Tag Archives: Ferrari

Short Nose – Ferrari 275 GTB

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Between 1964 and 1967 Scaglietti built bodies for 448 Ferrari 275 GTB’s some from steel and others from aluminium.

Ferrari 275 GTB, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Some of these cars, like today’s featured example have short noses with the front repeater below the head lights while others like the 275 GTB Competizione I looked at last summer have long noses with the repeater ahead of the front head light.

Ferrari 275 GTB, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Looking through the photographs of all the 275 GTB’s I have featured to date I noticed, as might be expected from a hand built body, that they all look subtly different, linked here is a short nosed GTB/4 with a chrome arch linking the two corner bumpers, which highlights the fact that the front bumpers on today’s featured car look much lower than on either of the cars in the linked photographs.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs taken at the 2013 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Short Nose” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be looking at a nice car for a wedding, don’t forget to come back now !

Sculpture On Wheels – Maserati Alfieri

The Maserati Alfieri is a concept car which refers to the history, traditions and roots of the brand while projecting it’s future in Maserati’s centenary in year.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Alfieri name pays tribute to the engineer Alfieri Maserati who with his brothers Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto founded Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati in 1914.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The underlying inspiration that set the mood of the Centenary Alfieri concept car was the Pininfarina bodied Maserti A6GCS 54.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

A team of around 15 designers, led by former Pininfarina employee Marco Tencone, was responsible for the styling of the Alfieri.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Beneath the Alfieri body work is a chassis based on a shortened Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale chassis.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Power for this concept car comes from a Ferrari derived 4.7 litre / 286 cui V8 producing 460 hp.

Maserati Alfieri, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Since it’s first viewing at Geneva earlier this year Maserati have announced plans to put the Alfieri into production for 2016 with a convertible to follow in 2017.

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

Tenth Of Twenty – Ferrari 365 GTS #12307

The original 4.4 litre / 268 cui single overhead cam version of the V12 Ferrari 365 motor was introduced to Ferrari’s road going range in 1966 with the Ferrari 365 California in 1966.

Ferrari 365 GTS, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

14 365 California’s were built up until 1967 before the; 365 2+2, 365 GTC Coupé and today’s 365 GTS Spyder models were launched in 1968.

Ferrari 365 GTS, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

This 1969 example is one of just 20 365 Spyders built and so far as I have been able to ascertain is quite possibly the only one to have resided in the UK although not all the histories of all 20 GTS’s is known to me at this time.

Ferrari 365 GTS, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

If as I believe the chassis number of this car is #12307 then it is the tenth of the series built and was delivered new to a customer in Rome and #12307 remained in it’s homeland until 1999 when the car made it’s way to the UK via an auction in Gstaad.

Ferrari 365 GTS, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

1979 World Champion Jody Schekter can be seen being driven through the streets of an undisclosed Italian looking town in #12307 when it still carried Roma plates on this link.

Ferrari 365 GTS, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

All 20 365 GTS models built between 1968 and 1970 are Left Hand Drive, LHD, and at least four of them are red so if perchance you know this car is not #12307 please do not hesitate to chip in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Tenth Of Twenty” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the last in the present series of Saturday Bristol Specials. Don’t forget to come back now !

Century Festival Painting – Maserati MC12 Cent 100

The Maserati MC12 was conceived as a limited edition super car which would allow Maserati to return with a racing programme for the first time in 37 years.

Maserati MC12 Cent 100, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The first batch of 25 cars was pre sold at US$ 600,000 each and delivered in 2004 with a second batch following in 2005.

02 Maserati MC12 Cent 100_1605sc

I believe twelve MC12 Competizione race versions were also built and a one off chassis was turned into a Pininfarina bodied concept car called the Birdcage 75th that was first seen at the Geneva show in 2005.

Maserati MC12 Cent 100, Michael Bartels, Goodwood Festival of Speed

After disputes regarding the legibility of the MC12 Competizione were settled in 2004 Maserati’s return to racing proved a success with Maserati claiming the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers Cup, the following season the Vitaphone Racing representing Maserati won the 2006 FIA GT Teams Championship and the teams drivers Michael Bartels, seen waving above, and Andrea Bertolini shared the FIA GT Drivers Championship.

Maserati MC12 Cent 100, Goodwood Festival of Speed

By 2009 Vitaphone Racing had won the FIA GT Teams Championship 5 consecutive times with Michael and Andrea claiming 3 FIA GT Drivers Championships. In 2010 Vitaphone Racing still representing Maserati, Michael and Andrea claimed the inaugural FIA GT Teams and Drivers World Championships.

Maserati MC12 Cent 100, Goodwood Festival of Speed

With it’s Ferrari Enzo derived chassis the MC12 is carries body work that is bulkier than the Enzo in every dimension, too big to be used in the ELMS or ALMS series, but is much more aerodynamic than the Enzo.

Maserati MC12 Cent 100, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The chassis for the MC Cent 100 was a ‘spare’ at the Maserati factory that became the first new MC12 to be built since 2005. The one off Cent 100 carries special paint work celebrating Maserati’s 2014 Centenary depicting Alfieri Maserati driving a Tipo 26, Stirling Moss driving a 250F and a map of the Goodwood Hillclimb on which Michael Bartels finished 2nd at this years event driving today’s featured car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Century Festival Painting” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Delage powered by a V12 aeroplane engine. Don’t forget to come back now !

Race Spec Conversion – Ferrari F40 #80856

The Ferrari F40 was built as a technical tour de force to celebrate Ferrari’s first 40 years of achievement in a single model intended purely for the road.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

By 1989 an IMSA GTO LM version had been built which had no factory backing, despite this Jean Alesi, and fellow Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Jacques Laffite, Jean-Louis Schlesser, Olivier Grouillard, Michel Ferté, American Hurley Haywood and Belgian Eric van de Poele would all have a go challenging the dominant factory Audi 90’s, but could do no better than record a string of second and third places up until the end of 1990.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

Today’s featured car started life as a 1989 road car, chassis #80856, that had been involved in some sort of accident before Robin Smith’s Simpson Engineering took the car on and converted it into a racer.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The long list of modifications includes, but is not limited to; installation of a roll cage for safety and additional stiffness, new competition spec fabricated and rose jointed suspension and uprights, adjustable anti roll bars, air jacks and competition spec brakes with balance adjustment.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The power output is said to be 790hp aided by engine modifications that included fitting Group C Lancia LC2 spec heads and cams.

The exact competition history of this vehicle on the internet appears to be a little clouded by Simpson Engineering’s F550 V12 powered Ferrari F40, but from what I gather this car has been raced in the British GT, Britcar and Pirelli Ferrari Open Series over the last 10 years with the primary drivers appearing to be Andrew Mott and Jacopo “son of Stingbrace” Sebastiani among others.

As of mid November this car has been up for sale, if you are in the market for such a wonderful vehicle you will find contact details on this linked web page, usual disclaimers and “Caveat Emptor” advice applies.

Thanks for joining me on this “Race Spec Conversion” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Bristol powered special. Don’t forget to come back now !

Last Noble Kit – TDR Noble P4

The Ferrari P4 is considered by many to be one of the most attractive racing cars ever built, the only one I have seen in the flesh was a David Piper continuation and even though it was a bit scruffy it left me awestruck.

TDR P4 Replica, NEC, Birmingham

At the recent NEC motor show I stumbled across today’s featured car which is registered with the DVLA as a 1996 TDR but in fact is claimed to be the last P4 replica kit from Noble, better known these days for building high performance road and track cars.

TDR P4 Replica, NEC, Birmingham

I’m not sure of the chassis origin on this car but am aware of at least one other that was built around and Ultima chassis. The motor in this one is a Terry Drury Racing 500 hp YB Cosworth turbo 4 cylinder as used in the Ford Cosworth RS500.

The most striking thing about this car is the quality of the workmanship, it was very hard to take my eyes off it. This car appears to be for sale, usual ‘Caveat Emptor’ disclaimers apply.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Last Noble Kit’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Bristol Special. Don’t forget to come back now !

2014 World Endurance Champions

For todays blog I’ll be reflecting on the championship winners from the World Endurance Championship.

Toyota TS040 Hybrid, 6 Hours of Silverstone

The 2014 World Endurance Drivers’ Championship winners are Britains Anthony Davidson and Switzerland’s Sébastien Buemi who drove the #8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid to four victories from 8 starts and are seen above on their way to winning the opening race at Silverstone. Toyota also won the 2014 World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship taking 5 victories in total.

Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, 6 Hours of Silverstone

Italian Gianmaria Bruni and Finland’s Toni Vilander driving for the AF Corse Ferrari team won their class four times to secure the 2014 World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers, Ferrari also won the 2014 World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers.

Lola B12/60, 6 Hours of Silverstone

Five class victories for Switzerland’s Mathias Beche France’s Nicolas Prost and Germany’s ‘Quick’ Nick Heidfeld were enough to win the 2014 LMP1 Private Teams Drivers’ Trophy for the Rebellion Racing trio, who’s second Toyota powered car claimed the other three victories to ensure Rebellion Racing won the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for Private LMP1 Teams.

Oreca 03, 6 Hours of Silverstone

The marginally superior reliability of the SMP Oreca 03 and the absence of a regular team mate meant that Russia’s Sergey Zlobin claimed the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers on his own with just one class win at Le Mans. The Nissan powered SMP team also won the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams.

Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 6 Hours of Silverstone

Dane’s Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson won the LMGTE Am class four times with Nicki Thiim in the #95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE, but raced to four 2nd place finishes in Nicki’s absence to secure the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers and help Aston Martin win the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams.

Thanks for joining me on this “2014 World Endurance Champions” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the inspiration behind the Belchfire Runabout. Don’t forget to come back now !