Tag Archives: Spyder

Coquettish Tease – Maserati Mistral Spyder

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Despite using many different motor configurations by 1963 when today’s featured Maserati Mistral model was launched it was the six cylinder sports and racing cars for which the marque had best become known.

Maserati Mistral Spyder, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Mistral was designed in Coupé form by Pietro Frua with additional input on the spyder from Giovanni Michelotti as a replacement for the 3500GT which had been in production since 1957.

Maserati Mistral Spyder, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Bodies for both the 828 Coupés and 125 Spyders that would be built were supplied by Maggiora of Turin up until 1970 when the last straight six DOHC Maserati was phased out.

Maserati Mistral Spyder, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Mistrals were built with three engine sizes 3.5, 3.7 and 4.0 litres / 244 cui all of which were fitted with Lucas fuel injection.

Maserati Mistral Spyder, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Today’s featured 1964 vehicle is fitted with the smaller 3.5 litre / 212 cui motor which produced 235 hp which was transmitted to the rear wheels by a 5 speed ZF manual gearbox.

Maserati Mistral Spyder, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Coquettish tease Olimpia Segura, played by Brit Ekland, manages to secure a Maserati Mistral Spyder from a would be suitor in the 1967 film The Bobo set in Barcelona and staring Peter Sellers.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coquettish Tease” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a 1963 NASCAR race car. Don’t forget to come back now !

Ivory to Burgundy – Ferrari 365 California #9127

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A couple of years ago I looked at the Ferrari 365 California Spyder chassis #9985 which was residing in the Blackhawk Museum, thanks once again to Geoffrey Horton today’s post features another of the 14 365 California Spyders this one the second of the 14 built, chassis #9127 which was the second one to be built in August 1966.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

#9127 was originally painted Ivory with a light blue interior and sold in 1967 by US Ferrari dealer Chinetti to a Marquis de Cuevas, not the same as George de Cuevas who ran the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas until he died in 1961.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

In 1968 Chinetti bought the car back and sold it, now painted blue, to self made insurance broker Burt Borman in California where it remained for the next 37 years.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

By 1975 the had been repainted it’s current burgundy and fitted with a tan interior.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

During the 1990’s the Borman’s entered the car in several Councours events including Pebble Beach in 1994.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

On June 28th 2005 #9127 was one of 29 Ferraris offered for sale at the much hyped Sotheby’s Auction held in the Ferrari Logistics Building at the Fiorano circuit in Maranello, Italy.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Future Force India owner Vijay Mallya purchased #9127 at Maranello, surprisingly it was one of only 9 of the 29 cars offered that actually changed hands.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

The car is seen here at last years Marin Sanoma Concours d’Elegance where it was entered by Robert Park of Sausalito, CA where it won second place in the 12 Cylinder Ferrari up to 1985 class.

My thanks to Geoffrey for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ivory to Burgundy” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a supercharged Buckler. Don’t forget to come back now.

Raced, Stolen & Broken Up – Ferrari 166MM Vignale Spyder S2 #0314M

With the first of 8 victories in the last 11 Mille Miglia races run in 1948 Ferrari built a huge following for his sports cars and the following year returned and won with the 166MM model of which 33 similar chassis were built and clothed with bodies from Touring, Vignale, and Zagato.

Ferrari 166MM Vignale Spyder S2, William Boddy Tribute, Brooklands

Commencing in 1952 a second series of 13 166MM chassis was built, seven of which originally had Vignale bodies like the one on #0314M which was sold to Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi who drove #0314M in hillclimb and race events through the second half of 1953.

Edoardo’s best results were two thirds one at the Circuito di Senigallia and the other in the 12 hour race at Pescara where he shared the driving with a driver called Pinzero. At the end of the 1953 season the motor was upgraded to a 3 litre / 183 cui spec and the car was sold to Primo Pezzoli competed with the car and like it’s previous owner scored a season best 3rd on the Trieste-Opicina hillclimb.

The known competition history of #0314 resumed in 1959 when Arrigo Cantelli is thought to have used it for hillclimbing. In 1961 #0314M was acquired by German treasure hunter Helmut Frevel and the following year it scored a 2nd in the 7th Tuerckheim-Les Trois Epis hillclimb and 3rd in the 4th Macon-Solutre hillclimb though on neither occasion is Frevel thought to have been at the wheel.

Frevel’s work took him to South Africa in 1963 and he took #0314M with him until 1967. In 1993 owner Peter Glaesel had the car restored by DK Engineering in Watford. In 1998 Walter Fink acquired #0314M and it appeared in the 1999 and 2000 retro Mille Miglia events. The day after the latter the car was stolen and was not heard of again until 2008 when it was found striped of everything including the motor and gearbox in an Italian scap yard.

New owner Phillip Hylander sent the car back to DK Engineering to be restored to it’s present condition in 2009 and #0314M is seen in today’s photograph at the William Boddy Tribute at Brooklands several years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Raced, Stolen & Broken Up” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Nova. Don’t forget to come back now !

8 Inches Shorter – Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB #2891 GT

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Sharing the same chassis as the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, the short wheel base (SWB) Ferrari 250 California Spyder was a fraction under 8 inches shorter than the original Long Wheel Base Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder of which 49 examples had been built 1957 and 1960.

Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Of the 55 SWB California Spyder bodies designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti 37 had faired in headlights.

Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

First seen at Geneva Motor Show in 1960 the California Spyder was powered by a 276hp version of the 3 litre / 183 cui V12 motor designed by Gioacchino Colombo.

Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

Along with the additional power the SWB California was fitted with hydraulic disc brakes in place of the drum brakes of originally fitted to the older long wheel base model.

Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

At the time of writing it is not known who first purchased chassis #2891 in 1961, but it’s three known subsequent owners all lived in Europe, so this car appears to have never seen the California sunshine for which it was built.

Thanks for joining me on this “8 Inches Shorter” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll for the start of GALPOT’S 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 celebration. Don’t forget to come back now !

The Surtees Hill Lola – Lola Chevrolet T70 Mk II Spyder SL71/43

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Team Surtees started running Lola T70’s in sports car races in 1965, for 1966 the teams proprietor, 1964 World Champion, John Surtees ran a Chevrolet Mk II spyder variant, chassis #SL71/17, in the Canadian American (Can Am) Challenge winning the inaugural Can Am race at St Jovite from pole with the car.

Surtees retired from the next couple of Can Am races with a broken oil pipe and then after a start line accident at Bridgehampton and Mosport respectively. At Laguna Seca the team had a new chassis #SL71/43, today’s featured car, which he qualified 7th but retired for a third time after 92 laps with suspension damage.

Knapfield, Lola T70, Goodwood Revival

John Surtees returned to chassis #SL71/17 at Riverside where he qualified second and won, 1962 World Champion and 1966 Indy 500 Winner Graham Hill was drafted into chassis #SL71/43 and came home third from 5th on the grid in the cars final appearance for Team Surtees.

Knapfield, Lola T70, Goodwood Revival

Surtees went into the final round of the 1966 Can Am Challenge at Stardust International Raceway in Las Vegas sharing the series lead with 1961 World Champion Phil Hill who was driving a Chaparral 2E.

Despite qualifying 4th behind Jim Hall on pole with his Chaparral team mate Phil Hill beside him and Chris Amon in a McLaren Elva in third, John Surtees forced his way through to the lead on the opening lap. John did not relinquish that lead for the entire 70 lap race and so secured the inaugural Can Am Championship.

Chassis SL71/43 was acquired by George Ralph for 1968 his best results with the car were two 11th place finishes one in the USRRC Championnat Nord-Americain race held at Mont-Tremblant from 17th on the grid and the other in the Road America Can Am race from 21st on the grid.

Current owner Paul Knapfield is seen driving the car at the 2011 Goodwood revival in these photo’s.

My thanks to Tom RA Announcer Schultz for kindly visiting his den to dig out the chassis details of today’s featured car from his copy of Lola T70 – The Design, Development & Racing History Hardcover – December 1, 2012 by John Starkey and Franco Varani.

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

Rare Spyder – Ferrari 365 California Spyder #9985

At the 1966 Geneva Motor Show Ferrari revealed two new models the Ferrari 330 GTC and today’s featured car, thanks to Geoffrey Horton’s photographs, the Ferrari 365 California Spyder of which just 14 would be built.

The 365 California Spyder is fitted with a 320 hp 4.4 litre / 268 cui V12 which is fitted to a 5 speed synchromesh gearbox and is covered by Pininfarina coachwork which features a split front bumper as first seen on the 500 Superfast Coupé and rear vents behind the front doors which would become a feature of the mid-engined Dino 246.

Being equipped with Right Hand Drive this car is easy to identify as chassis #9985, the 10 th of the 14 built and the only one to be so equipped. The expired rear UK plate RPE 909 E which was registered to Mark Tippets when he owned the car in 1986 is also a bit of a give away.

#9985 was sold to Paul Kay in June 1967 painted Blue Sera with a biege interior over the next two years the car had 3 further owners with the registration changing from “NJD 8E”, “L11” to “MNV258E” before Mark Tippets ownership. Since then the car was seen with the number “2UAE” from July 1986 to July 1990, a number still available to the owner if the car ever returns to the UK.

The car was first painted red during a restoration carried out in Florida between 1983 and 1985.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for his photographs of this rare and magnificent vehicle.

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

Will The Real #0404MD Please Stand Up – Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder #0434MD

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In 1954 Pininfarina is thought to have built Spyder bodies for 12 Ferrari 500 Mondial chassis. Sounds simple enough but it would appear there are in fact 13 chassis numbers ascribed to the type.

It turns out that the problem car for historians is the very first one #0404MD, some sources believe that this car was renumbered to #0434 after completion and before delivery to Dutchman Herman Roosdorp, while other less credible souces believe #0404MD was rebodied by Scaglietti.

What ever the truth the reasons why a car should be either renumbered or rebodied twixt completion and delivery appear to be lost in the mists of time and no car is known to exist with the #0404 MD identity today. Remember to give the new identity would mean renumbering chassis plates, chassis and engine block which is not the work of a moment and would require considerable effort. I believe the 500 Mondial PF Spyder seen in Geoffrey Horton’s photographs is #0434MD primarily on the flimsy evidence that this RHD has just a single silver/chrome central mounted mirror, a distinctive white exhaust and is known to have been seen in the Danville area. If you know better, please do not hesitate to chime in below.

If my ID is correct and wether or not the car is the renumbered #0404MD, #0434MD was believed to have been raced by Herman Roosdorp, Dries van der Lof and Joke (?) Maasland exclusively at Zandvoort between 1954 and 1956 with all three drivers securing at least one class win.

The car was restored by Edwin Niles in 1978 and you can see some photo’s of the restoration on this link.

More about 500 Mondial PF Spyders can be found on this earlier GALPOT post.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for today’s photographs taken at Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks of joining me on this “Will The Real #0404MD Please Stand Up” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a cool Lotus road car. Don’t forget to come back now !