Tag Archives: Ferrari

60 Years In Formula One – Ferrari F60

Leave a Reply

2009 marked the 60th season of Ferrari’s participation in Formula One and to mark the fact they gave there 55th Formula challenger the F60 name. After winning the Championship in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen in and Massa and Räikkönen finishing 2nd and 3rd in the championship in 2008 hopes were high the the F60 would return Ferrari back to the top of the pecking order in 2009 but they were to be disappointed.

Ferrari F60, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The F60 was simply not reliable enough or fast enough to compete with the wonder car from the fledgling Brawn GP team that was being run on the money that would have made most of it’s employees redundant from former owners Honda had the brave Mr Brawn not stepped in to try and save the team and workforce. Red Bull were also proving a difficult combination to beat with Adrain Newey in the design office and Sebastian Vettel learning his trade behind the wheel at a scintilating pace.

Ferrari F60, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Even with the supposed advantage of a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) which only Ferrari and McLaren pursued with any commitment while other teams carried ballast in the absence of such systems Ferrari only managed one win all year when Kimi Räikkönen won the Belgian Grand Prix after a certain newcomer called Romain Grosjean knocked championship leader Jenson Button out an accident which also stopped the progress of Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap.

The win would be Räikkönens last for Ferrari as the team elected to buy Kimi out of his contract for a staggering US$15 million over two years so that they could get Fernando Alonso out of the blemished Renault Team for 2010.

Kimi went rallying in 2010 and 2011 without much success and put in a couple of appearances in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series and Nationwide Series driving Perky Jerky Toyota’s prepared by Kyle Busch Motorsport last year.

This season Kimi returned to Formula One full time with the Genii team, the remains of the disgraced Renault team that Alonso left in 2009 which now operates under license as the Lotus F1 team. Last time out in Abu Dhabi Kimi won a thrilling race and so should be in good form for the return of the US Grand Prix to the World Championship Calender in Austin Texas this weekend.

Note that in 2009 all the Formula One teams were running Bridgestone Tyres not with the Pirelli’s seen here and that Santander did not become a Ferrari sponsor until 2010 when Fernando Alonso arrived to drive for the team.

Thanks for joining me on this “60 Years In Formula One” edition of “Getting a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the 1979 Formula One challenger from Team Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

No Side Vent Windows – Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series I Cabriolet

Leave a Reply

In 1957 Ferrari launched the Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series 1 Cabriolet with a list price if $14,950 over $3,000 more than the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series 1 Cabriolet, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The 250 GT Pininfarina Series 1 Cabriolet was better appointed with more sound proofing and more comfortable than the shorter wheel base 250 GT California Spyder.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series 1 Cabriolet, Danville Concours d'Elegance

This car is on of just six Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series 1 Cabriolets to have the fender vents that were a feature of the California Spyder. To tell a Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series I Cabriolet apart from a Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series II Cabriolet one only has to look to see if either of the long wheel base cars has side vent windows, the 42 Series I cars did not have them while the 200 Series II cars did have them fitted.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photo’s taken at Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “No Side Vent Windows” 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

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

3 Replies

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.

Ferrari 500 Modial PF Spyder, Danville Concours D'Elegance

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.

Ferrari 500 Modial PF Spyder, Danville Concours D'Elegance

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.

Ferrari 500 Modial PF Spyder, Danville Concours D'Elegance

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 !

Share

Needs Must – Ferrari 375 America Vignale Coupé #0327AL

1 Reply

Never wildly keen on selling road cars Enzo Ferrari was persuaded to build a few, which not only helped him defray the costs of developing new technology for his racing programme but also satisfied a demand for his products at near exclusive prices.

Ferrari 375 America Coupé, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The 1953 375 America was his second series of road cars following the 342 America of which only twenty three were built. The 375 was powered by a 300 hp 4522 cc / 275 cui long block V12 similar to that used in the 4.5 litre V12 Ferrari 375 Formula One Car and slightly longer Ferrari 375 Indy Car.

Ferrari 375 America Coupé, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Only 11 Ferrari 375 America’s were built, with a 12th one being converted from 250 Europa spec to 375 America spec by the Ferrari factory in 1955. Regular readers may remember that a Pininfarina bodied 375 America chassis #0319AL was the subject of a GALPOT blog in May last year.

Ferrari 375 America Coupé, Danville Concours d'Elegance

This particular chassis #0372AL is one of just three cars built with Vignale bodies, each of the Vignale bodies has unique features making this one easy to recognise, due to it’s low bumper and recessed headlights, as the second of the three built. This car was displayed at the Geneva and New York automotive shows in 1954 and then sold to Robert C. Wilke, of Milwaukee, WI, USA – President of Leader Cards Inc.

Thanks for joining me on this “Needs Must” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres”. I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Lotus 72E. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Running In At 116 mph – Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale

2 Replies

As we saw last week the 1951 Ferrari 212 came in two flavours Export for sports car racing and Inter as daily driver. Today’s featured 212 Inter with body work by Vignale is one of the long wheel base road cars.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Of the 82 212 Inters built 37 of them had Vignale bodies while Touring and Ghia were amongst others to build bodies for this model.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The British magazine tested the first production 212 Inter in 1950 recording rest to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds reaching 100 mph in 22.5 seconds and a top speed of 116 mph. The magazine noted that they were asked to keep to a 6,500 rpm limit as the engine had not been fully run in.

Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Of course just because a Ferrari is designated primarily as a road car there is nothing to stop owners entering them for races, Centro Deportivo Italiano bought two 212 Inters, chassis #0161 EL and 0171 EL and entered them in to the fearsome 1951 Carrera Panamericana in Mexico for Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi in the #9 and Pierro Taruffi and Luigi Chinetti in the #34 respectively. The Centro Deportivo Italiano scored a 1-2 finish with Taruffi/Chinetti leading home Ascari/Villoresi by over eight minuets.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photo’s taken at Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Running In At 116 mph” edition of “Gettin’ a li’ psycho on tyres” I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another innovative formula one car from Colin Chapman. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Racin’ ‘n’ Climbin’ – Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta

2 Replies

In 1951 Ferrari produced two 212 models the Grand Touring Inter with either a 150 or a 165 hp and the competition orientated Export with 170 hp from it’s high compression V12 which was mounted on a shorter chassis than the Inter.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The 212 Export was quick right out of the box, Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana won the 1951 Giro di Sicilia in chassis #0086E while “Pagnibon” and Alfred Barraquet led home a 212 Export 1,2,3 finish in the 1951 Tour de France. Among 212 Export winners in the States were Phil Hill, who won at Torrey Pines in 1952 driving chassis #0078E and Ernie McAfee at Palm Springs in 1953, driving chassis #0092E with a coupé body by Vignale.

Kirk Douglas drove a specially rebodied 212 Export chassis #0102 to a fictitious victory in the the 1955 film “The Racers“.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

Chassis #0158ED, seen here at the Danville Concours d’Elegance dinner, was supplied new to Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte of Palermo, Italy for the 1952 season. He used it to good effect scoring at least 7 overall wins in both race and hillclimb competition between 1952 and 1955.

Swiss driver Edouard Margairaz continued to compete with the car until 1956 when he came 1st in class at the Verbois hillclimb.

212 Export Touring Barchetta, Danville Concours d'Elegance

In all 28 212 Export models were built and chassis #0158 is thought to be the last of the seven built with Barchetta bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing todays photographs from Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Racin”n’ Climbin'” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a multipurpose open wheel racer from Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

The Breadvan – Ferrari 250 GT SWB #2819

2 Replies

Today’s unique vehicle came to be built after Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata fell out with Enzo Ferrari for financing a rival Formula One team ATS which employed ex Ferrari personnel Carlo Chiti, Giotto Bizzarrini and World Champion driver the American Phil Hill.

#2819 started life as a regular Ferrari 250 GT SWB and was entered in the 1961 Tour de France by Ecurie Francochamps for Olivier Gendebien and Lucien Bianchi who finished 2nd. The car was then acquired by Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata who’s Scuderia Serenissima di Venezia entered the 1961 Paris 1000 kms for Maurice Trintignant and Nino Vaccarella who finished 3rd.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Wanting a third vehicle to enter in his Le Mans team which included one 250 GTO, #3445 and a Ferrari TR/61, #0792TR which won at Sebring, but unable to secure a second 250 GTO from Ferrari, Count Volpi di Misurata had his 1961 250 GT SWB upgraded to 250 GTO spec by the very man responsible for conceiving the original 250 GT SWB and 250 GTO series Giotto Bizzarrini.

Allegedly in just 14 days Giotto Bizzarrini & Piero Drogo modified Count di Misurata’s 250 GT SWB by moving the dry sumped engine back 5 inches behind the front axle so that it could be mounted lower in the chassis. Piero Drogo came up with a staggeringly beautiful body with a cut off ‘Kamm’ tail which led to the name Breadvan. The finished car was 143 lbs lighter than the 250 GTO and 7 mph faster on the 4 mile Mulsanne straight at Le Mans.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The body of the 250 GT SWB Breadvan is so low that a plastic bubble was devised for the hood to cover the six Webber carburettors. The 276 horse power 2953 cc / 180 cui V12 engine weighed nearly half that of the contemporary XK straight six used by Jaguar in it’s D & E Type racers.

#2819 driven by Carlo Maria Abate and Colin Davis was leading the works 250 GTO’s in the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours when it retired after four hours with drive shaft failure. After a 4th place finish at Brands Hatch for Abate, and 3rd place in Paris for Ludovico Scarfiotti and Davis the ‘Breadvan’ was used by Count di Misurata as a road car.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The original SWB body from #2819 was fitted to chassis #2439 by Scaglietti in 1962 after Gunnar Anderson had a couple of accidents at Falkenberg and Västkustloppet in Scandinavia.

Apparently Count Volpi di Misurata lent The Breadvan to Gianni Agnelli, then head of FIAT, who had the vehicle painted black by his butler because it reminded him of a hearse, it is not noted if this had anything to do with then delicate state of Ferrari finances at the time, the Ferrari road car division was eventually absorbed by FIAT in 1969.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Breadvan Edition” of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at Colin Chapmans 1968 turbo charged all wheel drive Indy challenger. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share