A couple of years ago Steve Arnaudin sent me a photo of todays featured 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza, chassis #0604, purchased by his father from the Californian photographer and racing driver Carlyle Blackwell. I wrote a blog which summarised the 1956 World Sports Car Championship which is linked here.

Today’s blog will focus on the story of this particular chassis which is seen above with Lord March at the wheel in the Juan Manuel Fangio Celebration parade at the Goodwood Revival in 2011. The car is seen above carrying the same #17 as when Fangio and Eugenio Castellotti drove it to a debut victory in the Sebring 12 Hours Race in March 1956.

#0604M was subsequently sold to Californian John von Neuman and the following month he entered it for Phil Hill to drive at Pebble Beech where he finished second overall and first in class behind Carrol Shelby who was driving 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza #0510M.

John Von Neuman took over the driving duties in #0604M for the rest of the 1956 season and through 1957 until he put Ritchie Ginther in the car at Laguna Secca at the end of 1957 and at Riverside at the beginning of 1958. Ginther scored a class win and 5th overall first time out and 2nd overall at Riverside. Up to that point von Neumans best results had been a couple of 2nd place finishes in ’56

Jerry Barker bought the car for the 1959 season and on every occasion it finished it was either 1st or 2nd driven by Lew Florence, Barker took the wheel at the Maryhill Lops Hillclimb and also won setting a new record.

Charles Caverns was the owner of 0604M in 1960 and he also recorded a win in the Novice Race at Shelton in April 1960 which is the car last recorded contemporary race appearance.

Amongst the owners of #0604M since 1960 was Jean Sage former Sporting Director of the Renault Formula One team from it’s inception in 1977 and eventual, temporary closure, in 1987. Not long before the top photo was taken #0604M was bought by the current owner a DJ by the name of Chris Evans.

At last years Goodwood Revival meeting Danny Sullivan became the fifth Grand Prix driver to sit at the wheel, after Fangio, Castellotti Hill and Ginther, and only Indy 500 winner to race the car powered by a Lampredi designed 4 cylinder motor. He qualified 15th for the Sussex Trophy Race but did not finish.

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