Tag Archives: Goodwood Revival

Ringmeister – Maserati 250F T2 #2529

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For the 1957 season Maserati manufactured 3 lightweight versions of the 250F to keep pace with the Lancia Ferrari D50’s which Juan Manuel Fangio drove to his fourth World Drivers Championship title in 1956.

Third of the three T2’s was chassis #2529 which was shared during 1957 between Stirling Moss, Harry Schell and the returning ‘Old Man’ Fangio who despite his success was not overly enamoured by his time at Maranello.

Maserati 250F, by Paul Chenard


Pen&ink and markers on watercolour paper 9″x 7″ © Paul Chenard 2014

Fangio won the opening two championship races of the 1957 season at home in Argentina and in Monaco, the third race of the Championship season was the Indy 500 for which only Giuseppe Farina of the regular World Drivers Championship contenders was entered.

Farina did not start the ’57 Indy 500 which was won by Sam Hanks in the Epperly Special. Fangio then drove today’s featured 250F T2 chassis #2529 to victory in the 1957 French Grand Prix.

Maserati 250F, by Paul Chenard

Acrylic on canvas 10″x 12″ © Paul Chenard 2014

At the British Grand Prix Fangio retired #2529 with an engine problem leaving Tony Brooks and Stirling Moss to share the first championship Grand Prix victory for Vanwall.

Fangio qualified #2529 on pole, with a time 16 seconds faster than he had driving a Lancia Ferrari 1956, for the 1957 German Grand Prix alongside him Mike Hawthorn qualified 2nd in his Lancia Ferrari with the lightweight 250F T2 of Jean Behra and Lancia Ferrari of Peter Collins filling out the front row of the grid.

Maserati 250F, Denise McCluggage by Paul Chenard

1957 German Grand Prix Mural @ 9′ x 18′ © Paul Chenard 2014, with Denise McCluggage at European Motorsports, Lawrence, MA

On a hot day at the Nurburgring on August 4th 1957 the Ferrari’s of Hawthorn and Collins set off into an immediate lead of the 311 mile German Grand Prix, but by lap 3 Fangio had passed both and unbeknown to the Englishmen sailed off into the distance in order to make a large enough lead to enable him to make a scheduled pit stop, having started the race like Behra in fourth on half empty tanks.

During his pit stop Behra lost time when he broke his filler cap off while climbing back into the car. Fangio was even less fortunate spending 54 seconds in the pits after a mechanic had lost a wheel nut. Fangio rejoined the race in third place 48 seconds behind the battling Howthorn and Collins.

Maserati 250F, SIr Jackie Stewart, Goodwood Revival

Over the next 10 laps Fangio broke the Nurburgring lap record nine times seven times in succession passing Hawthorn for the lead on the penultimate lap with two wheels on the grass to record possibly the greatest Grand Prix victory ever, enough to secure “El Maestro” his fifth and final World Championship Victory.

Fangio noted after the race “I have never driven that quickly before in my life and I don’t think I will ever be able to do it again”, and later admitted “Nürburgring was my favourite track. I fell totally in love with it and I believe that on that day in 1957 I finally managed to master it. It was as if I had screwed all the secrets out of it and got to know it once and for all. . . For two days I couldn’t sleep, still making those leaps in the dark on those curves where I had never before had the courage to push things so far.”

As it turned out Fangio would not win any more championship Grand Prix races before retiring mid way through 1958, meaning the car #2529, seen driven by Sir Jackie Stewart at Goodwood Revival above, was the won in which possibly the greatest driver of all time won his last two Grand Prix victories.

Unusually unlike many of the other Maserati 250F’s it’s number was never used on any other chassis nor did it ever carry any other chassis number. Fangio drive #2529 to second place finishes championship races at Pescara and Monza with Harry Schell taking the car over for the GP Modena where he finished 3rd.

Fangio drove the car to 4th with fastest lap in the non championship 1957 GP du Maroc and 4th in the opening round of the 1958 Championship in Argentina. The car was then sold on to Scuderia Sudamericana who entered #2529 for Giorgio Scarlatti and Jo Bonnier who achieved little by way of success apart from a win for Bonnier in a non championship Formula Libre race at Watkins Glen.

Scuderia Ugolini entered the #2529 again for Giorgio Scarlatti in 1959 it’s final championship appearance being in the 1960 Argentinian Grand Prix from which Scarlatti retired with overheating issues.

After spending time in the Briggs Cunningham museum #2529 was bought by Hartmut Ibing in 1988 in a silent auction.

I did not realise it at the time I took the photograph but having Sir Jackie Stewart drive Fangio’s ’57 German Grand Prix winning car at Goodwood was particularly pertinent because Sir Jackie also took a famous win at the Nurburgring, but this time in the rain in the German Grand Prix of 1968.

My thanks to Paul Chenard for kindly allowing me to use reproductions of his artwork in today’s post.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ringmeister” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when for a look at a Bugatti. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS in a fitting tribute to David McKinney who wrote the definitive “Maserati 250F” last weeks featured 250F #2522/16/23/26 now owned by Graham Adelman was present at Davids funeral last week. My thanks to Tim Murray for forwarding this information.

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Never Beaten In Class – Ferrari 250 GTO #4293GT

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Today’s featured Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #4293GT was originally assigned to Scuderia San Ambreous, the same team who famously fielded Formula One debutant Giancarlo Baghetti in the 1961 French Grand Prix which he promptly won, however for reasons that are not clear to me at the time of writing Scuderia San Ambreous never took delivery of the car which instead ended up in the hands of Belgian Jacques Swaters and his Ecurie Francorchamps equipe in April 1963.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

Willy Mairesse drove #4293GT to an overall victory on it’s debut in the 500km race at Spa. The cars next outing was in the Le Mans 24 hours where noted Businessman/Jazz Guitarist/Car Collector and Sponsor Jean “Beurlys” Blaton shared the driving with Gérald Langlois van Ophem to record the 250 GTO models 2nd consecutive second place finish some 16 laps behind the winning prototype Ferrari 250 P driven by Lorenzo Bandini and Ludovico Scarfiotti.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Connor, Goodwood Revival

“Beurlys” then drove #4293 GT to victory in a race at Zolder before the cars final appearance race appearance in the 1963 12 hour race at Reims where the car appears to have been driven solo by Belgian Lucien Bianchi to a 3rd overall and first in class. #4293 was driven in practice for the 1964 1000kms race at the Nurburgring by Lucien Bianchi, Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella but the car never took the start meaning it record of four starts and four class victories remained intact.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Connor, Goodwood Revival

No further in period races are recorded for #4293GT and by the end of 1963 the car was in the United States where it remained until 1982. From 1982 to to 1996 #4293GT went to Japan and thence to Hong Kong until 2002 when it was acquired by William E. ‘Chip’ Connor of Incline Village, NV who is seen driving the car above in the 250 GTO 50th Anniversary demonstration at Goodwood Revival a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Never Beaten In Class” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking a my favorite Ginetta model. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Hermann’s GTO – Ferrari 250 GTO #4115GT

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In 1961 23 year old Hermann Cordes visited the Porsche factory with the intention of buying a couple of Porsche’s to race but found the atmoshpere less than friendly and left with out spending so much as a phennig. On his way home the dissapointed would be racing driver went to Frankfurt where serendipidously the Frankfurt Motor Show was happening.

At the show Hermann spoted a light blue Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta similar, so he thought, to the vehicle that had won it class in the 1000kms at the Nurburgring earlier in the year and purchased it along with a Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 for a little more than the price of four of the Porsche’s he had set out to buy.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

According to legend on the 15th of April 1962 Hermann inadvertently parked his Ferrari 250 GT SWB in the competitors car park at the Eberbach hillclimb and before he knew it the steel bodied car had been given a racing number and Hermann a provisional competition licence and his career got underway. A couple ofweeks later he raced the car at Achum where he finished 3rd.

On the 1st of May Hermann’s 250 GT SWB came into contact with a deer on a public road and the SWB ended up backed into a tree an insurance write off. Hermann escaped more or less unharmed and with the insurance money ordered today’s featured Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #4115GT, which turned out to be the only 250 GTO ever sold new to a German customer.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Vestey, Goodwood Revival

While he was waiting for delivery of #4115GT and before going down to Maranello and then Scalietti’s factory on Modena verify it’s existence and identity, Hermann took the bumpers off his 250 GTE and competed with that. In December 1962 Hermann took delivery of the Grigio metallic 250 GTO chassis #4115GT, before selling his 250 GTE in February 1963 to Guenter Seifert.

In 1963 Hermann competed with #4115GT in the hills and on the track winning his class on the Bad Neuenahr hillclimb and winning overall in a GT race at Hockenheim. Hermann’s last recorded race was at Avus where he finished 2nd.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Vestey, Goodwood Revival

In 1964 Manfred Ramminger bought the car, to which Hermann had added black, gold and red stripes. Manfred shared #4115GT with Herbert Schander at the Nurburgring 1000kms where they finished 20th overall and 5th in class, and driving 4115GT solo Manfred won at Mainz Finthen and Avus before selling the car on to Werner Lindermann for the 1965 season.

Werner won a GT race at the Nurburgring before returning with the previous owner Manfred for the 1000kms where they came home 23rd overall, but this time second in class. Werner then drove 4115GT to it’s second victory at Avus, a second victory at Mainz Finthen and a win at Trier. At the end of 1965 Werner offered the #4115GT, now painted signal red, for sale at around half of it’s original cost.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Vestey, Goodwood Revival

H. P. Burkhardt of Switzerland bought the car in 1966 and in 1967 it was driven Peter Ettmueller to a final class victory on the Ollon-Villars hillclimb. In 1972 #4115GT moved to the UK under the ownership of T.A. Bob Roberts who had it displayed in the Midland Motor Museum, Stanmore Hall, GB.

Present owner Paul Vesty, now Sir, bought #4115GT in 1981 and he is seen demonstrating the car during the 250 GTO 50th Anniversary Tour at Goodwood Revival in 2012.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

My thanks to Michael “Tuboscocca” at The Nostalgia Forum directing me to an article by Gregor Schulz that appeared in Old Timer markt regarding Herman Cordes in April 2006.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hermann’s GTO” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Ginetta no enthusiast should miss. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The White RHD One – Ferrari 250 GTO #3729GT

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Blacksmiths, wheelwrights and coachbuilders Coombs of Guildford was founded in the 19th Century. Descendant of the founders John Coombs was taken to Brooklands before the 1939-45 was and on completion of his apprenticeship in 1949 began motor racing in open wheelers and sportscars with some success. He retired from race driving, after winning two races in a day at Mallory Park, because his business commitments no longer gave him the necessary time to compete, so he made the switch to becoming an entrant.

Teaming up with some of the best drivers of the day including his former Connaught team mate Roy Salvadori, BRM driver Ron Flockhart, John built up an excellent reputation with Coopers and Jaguar’s as Coombs of Guildford grew to become a major Jaguar dealership. When he was told Lotus founder Colin Chapman was interested in buying a Jaguar John had no hesitation in putting Colin, against whom he used to race, in one of his cars for a race at Silverstone which Colin promptly won and suitably impressed Colin duly placed his order.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

In July 1962 John took delivery of a white right hand drive Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #3729GT after it became clear that the Jaguar E-Type was too heavy to compete against Maranello’s finest. Despite being driven by the likes of Salvadori, Graham Hill and Mike Parkes, all of whom were or went on to compete in Formula One, the car did not record any victories in 1963 but it did record a string of second places.

John also sent the car to Coventry where Jaguar made a close inspection of it before building John the first of 11 lightweight E-types with aluminium mononcoques and engine blocks.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

In 1964 Viscount Eddie Portman took over ownership of #3729GT who added another second place result before it was entered for Ritchie Ginther to drive in the Tourist Trophy run at Goodwood where he finished 9th.

JA Pearce of JA Pearce Engineering then used #3729 in a couple of sprints run at Brighton and Blackbushe airport in late 1964 and early 1965.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

John also known as Jack Pearce spotted the opportunity for building a formula one car for the new 3 litre / 183 cui regulations which became effective from the beginning of 1966 using a 250 GTO motor. For many years it was believed that the motor from #3729 found it’s way into the back of the JA Pearce 1964 Cooper T73 built originally for the older 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui formula.

In fact Chris Lawrence, who drove and co owned the Cooper Ferrari, many years later discovered that instead of having a Ferrari 250 GTO motor the Cooper was actually fitted with a on older less powerful motor that came out of Rob Walkers 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB #2735GT which had been driven by Stirling Moss to a string of five race victories. Unfortunately the unique Cooper Ferrari T73 was destroyed in a transporter fire at Silverstone in 1967, although the charred remains of both the motor and car are known to still exist.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

After #3729 had been sold on to noted historic racer Neil Corner in 1966 it was painted red and from 1970 to 1999 it belonged to 1958 and ’63 British Saloon Car Champion Jack Sears, who had raced the #3729 for John Coombs at Brands Hatch and Snetterton in 1963.

1n 1999 current owner Jon Shirley bought the car and had a new engine block installed by Ferrari Classiche nine years later.

Thanks for joining me on this “The White RHD One” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Lower Exhaust More Hot Luggage – Ford GT 40 MK III #M3 1103

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Today’s featured car is a Ford GT40 Mk III chassis M3 1103, I believe the third of just seven built under JW Automotive’s direction at Slough.

Ford GT40 Mk III, Goodwood Revival

#M3 1103 was built in 1968 and sold to the Chairman of Beaverbrook Newspapers Sir Max Aitken who kept it for four years before selling it to someone who had flared wheel arches fitted to accommodate alloy wheels and repainted white with blue stripes.

The third owner kept the car at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu for many years through the 1980’s.

CKL Developments were responsible for preserving #M3 1103, which has less than 6,500 miles on the clock to it’s original condition and correct deep red colour for it’s forth and current owner.

Since my original GT40 Mk 111 post I have found out that the tailpipes on the Mk III were lowered to run alongside the gearbox, as opposed to over the top of the gearbox on all previous incarnations of the GT40, which allowed for a larger luggage space on top of the gearbox with the disadvantage that the luggage was now much warmer than had previously been the case.

The white car featured a couple of years ago is #M3 1107, the last of the GT40’s to be made in Slough, it has been retained by Ford since the day it was completed. #M3 1107 has been seen in numerous museums and for a while was used as personal transport by Ford’s über Public Relations executive Walter Hayes while he was based at Ford HQ in Dearborn.

#M3 1103 is seen above at the Goodwood Revival meeting where both it at #M3 1107 are regularly used as course cars during the running of the Goodwood Revival race meetings.

Thanks for joining me on this “Lower Exhaust More Hot Luggage” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me for a look at a one off vehicle commissioned from Ferrari and Pininfarina. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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Three Wheels On My Wagon – Ford GT Prototype Roadster #GT/111

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In 1965 Ford’s open check book approach to winning the Le Mans 24 hours was in full swing when today’s car, first appeared in public at the Le Mans Test weekend where it was driven by John Whitmore and Richard Attwood to a 6th fastest time.

In all four steel chassis Ford GT Prototype Roadsters were built, #GT/108 and #GT/109 were sent straight from Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England to Carrol Shelby for testing #GT/108 never raced and #GT/109 made a single race appearance, entered by Ford France at Le Mans in 1965 where Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier retired with gearbox problems. Additionally a fifth roadster was built with an aluminium chassis #GT110 this car was developed by Bruce McLaren and Howden Ganely and is known as the GT X1 which was further differentiated from it’s siblings by the use of a Ford Galaxie derived 7 litre / 427 cui motor and a Hewland gearbox all of which resulted in a car 1000 lbs lighter than the original Ford GT Prototypes.

#GT/111 and #GT112 were the last of 12 Ford GT prototypes to be built in Slough and the pair took part in just three races entered by Ford Advanced Vehicles run by John Wyer. Wyer had been team manager at Aston Martin when Roy Salvadori and Carrol Shelby drove the Aston Martin DBR1 to victory in Le Mans in 1959.

Carrol Shelby now running his own race shop and contracted to enter some of Ford’s GT cars persuaded Ford to run the heavier more powerful iron block 4.7 litre 289 cui V8 from the Cobra racing programme in place of the original GT Spec 4.2 litre / 256 cui Windsor derived motor, apart from X1 all the GT Roadsters appear to have been fitted with Shelby’s Cobra 289 cui V8’s.

Newall, Ford GT Roadster, Goodwood Revival

#GT/111 was painted white and fitted with wire wheels for it’s first public appearance was at Le Mans, a month later #GT/111 was painted a curious shade of Green, a gesture to the chassis and entrants British heritage, it was also fitted with Shelby magnesium wheels for the Targa Florio.

John, now Sir John, Whitmore and Bob Bondurant were chosen as Ford’s sole representatives in #GT111 which was to compete against three works Ferrari 275P/2’s fitted with the latest 3.3 litre / 201 cui 4 cam V12 motors.

A couple of months ago I went to a talk by Sir John organised by the Club Lotus Avon, in which he related how he was speeding along when the left front wheel came adrift forcing him to stop, Sir John replaced the wheel with the mandatory spare and secured it with the original hub nut which had been returned to him by a policeman and continued on his way, contemporary reports tell how the loose wheel took down some overhead railway power lines !

On lap 8 of the 10 lap race, each lap being run over a 44 mile 72 km closed (narrow) road circuit, Bob Bondurant crashed after sliding on gravel into a wall and then bouncing into a water trough which tore off a front wheel and it’s suspension. The 1965 Targa Florio was won in 7 hours and 1 min by local hero Nino Vacarrela and Lorenzo Bandini driving a Ferrari 275P/2.

The damage to #GT/111 was never repaired and a similarly painted #GT112 appeared in it’s only works entered appearance for the 1000 km race at the Nurburgring driven by Attwood and Whitmore who retired with an engine mounting failure having started from 6th on the grid.

Of all the GT Roadsters the aluminium light weight #GT110 X1 had the longest works supported career having been entered in 4 races by Bruce McLaren for Chris Amon in 1965 who scored a best 5th place finish in the 200 mile race at Riverside. The following season X1 appeared with original GT Roadster type bodywork in the Sebring 12 hours entered by Shelby American for Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby who won the race from 5th on the grid. X1 was subsequently ordered destroyed by customs officials.

At he end of 1965 Ford moved it’s entire GT racing developemnt programme out of Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough to Shelby and Kar Kraft in the United States, #GT/112 was sold to Peter Sutcliffe who raced the car in 1966 and scored a couple of season high second place finishes one in South Africa and the other in France during the 1967 season. For 1968 Bob Vincent acquired the car and appears to have won second time out in an open class race run at Aintree.

The damaged #GT/111 was scheduled to be scrapped, however the scrap yard saved the chassis which was acquired by the present owner, in 2006, after Ford GT expert Ronnie Spain verified #GT/111’s identity. The car seen in this photo driven by Andrew Newall at the Goodwood revival a couple of years ago, has been restored by Glescoe Motorsport and is to appear at RM auctions in May 2014.

Thanks for joining me on this “Three Wheels On My Wagon” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Back To Sheet Metal By The Acre – Plymouth Fury III Station Wagon

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Two years the launch of the mid size 1962 Chryslers, Plymouths and Dodges that were born of a misunderstood overheard conversation that Chevrolet were about to exit the full size car market, Chrysler swallowed it’s pride and losses and went back into the business of selling sheet metal by the acre. On of the products of the policy U turn was today’s featured car the full size fourth generation 1965 Plymouth Fury Station Wagon.

Plymouth Fury III, Goodwood Revival

The ’65 Furys were available with 5 engine options up to 440 cui / 7.2 liters, today’s featured car is listed with the smallest small block Chrysler A 318 cui / 5.2 liter V8 such as used by Bristol to power the 408 MkII, 409 and 410 models up until 1969.

Plymouth Fury III, Goodwood Revival

Fourth generation Furys were available with 3 option packages, basic Fury Is were used by the police and taxi cab companies, in 1966 the Fury III was topped by the VIP (Very Important Plymouth) option package.

Plymouth Fury III, Goodwood Revival

Automatic transmissions, air conditioning, power windows and seats were available on top of the option packages.

Plymouth Fury III, Goodwood Revival

Only Fury II and Fury III Station Wagon’s could be ordered with a third row of seats to bring the seating up to 9 from the regular 6.

Plymouth Fury III, Goodwood Revival

Production of the fourth generation Fury came to an end in 1968, although a right hand drive Australian version of the fourth generation Fury, known as the Dodge Phoenix, continued uninterrupted form 1965 to 1973.

Thanks for joining me on this “Back To Sheet Metal By The Acre” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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