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Mysterious, Ferrari-Badged Race Car Surfaces in California, Internet Detectives Needed

With thousands of classic cars coming out of storage each year, the term "barn find" has been diluted dramatically in the 21st century. But we still witness rare and interesting vehicles being dragged out of their barns or garages. This mysterious race car is one of those gems.
mystery race car barn find 6 photos
Photo: Dennis Collins/YouTube
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Uncovered by classic car enthusiast Dennis Collins, this 1950s speedster is as cool as classic race cars get, but it's a bit of a mystery. Don't let the Ferrari badge on the nose fool you, this bare-bones racer wasn't built in Maranello. But its true origins are unknown.

The guy who Collins bought it from doesn't know more either. He purchased it in 1970 and drove it until 1982 when he parked it in a garage. The car has been sitting ever since (that's a whopping 40 years!) and he wasn't curious enough to find out more about it.

Having just purchased and hauled the car from San Francisco, Collins wants to learn more about it and establish who manufactured it. But that's a really tough job, so he's asking for your help.

What does he know so far? Well, the body itself doesn't provide any solid hints. It actually provides more questions than answers, because while the front fascia resembles 1950s Ferrari race cars, the sides and the way the tiny doors open remind us of early Maserati racers.

At the same time, it also looks a bit like race cars built by OSCA in the 1950s. If you're not familiar with this Italian carmaker, it was founded by the Maserati brothers in 1947. The company folded in 1967 after producing limited-series race-spec spec and production cars. Collins also claims that the aluminum body is too nicely done to be a homemade project.

Things become even more confusing under the shell. Powered by a 327-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) V8 engine, this race car rides on chassis that's similar to that of the AC Cobra. There's footage of it toward the end of the video.

Making matters even more complicated, Collins discovered a serial number that says 1185. It doesn't provide any info at first glance, but one guy who commented on the video says it would match an OSCA frame. On the flip side, someone else says that the four-digit number could match an AC Ace chassis made in the late 1950s.

Could it be a re-bodied AC Ace or an OSCA racer that crashed and was rebuilt to different specifications? Or is it just a custom sports car put together with parts from various vehicles? Check out the video below and tell me what you think.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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