Tag Archives: Ecurie Francochamps

Tour de France Winner – Ferrari 250 GTO #4153GT

On June 2nd 1963 Frenchman Pierre Dumay took delivery of a silver Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #4153 and two weeks later it was entered under the Ecurie Francochamps banner in the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours for himself and Belgian Léon “Elde” Dernier in which they finished 4th overall and second in class. Dernier means ‘last’ and Léon prefered to race under a pseudonym of the pronunciation of his initials LD. By the following week it appears that ownership of the car had been transferred to Ecurie Francochamps and entered in race for first Dernier and then Dumay at Zolder and Reims where 2nd overall and 3rd in class finishes were recorded respectively.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

The following season it appears that the Marquis Philippe de Montaigu bought #4135 but continued to enter it in numerous events from 1964 through 1965 under the Ecurie Francochamps banner for the likes of; Georges Berger, Lucien Bianchi, Pierre Dumay, “Gauvin”, Gustave Gosselin, “Lagae”, “Lambrecht”, Francis van Lysbeth, Willy Mairesse, Gerard Langlois van Ophem

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

#4153’s biggest win was when Lucian Bianchi and and Georges Berger won the 1964 Tour de France. In 1965 chassis #4153 was entered into the first Marathon de la Route, an 82 hour race held at the Nurburgring that replaced the Liege Rome Liege Rally, but Bianchi, Berger and Jean Blaton failed to finish. Since then the car has remained in Europe with the current German owner acquiring it in 2003.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

Seen at the wheel of chassis #4153GT during a 250 GTO demonstration at last years Goodwood Revival meeting is Daniela Ellerbrock.

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

Share

Au Danger, Mon Plaisir – Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta #3607GT

On June 6th 1962 Ferdinando “Nanado” Pagliarini took delivery of today’s featured Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta chassis #3607, he used it to compete in at least nine events up until November 1963, in which he won his class at least 4 times in Hillclimb events.

By the following season #3607 had been acquired by Ecurie Francochamps who entered the car in the 1964 Tour de France for Claude Dubois and Philippe de Montaigu who finished 8th overall and 3rd in class. Portuguese driver António Peixinho next drove the car to 5th place in the 1964 Angola Grand Prix.

Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, Goodwood Revival

Philippe de Montaigu bought the car in 1965, Philippe was married to junior French Tennis Legend Annie Soisbault who at 21 had turned her hand to professional rallying and racing “because I did want to be dependent on my parents”. During her competition career she would occasionally be accompanied by her cheetah, Annie’s motto was ‘In danger, my pleasure”.

In 1965 Annie drove chassis #3607 to an overall win in the Grand Prix of Paris before crashing the car into a bridge on the Mont Ventoux Hillclimb. Alongside her competition career Annie sold Aston Martin’s to the likes of Eddie Barclay, Johnny Hallyday, Régine, Françoise Sagan and his brother Jacques Quoirez.

Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, Goodwood Revival

#3607 passed into the hands of Jean-Michel Giorgi after the crash and his best of four known outings resulted in a class win on the the 1965 Agaci Rallye held in Reims.

The car remained in France until 1987 when it went to the USA. In 1990 it went under the hammer for $9,588,780 plus commission but the winning bidder never paid, the following year it sold for £6,900,000 to a Swiss gentleman who swapped it for a Ferrari P3/4 the following year.

#3607 is seen in these photographs taken during last years 50th Anniversary 250 GTO demonstration at Goodwood Revival driven by R Walton.

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

Share