Tag Archives: Trophy

Double Austrian GT Champ – Ferrari 250 GTO #3505

In April 1962 UDT Laystall racing took delivery of a Ferrari 250 GTO chassis number 3505 painted pale green as were all the other cars in the UDT Laystall team run by dentist and one time Indy 500 competitor Alfred Moss father of Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Stirlings former manager Ken Gregory.

Ferrari 250GTO, Goodwood Revival

The cars first outing was at the 1962 Le Mans test where Willy Marrise recorded 2nd fastest time in #3505, he appears to have driven several other Ferrari’s over the weekend including the fastest car a 250GT SWB chassis #2689. Innes Ireland and Marsten Gregory shared the car for the rest of the season Marsten scored to 2nd place finishes at Silverstone before he and Ireland retired the car at Le Mans with a combination of starter and battery problems after completing just under half the distance of the race.

Innes Ireland drove the #3505 to victories at Brands Hatch and again in the 1962 Tourist Trophy run at Goodwood where the car is seen above fifty years after the event. With just seven events entered the car was sold to Austrian Dr. Gunther Placheta.

Ferrari 250GTO, Goodwood Revival

Dr. Gunther Placheta was an alias for the actor Gunther Philipp who raced under the pseudonym “Giulio Pavesi” and used the #3505 in racing and hillclimbing events in 1963 and 1964 claiming 4 overall victories from nine events known to have been entered claiming the 1963 and 1964 Austrian GT championships in the process.

Since 1964 #3505 has spent most of it’s time with owners in the United Kingdom in 2000 the #3505 sold for $8 million and went to the Matsuda collection.

Ferrari 250GTO, Goodwood Revival

The car was back in the UK with a new Dutch owner by 2005 and last year was sold far a reputed $35 million to it’s current owner wireless billionaire Craig McCaw who by strange coincidence is also the husband of former US Ambassador to Austria Susan Rasinski McCaw. The reputed $35 million price paid makes this car twice as expensive as the most expensive car sold at auction last year the $16 million 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype.

It should be noted that #3505 was neither owned by Sir Stirling Moss other than through any financial interest he may have had in his fathers racing team British Racing Partnerships which raced under the UDT Laystall banner in 1962 and nor is there any record that #3505 was ever raced by Sir Stirling Moss in period.

Thanks for joining me on this “Double Austrian GT Champ” 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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Financial Stabiliser – Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupé #1083GT

In the late 1950’s in order to stabilise the company finances Enzo Ferrari commissioned Pinin Farina to design a coupé suitable for series production.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

The 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé was launched at the 1958 Milan Motor Show with the last, featuring a superfast tail being shown at the 1961 London Motor Show.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina (PF) Coupé boasted 240 hp at 7000 rpm from it’s 3 litre / 183 cui V12 which was connected to a four speed gearbox and a live rear axle with semi elliptic leaf sprung suspension. The 250 GT Coupé was capable of 150 mph and rest to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

The independent front suspension comprised double wishbones and coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. Until 1959 drum brakes were used on all four wheels.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

This particular car was one of two delivered from the factory to Tourist Trophy Garages in Farnham Surrey who displayed it at the 1958 London Motor Show at Earls Court.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

Tourist Trophy Garages belonged to the Hawthorn family who’s son Mike became the first British World Champion driver, driving for Ferrari, in 1958.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

The car seen here was sold to an Irish land owner in 1958 and turned up in a sorry state of repair in the 1980’s at Maranello Concessionaires, which took over the UK Ferrari Franchise after Mike Hawthorn’s death in 1959, who had the car restored. The car has belonged to it’s current owner since 1993.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

It is thought just over 350 of these cars were built, most of the steel bodies were fitted at a factory purpose built by Pinin Farina, in Ferrari’s terms going into series production for the first time proved a huge success.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupé, BIAMF

Due to the phenomenal depreciation rates of these cars, many were subsequently cannibalised for parts and some even turned into replica’s of more sought after models, it is thought only half of the production run has survived.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Financial Stabiliser’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be featuring a Lotus 77 Grand Prix car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Giving Up Is Hard To Do – Cross Trophy

Last Wednesday, after a break of some 20 years, I became a car owner again. Thanks to my folks purchasing a new Golf TSI, I found myself taking on their 12 year old Golf Estate.

Volkswagen Golf, Bristol Classic Car Show

My first adventure in it was on Saturday to the Bristol Classic Car Show at Shepton Mallet, see above, and on Sunday I drove my new pride and joy to Duncan’s farm just outside Bristol in Dundry and attempted to retain the Cross Trophy which I won at last years Bristol Pegasus Motor Club‘s production car trial meeting.

Cross Trophy, Dundry

Arriving promptly at mid day the first problem, thanks to the wettest drought on record, was to get all the competitors on to that part of the field where the competition was scheduled to take place. Pete, one of the marshals, thoughtfully brought his Land Rover with him so that Andy, in the Citroen Saxo above and I could, with the aid of a tow, at least make it to the start line of the first test.

Volkswagen Beetle, Cross Trophy

My next problem was to find a passenger, fortunately Zoë from the Bristol Motor Club, who had come along to help with the marshaling and watch her 15 year old daughter Clare make her production car trial debut with her father Mark in the 1967 Beetle above, kindly volunteered to forgo standing in the rain and agreed to be my passenger.

Marlin, Cross Trophy

After a short drivers briefing with event organiser Mal we dispersed to the four competitive sections of the event. Laura my passenger last year is seen above in her Dad’s Marlin Roadster.

Suzuki X-90, Cross Trophy

Alan who has recovered from inverting his Parsons on the recent Exeter Trial was sharing his newly acquired Suzuki X-90 named ‘Barbie’ with Pat who is seen at the wheel above with Pete observing on the first section.

Citroen AX, Cross Trophy

Winner of the National Class B event was Chris in his Citroen AX seen here trying to clear the second section which like all the sections got progressively more difficult through the afternoon as the rain came and went and then came back again.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Despite competing in the lower Clubsport event Paul in the Golf II above just managed to pip National Class B winner Chris to win the overall event. I managed to come 3rd in class the front wheel drive Clubsport class and 7th overall in the Clubsport event and 12th overall in the two combined events.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Afterwards I was joined at the nearest garage by Chris who had driven his Nissan Micra 145 miles from Gravesend for a long engagement with the steam cleaner.

My thanks to Mal, Pete and everyone involved in the organisation and marshaling of this veritable mud bath of an event, to Tim for the results, and Zoë my passenger who did her bit to dispel the myth that the Bristol Motor Club is ‘the enemy’ of the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club.

Giving up the Cross Trophy at the end of the year will be hard to do even though Paul took a well deserved victory, I look forward to attempting to win it back again next year !

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Giving Up Is Hard To Do’ 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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MGCC Speed Champion – Kayne Special II

After selling the original MG J2 with a PB motor Kayne Special, which I looked at last week Colin Cooper started work on Kayne Special II.

Kayne Special II, Oulton Park, Copyright Frank Hall 1981 C213/9

Photo Copyright Frank Hall 1981

Colin began with a scrap 1965 MG B found in Cheshire from which he cut out the engine sub frame and added a pair of chassis rails around which he built up the rest of the car with an under slung rear axle featuring a limited slip differential. Kayne Special II ran on specially made bespoke wire wheels.

Kayne Special II, Baitings Dam, Copyright Frank Hall 1983

Photo Copyright Frank Hall 1983

The motor was a 4 cylinder MG B unit which was eventually fitted with an HRG Cross Flow cylinder heads and twin 45 Weber Carbs. Colin notes this car, his favorite, was always totally reliable.

Kayne Special II, Colin Cooper

Among many successes were winning the 1981 MG Car Club (MGCC) Speed Championship, 1981 Ellison Trophy at Oulton Park, see Frank Halls top photo, the 1979 Kimber Trophy, 2nd 1983 Kimber Trophy at Baitings Dam, see Frank Halls second photo, named after MG founder Cecil Kimber, and several awards for fastest MG in Sprint and Hill Climb events.

Kayne Special II & III

Colin said of Kayne Special II it was “a bit of a shed but it didn’t half go, (it was) timed at 115 mph at Blackpool Sprint.”

The car was eventually sold to a sprinting novice and is thought to have been eventually broken up with many of it’s parts going into a road going MG B.

Colin’s third special, Kayne Special III, seen towing Kayne Special II in the photo above will be the subject of next Tuesdays blog.

My thanks to Colin for sharing his memories and photographs and to Tony Gallagher for putting me in touch with Chris Winstanley who kindly gave me permission to use Frank Hall’s photographs of Colin in action at Oulton Park and Baitings Dam.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘MGCC Speed Champion’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

24 04 12 Added Frank Halls photo’s from Oulton Park and Baitings Dam.

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Race Winning Body – MG K3 #K3001/K3003

In October 1932 MG launched the K-Type Magnette at the London Motor Show, featuring a 48″ track and either a 94″ or 108″ wheel base the chassis was powered by a 6 cylinder 39 hp 1087cc / 66 cui motor with a cross flow cylinder head that originated from the 1930 Wolseley Hornet.The K1 Magnet was fitted with a saloon body on the 109″ wheel base and in all 181 were manufactured up to 1934 in KA, KB and lastly KD specifications which reflected a series of motor upgrades during the production run.

In 1933 the K2 a two seater on the 94″ chassis was launched, 16 were built with KB spec motors and 4 more with KD motors and pre selector gear boxes.

MG K3 K3001, Prescott

The princely sum of £795 could secure a supercharged K3 racing variant, as seen driven above at Prescott by Brandon Smith – Hillard, at first, as above, fitted with Powerplus superchargers just below the radiator and later with Marshall units. Fitted with pre selector gearboxes three K3’s including #K3001 above were entered into the 1933 where George Eyston and Giovanni Lurani driving chassis #K3003 came in 21st behind Tazio Nuvolari in an ALFA Romeo but took a class victory with Earl Howe and Hugh Hamilton coming in 22nd overall and 2nd in class in #K3001.

Subsequently #K3001 was raced at Brooklands, shared for the Shelsley Walsh by Land Speed Record holder and Mille Miglia class winner George Eyston with MM team mate Giovanni Lurani, raced throughout Europe by Bobby Kolrusche in 1934.

The Mille Miglia chassis #K3003 meantime had been given to the great Tazio Nuvolari to drive in the 1933 Ulster TT which he promptly won outright beating two 8 cylinder ALFA Romeo’s running in the 3 liter 183 cui class.

At some point after 1934 and before the commencement of the 2nd World War the body from the Mille Miglia and Tourist Trophy winning #K3003 replaced that on #K3001 which is how #K3001 appears in the photo above one of just 33 K3’s to have been built from 1933 to 1934.

My thanks to Ed of the Wessex MG Club Newsletter for details about this chassis.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Race Winning Body’ 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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Royal Tragedy – Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

Some of you may remember I found a cut’n’shut Rover Series I P6 Cabriolet behind a hedge last year, today I am looking at the Series II P6 introduced in October 1970.

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

Initially the P6 Series II comprised exterior changes to the grill, plastic replacing alloy, rear lights and the instrumentation and switches of the two more expensive Twin Carburettor and 3500 versions.

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

From 1973 the Series II P’6s came in three flavours the 98 hp 2200SC, Single Carburettor, 115hp 2200, Twin Carburettor and 3500.

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

Production of the P6 ceased in March 1977 with 32, 270 units produced over four years. Allegedly the last 2200 model was a Left Hand Drive export model that was converted to Right Hand Drive by the Tourist Trophy Garage in Farnham.

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

British Leyland, the nationalised merger of large swathes of the British motor industry was entering it’s worst period of industrial relations during the production of the P6 and this was reflected in abominable reliability issues, one driving organisation reporting that their 3500 P6 had required three engines, two gearboxes, two clutch housings and a wiring loom in 6000 miles motoring over 6 months and was off the road for 114 days out of the 165 days that it was tested over !

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

An attempt was made to export a high spec P6 to the USA but with less than 1500 units sold many of the cars built for the USA were eventually sold in Left Hand Drive European markets instead.

Rover P6 Series II 2200 SC

While driving her daughter Stéphanie home on September 13th, 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, nee Grace Kelly, suffered a stroke which caused her to drive her P6 off the road. She never regained consciousness and died from her injuries the next day, while Stéphanie who fractured her neck in the accident, made a full recovery.

Thanks for joining me on this edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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What goes around – Ferrari 250 MM Vignale #0260MM

The Ferrari 250 MM was launched with a tube frame chassis carrying a 237 hp V12 in 1953 weighing just 850 kgs / 1874 lbs.

Ferrari 250MM, Vignale

Phil Hill, who is pictured here by Geoffrey Horton at Danville Concours d’Elegance in 2007 was supplied with this vehicle by US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti and drove the Vignale bodied 250MM to victories at Pebble Beach and Santa Barbara in 1953 and scored a class victory at Stead AFB Reno, Nevada the same year.

There after the car was sold and continued to be raced up until at least 1957 before resurfacing on the Concours circuit, at Pebble Beach in 1983. Phil appears to have driven the car competitively for the last time at the Monterey Historic races in 1984.

For the 2007 Danville Concours d’Elegance, an annual event which raises money for the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center, Sunnyvale, California, Phil’s former employers Road & Track created the Phil Hill Trophy for the winner of the Concours event.

Phil, who suffered from and died as a result of complications from Parkinson’s disease, may have been understandably a little biased when he selected the Vignale 250MM car he had once owned and raced to victory to be the inaugural winner of the trophy named after him.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who kindly sent me this image.

Thanks for stopping by today’s Phil Hill Trophy edition on ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now!

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