Chassis No. 00137

Engine No. 889818

Picture it, if you will, a young American on a tour of Continental Europe in the late 1950s. They have no real itinerary, but they do have plans and ambition to be sure – and a love for motorsport. It could be the narrative for any number of Hollywood dramas, yet for Peter Carpenter, this was him in 1958. When he discovered single seat "monoposto" formula cars the next few years of his life were about to get much more interesting. Not satisfied with merely spectating the next season, Carpenter surveyed the field of manufacturers, looking at who would provide the most competitive Formula Junior entry for 1959.

The entry-level single seat Formula Junior class, with rules designed to give budding drivers experience before graduating to Formula Two, featured numerous chassis constructors all looking to make their mark. At the time, none were as successful as Automobili Stanguellini. Based in Modena, Italy, the small firm became synonymous with Formula Junior due to the volume of their successes and the drivers that flocked to their cars. Lorenzo Bandini, Wolfgang von Trips, Colin Davis, Walt Hansgen, and Michael May all drove Stanguellini Formula Juniors. Even five-time Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio spent time behind the wheel of a Stanguellini Formula Junior providing important technical feedback.

With such acclaim, Carpenter would pilot a Stanguellini, specifically chassis number 00137, throughout the 1959 Formula Junior Campionato Italiano season. Dennis Jenkinson would record Carpenter's efforts in a December 1959 Motorsport article recounting that he "bought a Stanguellini with almost his last dollar and then looked around to start racing." "Jenks" recounted that "he (Carpenter) was in no financial position to start racing, but his enthusiasm to be a racing driver would not let that deter him." Jenks noted that Carpenter drove well and the results would back that up with an impressive 5th place at Monza and a 2nd place podium finish at the Circuito Di Salerno in July 1959. In February 1960, Carpenter brought the car to the Americas, racing it to 2nd and 11th place finishes in the "Gran Premio" races in Havana, Cuba. Chassis number 00137's last known outing resulted in a 12th place finish at Sebring in April of that year. The life of a topflight racing car is often a short one, and with Carpenter's purchase of a rear-engined Lotus for 1961, his faithful Stanguellini was retired. Carpenter likely kept 00137 until 1971 due to the unmodified condition it displayed when it entered a Miami, Florida automobile museum's collection.

In 1994 the car was sold to its third owner who returned it to operational condition without fully restoring it. The car received fresh paint and the reapplication of Carpenter's start number 31 which were then aged to keep the exterior finish harmonious with the rest of the car. A surprisingly original Formula Junior, it is believed that 00137 retains its original aluminum bodywork by Carrozzeria Gransport and its original 1,089 cc Fiat Topolino engine along with a host of other original racing components, like Borrani wire wheels, its steering wheel, and Veglia and Allemano gauges from that Northern Italian mecca of race car construction. While the car has been extensively shown at Concours d'Elegance like Meadow Brook and Greenbrier, it has also been invited to be displayed at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

Today, the Formula Junior category is as active as any point since the early 1960s. Numerous championships like the FIA Lurani Trophy and prestigious events like the Goodwood Revival (Chichester Cup) and Monaco Historic Grand Prix along with vintage racing series throughout North America that cater to Formula Juniors. No doubt they would be accepting of one of the more original and preserved examples from one the most successful marques of the romantic era of monoposto racing cars, Automobili Stanguellini.

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