit. The Barchetta is a roadster, but I see no sign of side curtains for weather protection.
Now for a set a walkaround images. This car has the classic Ferrari grille.
No front bumper to interfere with body-shape purity.
The fenderline is not far above the wheel openings.
No rear bumper, either.
The plaque above the trunk handle is Touring's logotype.
Tail lights are mounted on the trunk lid, not the fenders or other rear-end sheet metal.
Nice, pleasingly trim design on a 95-inch (2420 mm) wheelbase.
Not a classic, standout design, but one that strikes me as being very appropriate for its time.
The men in the car provide a sense of scale -- those Barchettas were small cars. Photo taken at the Coppa della Toscana race, 1951.
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