After winning the 1964 Italian Grand Prix John Surtees was just four points behind World Championship leader Graham Hill and two points behind Jim Clark in the Championship standings.

Enzo Ferrari in a fit of pique announced that he would not be entering his Ferrari’s in the last two rounds of the world championship because the Italian Automobile Club and international racing authority the FIA had been unable to accommodate the Ferrari 250 LM and later 275 LM as a GT car because insufficient numbers had been built.

Instead, for the 1964 US and Mexican Grand Prix, Enzo had the 158’s painted White and Blue, the colours of the North American Racing Team, NART, who entered the cars on Ferrari’s behalf.

John Surtees finished second to Graham Hill in the ’64 US Grand Prix and was now five points behind Graham in the standings. Because only the best six points from a maximum of ten counted toward the championship Graham dropped two points.

At the Mexican Grand Prix John Surtees again finished second while his championship rivals Jim Clark and Graham Hill failed to score points so that John clinched the 1964 Drivers Championship by a single point while Ferrari clinched the Construtors championship by three points from BRM.

Today’s chassis is described as having an original engine that was part of the ’64 Mexican GP original gearbox and running gear and as being “rebuilt under the watchful gaze” of Ferrari’s ’64 Cheif Mechanic Guilio Borsari.

There is a petition to get John Surtees the knighthood he so richly deserves for being the only man to win World Championships on two wheels and four, if you would like to sign FOLLOW THIS LINK.

Thanks for joining me on this “Arise Sir John ? Pt 2” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Jaguar Special. Don’t forget to come back now !