1984 Ferrari 308 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Leno drives Henry Ford II's all-original '52 Ferrari 212 Barchetta

The story of the relationship between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari is absolutely fascinating. The two great men of the auto industry had what appeared to be a burgeoning friendship until Ferrari pulled out of a deal to sell his company to Ford in the '60s. The latest car featured in Jay Leno's Garage is a 1952 Ferrari 212 Barchetta that tells the very beginnings of that story.
This Prancing Horse was a gift to Ford from Enzo when the two companies were first thinking about merging, according to the curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum. Ferrari really wanted to show off its best so instead of the 212's normal V12, this car was fitted with the larger 2.7-liter unit from a Ferrari 225. The car has been almost unaltered since then. It still wears its original paint, and it's tires date back to 1954.
The great thing about the Petersen is that unlike a lot of auto museums, the people there actually drive the cars and keep them in working order. Once on the road with Leno behind the wheel, this Ferrari really sings. Unfortunately, he can't open it up too much because the 60-year-old tires really hold things back. Scroll down to watch this amazing piece of automotive history and learn it's possible effect on the styling of the original Ford Thunderbird.

Mansory La Revoluzione shows at least a little restraint

Mansory has, yet again, taken a supercar and turned the dial up to 11. Or maybe 12 or 13. This time the base car is none other than the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a V12-powered GT car. Compared to Mansory's previous Ferrari GT-based creation, the Rambo-inspired Stallone that had used both the 599 and 612 as its base, the new La Revoluzione is a welcome departure.
While the Revoluzione isn't what we'd call subtle, especially from the very front- and rear-most views, we appreciate the small amount of restraint Mansory showed when styling this deep red carbon fiber-bodied car, at least on the outside. As you can see in our image gallery above, the interior of this creation is quite loud and perhaps a little bit obnoxious.
We can't argue with the results seen underhood - claimed horsepower sits at over 1,200 from a twin-turbo 6.3-liter V12 engine. That many ponies pays the expected dividends in performance, with a 0-62 run of 2.9 seconds and a top speed listed at 230 miles per hour. See it yourself in our high-res image gallery above.

Skip Barber's favorite car is a Ferrari 275 GTB

"My name is Skip Barber," says the voice at the end of this Petrolicious video, "and I'm fortunate to drive a variety of cars. My favorite car is a Ferrari 275 GTB." If you've ever heard that name before, you'll know it carries a lot of weight, and if you've ever seen a 275 GTB up close – or driven one – you know what he's talking about. Barber is a multiple Sports Car Club of America national champion and one of only a handful of American drivers to have competed in Formula One. But he's arguably better known as the founder of his namesake racing and driving schools, which operate at dozens of locations across the country. He's usually linked most prominently to the iconic Lime Rock race course. Barber rescued the Connecticut circuit when its previous owners pulled out, putting the investment together with some alumni from his school. These days Skip is the sole remaining proprietor, but as you can see from the way he talks about it, he's justifiably proud with what he's done with the place. It's one of the few automotive race tracks in the country recognized on the US National Register of Historic Places, and still hosts top-level racing – including the United SportsCar Championship that will return for the Northeast Grand Prix this summer. Between the racing career he's had, the schools he's started, and the track he's preserved, it's safe to say that Barber has left an indelible impact on the motor racing scene in America. And at 79 years old, he's showing no signs of slowing down. Related Video: