Panhard Gilco Colli

What a pleasure to be able to present you with another delicious ex-Mille Miglia sportscar. How else than delicious should I qualify this 1952 Panhard Gilco with Colli "disco volante" aluminium body ? This chassis n° 008145 started life as a barchetta coachbuilt by Allemano. As part of the Ital-France team from Panhard importer Gastone Crepaldi, pilot and co-pilot Marchese-Palvarini participated with this barchetta at the 1952 Mille Miglia (startnumber: 2343) and not only won the 750 cc category but also classifying a very honourable 67-th OA. After this succesful Mille Miglia, Crepaldi decided to have chassis 008145 rebodied into a berlinetta aerodynamica by Colli exactly in the same style as the famous "disco volante" Alfa Romeos which were entrusted to Fangio, Kling and Sanesi for the 1953 Mille Miglia. Only 2 Panhards were coachbuilt by Colli in "disco volante" style. In this new configuration, still part of the Ital-France team, chassis number 008145, now registered 207363 MI, was participating at the 1953 Mille Miglia with starting number 2214 now with pilot/co-pilot Girardi-Marcani. After passing Rome, leading once again the 750 category and having covered 3/4 of the race, unfortunately the cranckshaft broke. This berlinetta "disco volante" had nevertheless made a great impression on other participants and onlookers at the side of the road, by demonstrating with panache excellent punch and incredible speed (reaching a top of 175 Km/h) partly thanks to the excellent aerodynamics. When Franco Girardi unexpectedly dies in January 1954, his widow sells chassis n° 008145 to a sollicitor from Florence, Mr. Lorenzo Lumini who, passionate about race-cars, entrusts pilot/co-pilot Bindi/Bruni his Panhard for the 1954 Mille Miglia. Their startnumber is this time 2322, but also during this Mille Miglia race, half-way between Brescia and Rome, the car brakes down once again. After that, chassis 008145 remains in the Florence area and participates at several local races in the hands of different owners and pilots. In recent years, this Panhard Gilco Colli has participated a couple of times at the historic Mille Miglia (2000 & 2006). Important to know is that today chassis 008145 is the only "Disco Volante" known to have survived from the 2 which were constructed by Colli in 1952-53! The condition of this Panhard Gilco Colli is very sound and solid but also very charming, showing convincingly her patina of ancient racing-times. We test-drove this Panhard berlinetta and were very impressed by the punch of the engine and the very direct behaviour of the car. Real good driving fun! This Panhard berlinetta "disco volante" comes with Italian registration documents (Ministero dei Trasporti & Certificato di Proprieta ), ASI Targa D'Oro certificate, FIVA ID card, Estratto Cronologico with successive owners obtained from Automobile Club d'Italia, many black/white photographs from Mille Miglia participation in the 50-ies, mentionned in the well known book "La Sport e suoi Artigiani", etc... A unique piece, with very sexy "disco volante" aluminium body and with great Mille Miglia racing history in the 50-ies and which still offers great driving fun today. The future owner can be sure that with this very select berlinetta he has 100% certitude to be accepted for the 2015 Mille Miglia.