3 min
2. Stripping off (process) (9).JPG
July 3, 2023 | Carlos Preciado

HOMEWARD BOUND: A CAR’S TALE PART 2

3 min

Follow the journey of the 1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT chassis #00754 as it makes its way back to Italy for transformation at Bacchelli & Villa

Carlos Preciado
July 3, 2023

I am here, I have arrived, and how glorious it feels to be at Bacchelli & Villa among the master craftsmen and works of art! Since my arrival I have witnessed some truly magnificent craftsmanship; the restoration team really are masters of their craft, and of restoring the most beautiful vintage and important chassis in Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati history; to date, 60 Ferrari 275 GTBs and 8 Ferrari 250 LM have been restored. Simply put, I cannot wait for my turn!

Over five decades, 400 restoration projects, and countless accolades later, it is my time to shine, and I know my chassis is in good hands. The restoration team starts by slowly disassembling me and stripping me down. Starting with my glasses first, they continue to undress my interior, from my chromed frames to my cockpit resins and then right down to my fenders – I have nothing left covering me; once they remove electrical and mechanical components my body is completely stripped and I am laid bare…

1. Body stripped off with high pressure water (8).JPG
2. Mechanical Disassembly (2).JPG

I never second guessed my beautiful red color but did often wonder what it might be like to return to my original Argento Metallizzato; this next step brought that thought closer to reality. The Bacchelli & Villa team carefully expose every part of me to see the real condition of my chassis: every detail, every curve and shape of mine is caressed by the craftsmen’s hands, I have never felt so free and undressed, and ready for a new lease of life to be injected into me.

2. Stripping off (process) (18).JPG

1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT

My time at Bacchelli & Villa I have felt a sense of familiarity, like your first love that you never forget, from the caress and craftsmanship of the teams to the tantalizing atmosphere in the workshop, it was like I’d been here before. It took me a moment to realize that the last time I experienced this was over fifty years ago at my original birthplace in Maranello; the passion that I felt behind the Bacchelli & Villa team was the same passion I felt from my original artisans at the Ferrari factory; the hands felt familiar, but this was a new experience; this was more than a skill, these are the most renowned techniques combined with modern technology and know-how, passed down through generations with vibrance and passion.

Founded over half a century ago, Bacchelli & Villa has restored some of the most iconic Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati; in my short time here I’ve already seen the wonderous projects with my very own eyes, and now I am one. From a ‘simple’ repaint to a complete restoration and rebuild, the team’s dedication is palpable. Rumor has it they have won many awards and are the best at what they do, so far I can see why…