05 October 2008

PORTUGAL - CARAMULO (museum)

FERRARI 195 - Inter - 1950

Museu do Caramulo Two brothers, Abel and João de Lacerda founded in the 1950's, a unusual museum in a small town called Caramulo, situated on a mountain in the center of Portugal with a luxuriant vegetation overlooking an 80 km valley: the vastest panoramic view of the country.Abel de Lacerda, lover of art, has constructed a building based on the most recent concepts of modern museums so as to exhibit an unusual collection of arte: 500 objects that range from sculptures, furniture, ceramics and tapestries from the roman era to Picasso.João de Lacerda, great automobile lover, constructs another building next to the first with the intention of exhibiting 100 cars and motorbikes that are easily taken in and out of the Museum for maintenance and demonstrations.With the premature death of Abel de Lacerda in 1957, the Fundação Abel de Lacerda was created – today Fundação Abel e João de Lacerda – the institution that runs the Museu do Caramulo, with both buildings for Art and Automobiles, open to the public all year round. More than one million visitors have come to the Museu do Caramulo in its fifty years of existence. The 195 Inter was a GT car produced by Ferrari in 1950. Introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, it was similar to the 166 Inter shown a year earlier and was aimed at the same affluent clientele. Like the last of the 166 Inters, the wheelbase was stretched by 80 mm (3.1 in) to 2500 mm (98.4 in), but the larger 2.3 L (2341 cc/142 in³) version of the Colombo V12 was the true differentiator. Coachwork was custom, and 27 were built in less than a year. The more-potent (but otherwise similar) Ferrari 212 Inter was introduced at the 1951 Paris show and outlived the 195. The engine increase was accomplished by pushing the bore from from 60 to 65 mm, though the 58.8 mm stroke was retained. A single Weber 36DCF carburettor was normally fitted, for a total output of 130 hp (96 kW) though some used triple carbs.

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