Tag Archives: Geoffrey Horton

200 Odd Ones Out – Ferrari 275 GTS

Of the Ferrari 275 family including the GTB, GTB/C, GTB/4, GTB/4 NART, the GTS is the odd one out because it has a completely different sharper Pininfarina styled body to it’s siblings.

Ferrari 275 GTS, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Underneath the bonnet / hood is the same 3,286 cc / 200 cui V-12 engine block as it’s sibling 275’s with 2 cams and 3 carbs to produce 260 hp.

Ferrari 275 GTS, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

The chassis, independent front and rear suspension and hydraulically actuated front and rear disc brakes are also all of the same spec as it’s more rounded siblings.

Ferrari 275 GTS, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Introduced in 1964 to replace the 250 GT Series 2 Cabriolet a production run of 200 275 GTS models was built up until 1966, when it was replaced by the short run of 10 rounded style 275 GTB/4 NART Spyders and more permanently by the 4 litre / 244 cui 330 GTS.

A 275 GTS similar to the 1966 model seen here sold at RM Auctions last year for just short of 1.5 million dollars.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photograph’s of today’s featured Ferrari 275 GTS which were taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “200 Odd Ones Out” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a Rolls Royce. Don’t forget to come back now !

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A Short Tale – Porsche 917K #917-015

Despite the success of winning the 1969 International Championship for Makes handsomely with a maximum of 45 points with their 3 litre/183 cui 908 model Porsche officially withdrew from the series with two rounds to go having failed to win any of the three marquee events of the series at Daytona, won by Roger Penske’s Lola Chevrolet T70, Sebring and Le Mans won by John Wyers ancient Gulf Sponsored Ford GT40 Mk I’s.

Porsche came to an agreement with John Wyer to run a works supported team of 917’s in all but the Targa Florio and Nurburgring rounds of the 1970 series where the 908 was deemed sufficiently competitive to win outright as it had the previous season.

John Wyers JW Automotive Team tested a 917 at Zeltweg in October 1969 and developed the Kurz Heck, also known as K, KH and Short Tale bodywork seen on today’s featured car, the rear aerofoil would first appear mid season at Le Mans.

Porsche 917K, Niello Concours at Serrano,

The first round of the 1970 International Championship for Makes was the 24 hour race at Daytona where Pedro Rodriguez Leo Kinnunen and Brian Redman qualified chassis #917-015 2nd behind the debutant Ferrari 512S model driven by Mario Andretti, Arturo Merzario and Jacky Ickx.

Pedro, Leo and Brian won the race by 45 laps from the sister car shared by Brian and Jo Siffert with the Ferrari of Mario, Art and Jacky 3 laps further back.

Chassis #015 was used as a team spare at Sebring where Mario Mario was drafted in to join Ignazio Giunti and Nino Vaccarella to drive the race of his life to secure Ferrari’s only championship win of the season.

Porsche 917K, Niello Concours at Serrano,

At the 1970 Watkins Glen Can Am round chassis #015 made it’s only other race appearance of the season with a smart new paint job and a rear wing fitted, Brian finished the race in seventh place and for the remainder of the season the car reverted to the role of team spare.

Porsche went on to secure the 1970 International Championship for Makes with a maximum 63 points from Ferrari, JW Automotive won seven of the ten races only being usurped by the Porsche Salzburg 917 at Le Mans. JW Automotive and Porsche Salzburg each won a race Targa Florio and Nurburgring respectively with the older 908 spyder model.

Now it get’s complicated Porsche sold the chassis #015 to the Finish AAW team while retaining the chassis tag which Porsche reassigned to #917-035 which was taken from stock and given to JW Automotive for the 1971 season.

AAW rebuilt chassis #015 into a spyder and fitted the motor from their 917 chassis number #917-021, the complete car was given the identity #917-01-021.

Leo Kinnunen, who remember had won the 1970 Daytona 24 hours in the chassis with it’s orignal ID tag, was employed to drive #917-01-021 in the 1971 Interserie Championship, a European unlimited series.

The flying Fin Leo scored an outright win at home in Keimola with enough further placings to secure the 1971 Interserie Championship.

Many years later Kevin and Bob Rapp took #01-021 to Gunnar Racing who reconstructed #015 as it is seen in today’s photograph’s, using those parts of the original #917-015 chassis that remained and reconstructed the spyder #917-01-021 from the remainder with a new chassis.

Using respected historian Doug Nye’s principal that a chassis history is not transferable, with it’s chassis plate for example, then today’s featured car can be seen as the original #917-015, though I suspect the Porsche #917-035 which was given the #015 tag by the factory in 1971 probably still has that tag attached, 035/015 which is most certainly not the car that won the 1970 Daytona 24 hour race, today can be seen at the Porsche Museum.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs of Bruce Canepa’s Porsche 917 at Niello Concours at Serrano a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “A Short Tale” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now.

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First Vignale 3500GT Spyder – Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder #AM101.504

Two years after launching the 3500 GT Coupé model in 1957 Maserati were nearly ready to put the 3500 GT Spyder variant into production with Vignale.

Designs for the Spyder by Fuero and Touring were rejected before Maserati gave a shortened wheel base 3500 GT chassis #AM101.504, to Vignale to work on.

Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder, Niello Concours at Serano.

Chassis #AM101.504 was completed in August 1959 and six weeks later came back to the Maserati factory with it’s Giovanni Michelotti designed body from Vignale with two other spyders, #AM101.505 and #AM101.638 all of which have minor detailing differences.

While sibling #505 and #638 were at the 1959 Turin Motor Show today’s featured car #504 was delivered to Thrifty Auto Parts founder Joe Lubin of Los Angeles in the first week of November 1959.

Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder, Niello Concours at Serano.

Joe Lubin, who specialised in aftermarket Caterpillar parts was also the entrant of the very first Tipo 61 Birdcage and a Maserati 250 F, claimed he ended up trading today’s featured car in for two Cadillacs.

The fifth and current owner purchased the car around 2005 after it had stood in California for nearly 25 years, restoration included getting the motor to run, repairs to some rust damage, repainting some re chroming and the reproduction of one head light trim.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs that were taken at last years Niello Concours at Serrano.

Thanks for joining me on this “First Vignale 3500GT Spyder” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Amilcar. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Stockbroker’s Widow – Rolls Royce Wraith #WXA78 Hooper Drophead Coupé

A month before the public announcement of the new Rolls Royce Wraith model in early October 1938 Scottish agents John Croall & Sons placed an order for today’s featured chassis #WXA78 which was to be fitted with the 6 cylinder motor #D5WU.

Factory records indicate that John Croall & Sons sold the car to a Mrs Tod of Edinburgh, Scotland the widow of a stockbroker who had died in 1935.

Rolls Royce Wraith Hooper Drophead Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Mrs Tod asked that her Wraith be fitted with a Hopper drophead coupé body which was given the Hopper design drawing number 9050 which specifies among other details; accommodation for golf clubs, a sixteen by 8 inch hat box, birds eye maple trim, ivory door and window handles, primrose over black painted wings and side panels and an optional kneeling Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.

Mrs Tod kept the Wraith, the first of what turned out to be just three drophead Coupés built and one of only two with Dickey seats, until 1948 when she sold the car to London Rolls Royce dealer Jack Barclay.

Rolls Royce Wraith Hooper Drophead Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Barclay’s had the car painted Mason’s black and sold it the following year to a gentleman in Wilmsow, Manchester.

Jack Compton, founder of the Rolls Royce and Bentley Drivers Club, and West Norwood, London based dealer brought the car back to ‘the smoke’, London, in June 1949 and kept it there until 1966.

Rolls Royce Wraith Hooper Drophead Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Mrs Tod’s Wraith was then treated for foot and mouth disease prior to being sent to the United States and the first of an unbroken chain of five owners to the present day with the Calumet Collection in San Diego becoming the present owners in 2010.

The car was used to take the owners daughters to school in Greenwich Connecticut in the late 1960’s, before restorations began in 1986 which were not fully completed until the 1990’s.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photo’s taken at the 2013 Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Stockbroker’s Widow” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a chain driven World Land Speed Record breaker. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Paperboy’s Shooting Brake – Rolls Royce Twenty

A ‘brake’ is a large body-less carriage frame used for training horses, use of the term expanded to include any large wagon designed for country use.

With the advent of the motor car the term shooting brake was applied to any custom built body, often with only two front doors, fitted to a luxury car that was designed for use by hunters and sportsmen who required a large carrying area.

Rolls Royce Twenty, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

In 1872 Frederick Henry Royce’s school day’s were over after just one year when his father died and he had to take a paper round and a job delivering telegrams aged just nine.

By 1929 the company founded by Frederick, better known as Henry, with Charles Rolls was winding up production of the Rolls Royce Twenty of the type featured today in anticipation of the 20/25 model launched later the same year.

Rolls Royce Twenty, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

The Rolls Royce Twenty was the companies ‘small’ car designed for owner drivers, though inevitably plenty were sold to owners with chauffeurs.

The Twenties mono block 6 cylinder 3127cc / 190 cui motor on the early models was fitted to a three speed gearbox with central gear change while later models like the one featured today had a four speed gearbox with right hand gear stick.

Rolls Royce Twenty, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

Four wheel brakes with a servo did not become available on the Twenty model until 1925, the radiator grill on early models were also fitted with horizontal slats.

At this time all Rolls Royces were supplied as powered chassis without bodywork which was fitted to the bespoke requirements of customers by independent coach builders, at the time of writing it is not known who built the Woody Shooting Brake body seen here.

Rolls Royce Twenty, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

By 1967 today’s featured Rolls Royce Twenty Shooting Brake was the property of the Hopper family resident at 16 Caledonia Place in Clifton Village Bristol.

Every morning the Hopper’s son Edwin used to drive the Royce down the road to the newspaper agents, Bridge Stores, opposite the Avon Gorge Hotel where he would pick up the newspapers he was to deliver on the other side of Clifton Suspension to the residents of Abbots Leigh.

After finishing his paper round Edwin would drive back across the Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Ismbard Kingdom Brunel, and pick up his sister, who had delivered papers on her own round in Clifton Village by foot and drive the car one and a half miles to Ashton Park School which they were both attending.

Amazingly there is a silent black and white film documenting Edwin’s routine, seen above, the newspaper shop is now a branch of the Mayfair Residential Sales and Lettings agents and the bridge tolls are now collected by machines, but other wise the area shown in the film is remarkably unchanged.

Rolls Royce Twenty, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

This Twenty known by it’s current owner as ‘Gen’ was acquired in 1978 with it’s original tool kit and owners manual and was ground up restored between 2000 and 2008.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photo’s taken at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Paperboy’s Shooting Brake” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a 350hp 1920 land speed record car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Short Nose – Ferrari 275 GTB

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 !

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Belchfire Runabout – American Bantam 60 Convertible

In 1935 former American Austin Car Company salesman Roy Evans bought the American Austin Company assets after they had manufactured 20,000 American Austins and filed for bankruptcy.

American Bantam, The Little Car Show, City of Marina

He had the 819cc / 50 cui Austin 7 derived 4 cylinder motor upgraded to produce 23 hp by none other than Harry Miller builder of multiple Indy 500 winning cars and father to the famous line of Offenhauser racing motors.

American Bantam, The Little Car Show, City of Marina

The original American Austin Car Company products Austin 7 derived body was completely restyled by Russian Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky who also styled the contemporaneous Cords and Auburns of the day and later post war Tucker.

American Bantam, The Little Car Show, City of Marina

Production of the American Bantam 60 got underway in 1937 with; Coupé, Roadster, Convertible, Speedster, Woodie Station Wagon and pick up variants, the 1940 American Bantam 60 Convertible Coupé seen here is thought to be one of just 60 that were built.

American Bantam, The Little Car Show, City of Marina

Between 7 and 8,000 Bantam 60’s of all type were produced up until 1941 when the company switched production to the original run of 2,765 Jeeps designed by Karl Probst designated BRC (Bantam Reconnaissance Car) 40. Austin Bantam lost the really big contract for further Jeeps due to fears their production facility at Butler, Pennsylvania did not have sufficient capacity. As a result Ford and Willys Overland were given the biggest Jeep contracts and the original American BRC 40 designs were passed on as required while American Battam productuction switched to Jeep T3 trailers.

American Bantam, The Little Car Show, City of Marina

It is said that the drawings for the 1934 Belchfire Runabout driven by Donald Duck and first seen in 1937 were inspired by the American Bantam 60, despite the Belchfire being known to have been built by Donald using a 1920 Mixwell engine, ’22 Dudge body, ’23 Paclac axles with wheels off a lawn mower!

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs taken at The Little Car Show in the City of Marina earlier this year.

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

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