Tag Archives: europa

Heron Europa

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1967 Heron Europa

Offered by Brightwells | Online | November 2-5, 2020

Photo – Brightwells

Heron Plastics was based in London and got its start in 1960 building fiberglass shells for Austins. In 1962, they introduced their own car, the fiberglass-bodied Europa. It was sold for a few years, and the catalog estimates that only 12 were made.

It features a steel backbone chassis, independent suspension, and front disc brakes. Power is from a Ford inline-four, which was offered in 1.0- and 1.5-liter forms. No word on what this car has. The Europa was available as a kit or as a complete car.

Brightwells claims this is the only surviving example, though a quick Google search turns up at least one more car out there. Fun fact: this car was the inspiration for Monteverdi‘s MBM Tourismo. The pre-sale estimate on this Europa project is $10,000-$13,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,635.

Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa

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1968 Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 7, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Giotto Bizzarrini founded his company in Livorno, Italy, in 1964 after getting canned by Enzo Ferrari and after having worked at ATS and Iso. Bizzarrini S.p.A. built some race cars and their first road car was based on the Iso Grifo A3C and it was called the 5300 GT Strada.

It was a stunning road car and sold in small numbers and would ultimately be their most successful model. Meanwhile, Bizzarrini was working on a version of the 5300 GT for General Motors’ Opel division. It was a lighter model with a smaller engine. He liked it enough that he ended up building the car himself, and he called it the 1900 GT Europa.

It’s powered by a 1.9-liter Opel straight-four that makes 110 horsepower (a few cars had a 1.5-liter Fiat unit). With a fiberglass body, these cars are extremely light, making them good performers. Only 17 left the factory between 1966 and 1969, though a few more may have been assembled after the company closed down using spare parts.

Bizzarrinis rarely come up for sale, and the Europa model comes up for sale even less often. This one should bring between $300,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

Update: Sold $260,667.

250 Europa GT Alloy

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1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy by Pinin Farina

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 15, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Ferrari 250 is one of Ferraris most iconic models. The line was in production, with a number of different models, from 1953 through 1964. The Europa name was first used in 1953 on the 250 Europa. Confusingly, the 250 Europa GT would debut in 1954. It was the first road car to use Ferrari’s Colombo V-12.

That V-12 is of 3.0-liter capacity and makes 240 horsepower in this car. The difference between the Europa and Europa GT was slight, visually. The real change was the engine. The GT also had a slightly shorter wheelbase, less weight, a revised suspension and a higher top speed.

This car is one of only two Europa GTs that were bodied with Pinin Farina’s legendary design in lightweight aluminium alloy. It is a competition spec car, prepared by the Ferrari factory for the Mille Miglia – a race it would never end up entering (until the 1999 classic version, that is).

This is one of only 27 Pinin Farina-bodied Europa GTs and one of only two bodied in aluminium. And as it was originally built with competition in mind, it would make for a great car for historic tours. You can buy it for between $2,800,000-$3,400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Bonhams Amelia Island 2017, $2,227,500.

One-Off Ferrari 250 Europa by Vignale

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1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe by Vignale

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 16, 2013

1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe by Vignale

Photo – Bonhams

The Ferrari 250 Europa was the first road car variant of the Ferrari 250 – the model line that pushed Ferrari over the edge from race car builder who built road cars to road car builder who builds race cars.

This particular Europa was bodied with a one-off body by Vignale and shown at the 1954 New York Auto Show. It was purchased from Ferrari by Luigi Chinetti – the longtime U.S. importer for Ferrari and the man responsible for introducing the brand to America. He had the car painted red for the auto show. Chinetti owned the car for about five years before selling it. It bounced around and ended up in California – where it was painted purple and a Chevy V8 was installed.

A model-correct, 200 horsepower 3.0-liter V12 is in the car now. The car was bought in unrestored, original and slightly modified/damaged repaired condition in 2004-ish by Tom Shaughnessy, renowned Ferrari rescuer.

In 2009, the car went to its current owner in Switzerland, who painstakingly restored it to the exact look it had on the Auto Show stand in 1954. Only 20 250 Europas were built (not to be confused with the 250 Europa GT). Only one of them has a body that looks like this. It is expected to sell for between $2,800,000-$3,400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Auction.

Update: Sold $2,805,000.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s “Driven by Disruption,” December 2015, $3,300,000.

Update III: Sold, RM Sotheby’s “Leggenda e Passione,” September 2017, $3,440,850.