"The photo of the "?????-?????" car with race number 108 was indeed taken at Palm Springs where on October 17, 1954 George Metzger finished 8th in John Edgar's Ferrari 275-340 Touring Barchetta S/N 0032MT."

(7-27-09   From Michael Jacobsen:   (To Will Edgar)

"Hi Will:  I just noticed you endorsed the ID of car #108 at Palm Springs in Fawcett's recent photo postings on Tam's site as the Edgar 4.1 with Metzger driving. It certainly doesn't look like your car to me -- it is bronze not red, lacks the chrome grill surround, and seems to have the proportions of a 212 or 166 not a 340!  I know Metzger ran your car at PS, but I'm not sure which year this photo was taken,  and I think it may be the ex Hill/Wheeler car after Howard sold it late 54 or early 55.  What do you think?"

(7-27-09)   From author and photographer Will Edgar, son of John Edgar:

"On closer look, blowing up the picture on Tam's site, you are right, at least about it not being 0032MT.  My father's 4.1's split hood scoop, Frenched headlights and grill surround are not evident on the car in the picture on Tam's site.  Thanks for the catch.  I must have been tired when I first saw it, and eager to believe there was such a nice color photo of it.  Plus, the race-number 108 threw me off, as it was indeed the number under which Metzger ran our car at Palm Springs in October 1954."

(7-28-09)  From author and historian Michael T. Lynch: 

"Will's error was caused by me.  In our book, I listed the #108 entry as Edgar's father's car at Palm Springs.  I believe it is the ex-Jim Kimberly 340 America 0124A that Kimberly had earlier donated to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. I do not know the owner at the time the picture was taken.  I'm pretty sure Metzgar, who had an oval racing background, was driving for someone else.  See the attached ad.  Note the windshield base." 
 

"The coffee brown car is a 340 America and clearly had fresh paint. The front grille seems to be missing which might indicate paint being VERY fresh.

I think 0118A and 0124A are the only alternatives, but unfortunately it is very difficult to tell these cars apart from this angle. 0124A should have a leather strap across bonnett, but I would also think that it might have been temporarily removed to save the fancy paint. 

A rear view would solve the mystery as big round "bus lights" appeared on trunk lid of 0124A already in Kimberly's time and they were still there when the car re-appeared in CA/USA in 1957. FWIW, it also still had the leather strap across the bonnet shown in the Music Academy ad...

Basically, both 0118A and 0124A have gaps in their history, which would allow either of them receiving a coffee brown paint and appearing in Palm Springs in Oct/54. 

I'm not willing to make a guess at this point, but I'm confident that more pics will surface sooner and they will solve this mystery for good."