Millions of kids dream of one day owning the real versions of the toy cars they push around on their bedroom floor, but not many ever make that dream a reality. And if that miniature happens to be based on a rare piece of Italian motorsport history, of which only a few examples survive, there are basically two options: keep dreaming or blow up that dream to bigger proportions.
Ferrari enthusiasts with a soft spot for racing history have probably seen grainy black and white images of the Scuderia race transporter from the late 1950s. This unbelievably cool-looking Fiat bus, with a roof rack and an open double rear deck, was tailor made by Italian coachbuilder Bartoletti in 1957 to deliver Ferraris to racetracks all over Europe.
Although the history of these machines is not conclusive, it’s believed that Bartoletti, based in Forli, initially built either one or two transporters for Ferrari, and at least one other for Maserati, based on the Fiat 642 RN2 bus chassis. These haulers were state of the art, and Ferrari later ordered at least one similar transporter based on Fiat’s 682 RN chassis. The partially open bodywork allowed the transporters to carry three race cars, a crew of five, and a store of tools and parts.
Old Fiat fire truck formed foundation of replica.
Some enthusiasts might also know the Ferrari transporters from the 1/18-scale model made by German company CMC. First released in 2013 and re-released in 2024, this expensive, multi-award winning piece of man-cave art consists of more than 3,000 individual parts—and yes, I have one of these beauties on a shelf in my office.
Thus, I was understandably excited to receive a message from the organizer of the Dutch national Concours d’Elegance informing me that a full-scale re-creation of this very truck would be at the 2025 event. During the show, I not only examined the transporter at length, but spoke with owner Hans Hendericks and accepted his invitation for a visit to dig deeper into the project.
In an unassuming building behind his son’s classic car dealership in Venlo, Hendericks welcomes me with typical southern Dutch hospitality. Over pie and tea, the 64-year-old retired business owner tells me about the conception—and completion—of a project that is as fascinating as it is unbelievable.
Wrecked Fiat bus, which resided at bottom of Italian ravine for decades, supplied front axle and other components.
“The story begins in the summer of 2016, when my wife and I were on vacation in Italy,” says Hendericks. “That’s where the idea emerged to start a company that would rent convertibles, specifically Alfa Romeo Spiders, for customers to tour beautiful European locations in groups, comparable to modern iterations of rallies like the Mille Miglia. One month later, CabrioRentEvents was officially founded, and it proved successful. Within a short time, we had 12 bright red Spiders in our fleet.
“To transport these classics, I looked for a suitable vehicle that could double as a promotional tool,” he continues. “This is where the CMC scale model comes in, because, after seeing a picture of it online, I came up with the ambitious idea of having a vehicle like that constructed in full size.”
TO ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION FOR THIS CREATION, Hendericks purchased in Italy an old fire truck based on a Fiat 642, the same chassis used for the Ferrari transporter. Or at least that’s what he thought at the time.
Stripped fire truck chassis, straight-six diesel engine.
“After some online detective work, I had found the fire truck in Cuneo,” he recalls. “It was still drivable but not easy to handle, because it had two gear levers and required double clutching. The top speed was only 50 to 60 kph [about 35 mph], which is terribly slow, of course, but apparently not an issue on the winding mountain roads where the fire brigade used it.”
Once the Fiat arrived in The Netherlands, Hendericks teamed up with local body shop Sraar Roebbers Autoschade and immediately started dismantling it. However, they quickly realized that turning the beaten-up truck into a beautiful transporter would be a massive project that required expert knowledge, so Hendericks contacted truck restorer Theo Klaassen for advice and support. More specifically, he grabbed one of his three CMC models, drove to Klaassen, and said, “This is what I want to build in full scale.”
Klaassen was surprised by the unusual request, but said it could be done. After starting work, though, Klaassen discovered that Hendericks’ truck chassis was taller than the original bus chassis, which also features curves above the rear axle and different subassemblies underneath.
Fabricating new bodywork proved most difficult part of project.
“We ended up using only part of the truck chassis, as well as the wheels, hubs, and various smaller components,” says Hendericks, who then began searching the internet for missing parts. “That’s how I located a crashed Fiat 642 RN2 bus chassis in Italy. It had been lying upside down at the bottom of a ravine for decades. Google Maps allowed me to see exactly where it was, and I traveled to Italy with an angle grinder and a toolbox to harvest some salvageable parts. After a Sunday of hard work, I had a front axle with spring mounts, the driveshaft, and some smaller components!”
Once back in The Netherlands, it turned out the salvaged front axle had a narrower track than the bus chassis, so it wouldn’t match the body. Undeterred, the two men decided to build a new axle themselves, since, even in Italy, they no longer exist. The leaf springs also had to be fabricated, and an even bigger problem loomed on the horizon.
Hendericks and Klaassen eventually discovered that the fire truck’s cabin wasn’t correct, either, so they decided to remove it and build an entirely new body. This was done completely by hand, using period factory information and photographs, and was easily the most challenging part of the entire project.
“On the sides, the lower section had to be straight, with a significant outward curve in the middle and a gentle outward curve at the top,” Hendericks explains. “The doors and windows obviously had to follow that curved shape, which added to the challenge. Replicating that was difficult, but our coachbuilder did a magnificent job.”
Hendericks overhauled most of the straight-six diesel engine himself. The old fire truck’s gearbox, clutch, and rear axle were still in good condition, which he claims is not surprising since such vehicles typically cover very few miles. After thoroughly inspecting the drivetrain, and replacing the seals, fluids, and other consumables, the grille was removed and the engine slid in from the front.
The big jobs were as difficult as you’d expect, but even seemingly simple things, such as finding the correct headlights, weren’t easy.
“Fortunately, we found them thanks to a friend who recognized them as Marchal headlights, the same as used by Ferrari for various 250 models,” Hendericks recalls. “He told us that he knew a guy who might still have a set in the original packaging.”
The finished transporter is a thing of beauty. The interior is so nice I don’t dare to enter without taking off my shoes. The cabinets, wood paneling, and metal finishings were all supplied and custom made by a yacht builder, and even the car lift in the back was replicated in exact detail.
“It works flawlessly,” Hendericks says with a smile, “but unfortunately, I have not yet had the chance to load any period-correct Formula 1 Ferraris. I’d love to show it at an event with three Shark Noses.”
Restored engine and transmission installed from front.
After climbing in, around, and even under the truck for more than an hour, Hendericks still has more details and anecdotes.
“The logo at the front is a work of art,” he says, knocking it with his fingers so I can hear that it’s solid metal. “They machined it first, but that did not give the right result, so they started over and used a laser. I don’t know exactly how, but look at it; isn’t that magnificent?”
His enthusiasm is understandable, especially when you consider this part alone took over 50 hours to make!
FERRARI’S ORIGINAL 1950S RACE TRANSPORTERS were a costly investment, but they remained in service until 1970, covering hundreds of thousands of kilometers traveling to F1 and sports car races. Later, they also delivered special customer cars to dealers.
Hendericks’ re-creation was also a significant investment, one that blew his original budget to pieces. He’s reluctant to talk specifics about the cost, saying only, “At a certain point, when I reached around €150,000, I stopped counting. Whenever people ask me this question, I always answer, ‘A lot.’”
The planned deadline was also missed quite badly, so much so that Hendericks sold the Spider rental business before the transporter’s eight-year gestation was completed. But he doesn’t mind.
Bunks behind driver allowed mechanics to rest at, and on the way to, races.
“For now, I just enjoy owning it,” Hendericks says. “I’m so happy that it is finished and I am so proud of it. I can look at it and talk about it for hours.”
One thing he won’t do, however, is drive it.
“It drives perfectly fine, but I believe it is too valuable to risk it in ordinary traffic and to use it as a real transporter,” he admits. “It barely reaches 85 kph [53 mph], so keeping up with traffic is also a challenge, let alone if it was loaded with cars. Instead, we load it onto a flatbed when attending events, because we certainly want to show it to the world.”
Building a custom race transporter for a classic car rental business, and then ending up transporting the transporter as a showpiece? This is the kind of story that shows, once again, the power of the Ferrari dream.
