1954 Ferrari 375 MM Ghia Coupé
- Engine
- Lampredi V12, ~340 bhp, three Weber 42 DCZ 3 carburetors, Magneti Marelli ignition
- Colour
- Salmon and Anthracite Grey two-tone
A unique 1954–55 Ferrari 375 MM coupe on the penultimate 375 MM chassis, bodied exclusively by Ghia of Turin in alloy — the only Ghia-bodied 375 MM and the last Ferrari ever coachbuilt by that firm. Fitted with a 340 bhp F1-derived Lampredi V-12, it was exhibited at the 1955 Turin Motor Show before being purchased by Milwaukee industrialist and Indianapolis 500 patron Robert C. Wilke, who drove it some 12,000 km over his lifetime. Subsequently held by a small number of collectors in the USA and Europe, it retains its original engine, gearbox, and rear differential as confirmed by Ferrari Classiche certification, along with its Ghia interior and period two-tone livery.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$5,000,000 – US$7,000,000
- 1955 → 1970Private saleRobert C. Wilkepartial documentation
Purchased via Luigi Chinetti after the car's display at the Turin Motor Show; drove it approximately 12,000 km and largely kept it in original condition, adding seat belts in 1969.
- 1970 → 1974InheritanceRalph Wilkepartial documentation
Inherited the car from his father and subsequently sold it to a Milwaukee physician.
- 1974 → 1984Private saleDr. Robert E. Steinerpartial documentation
Milwaukee-based owner who retained the car for roughly a decade before selling to a specialist dealer.
- 1984 →Private saleEd Jurist / Vintage Car Storepartial documentation
Well-known early Ferrari dealer based in Nyack, New York, who passed the car along to a California collection.
- → 2007AuctionErich Traberpartial documentation
Acquired via Thomas Barrett; brought the car to Europe, exhibited it at Retromobile in 1990, drove it at a Swiss Ferrari club event in 1992, and had his own Sportgarage Graber rebuild the original engine during his tenure.
- 2007-08-01 →Private salePresent ownerfull documentation
Has kept the car in a private collection for over a decade with minimal public exposure; obtained Ferrari Classiche certification confirming the original drivetrain components.
- Date unknownPrivate saleBlackhawk Collectionpartial documentation
Danville, California-based collection that held the car briefly before it was sold to a European buyer.
Competition
- 1955Turin Motor ShowExhibited
Displayed on the Ghia stand alongside the turbine-powered Gilda concept car; this was the car's public debut before delivery to its first owner.
- 1990Retromobile 1990Exhibited
Shown by Erich Traber at the Paris classic-car event.
- 1992Ferrari Owners Club Switzerland meetingDriver: Erich Traber
Driven by Traber in a club driving event approximately two years after its Retromobile appearance.
- 2013-05-01Concorso Ferrari, Pasadena
One of only a few public outings made during the present owner's decade-long stewardship.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1969Modification
International Harvester seat belts fitted to the interior by the Wilke family.
- —Engine rebuildSportgarage Graber
The car's original Lampredi V-12 engine was fully rebuilt during Erich Traber's ownership.
Work was carried out by Traber's own facility; the engine was subsequently confirmed as original by Ferrari Classiche.
- —Bodywork
Exterior repainted in the original two-tone Salmon and Anthracite Grey colour scheme; interior and gauges retained in their original patinated state.
Exact date not recorded in the catalogue; described as having been done 'some years ago'.
- —InspectionFerrari Classiche
Ferrari Classiche certification obtained, with the accompanying Red Book confirming the matching original engine, gearbox, and rear differential.
Certification was facilitated by the car's exceptionally low mileage and well-preserved overall condition.
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