Tag Archives: GT

Get Smart – Opel GT

Opel is the German brand name used by GM since it acquired the Opel manufacturing operation in 1931. The Opel GT owes it’s origins to the 1965 Opel Experimental GT concept car that predates the similar British GM Vauxhall XVR I looked at last week by a full year.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

The GT show’s some styling influence from the ’68 Corvette thanks to the work of GM Styist Clare MacKichan. The GT had pop up lights that were hinged on a longitudinal axis so that they opened out from the centre using a leaver in the cockpit. Allegedly this was a difficult manual task to perform.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

A choice of either 67 hp or 102 hp motors was available with the GT most of the GT’s were sold with the larger motors which has made those with the smaller motors very much more collectible today.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

The steel bodyshell for the GT was manufactured in by French locomotive manufacturer Brissonneau & Lotz, the motors and running gear came from more mundane Opel family models in particular the Kadet ‘B’, the round rear lights came from the Opel Record.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

Opel GT’s were distributed by Buick in the USA and when Buick took over sponsorship of the series in 1969 and 1970 Maxwell Smart was issued with a Gold Opel GT to replace his earlier Sunbeam Tiger and Volkswagen Karmann Ghia transport.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

Unusually for a company associated with producing family transport the Opel GT was an uncompromising fast back with not boot, the only space for luggage was on the parcel shelf that covered the spare wheel in the back and the only access to it was through the side doors. On the other hand the diminutive design could comfortably accommodate some one 6’ft tall.

Opel GT, Goodwood Revival

This 1971 model seen at Goodwood revival is one of 99,863 models sold between 1968 and 1973 with the larger motor. An additional 3,573 Opel GT’s were sold with the smaller motor. A bargain basement GT/J version was available through the later years of production which had most of the bright work deleted.

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

PS Don’t forget …

Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz

Automobiliart, Paul Chenard

December 26th – January 2nd

Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards

Sports-GT cars set, Paul Chenard

Set 1 Sports & GT Cars

Phil Hill, Sharknose Ferrari Set, Paul Chenard

Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition

1934 GP Season Card set, Paul Chenard

Set 3 1934 Season

1950s Grand Prix Engines

Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950’s

or

Mike Hawtorns racecars Card set, Paul Chenard

Set 5 Mike Hawthorn’s Race Cars

The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.

Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.

The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.

Which set will you choose ?

The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th – January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.

Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.

Looking for Automotive Seasonal Gift Idea’s? Visit Automobiliart Now !

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Engine Upgrade – Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

Today for Ferrari Friday we are revisiting the Silverstone Classic where I saw this Ferrari 365 GT 2+2.

Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

The 365 series of Ferrari’s appears outwardly similar to the 330 Series apart from some minor details the Pininfarina bodies of the two series can be difficult to tell apart.

Ferrari 365 GTC

However underneath the bonnet/hood the Colombo V12 engine had been upgraded from 4.0 litres / 244 cui to 4390 cc / 267 cui which would become best known for it’s application in the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 launched like the 365 GT 2+2 in 1968.

Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

Between 1968 and 1970 around 800 365 GT 2+2’s were built with leather seats, electric windows and power assisted steering making the model one of Ferrari’s best selling models at the time.

Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

This particular car appears to have been first registered between late 1970 to early 1971 possibly making it one of the last of the 54 Right Hand Drive 365 GT 2+2’s known to have been built.

Thanks for joining me for Ferrari Friday at ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Goodwood RAC TT Celebration – Ferraris

The RAC TT or International Tourist Trophy is a more or less annual award given to the winners of a selected motor race. It was first awarded in 1905 making it the longest lasting trophy in Motorsport. Among the many venues that hosted the RAC TT is Goodwood which ran TT races from 1958 to 1964. Below are 9 of the 10 Ferrari’s that took part in the Revival Celebration TT practice sessions a couple of weeks ago.

Ferrari 250 GT Drogo, Goodwood Revival

The #14 Ferrari 250 GT Drogo started life as a 250 GT SWB (Short Wheel Base) Competizione chassis #2445GT in 1961, it was supplied to Garages Francorchamps in Belgium and is known to have won at least seven European races in the hands of Robert Crevits in the 1961 and ’62 seasons. At Le Mans in 1962 Robert Darville crashed the car and it was subsequently sent to Piero Drogo in Modena where the current bodywork was fitted. Apparently James Coburn briefly owned this car in 1964. Dutchman David Hart shared the #14 with 2006 RAC TT winner Michael Bartels at Goodwood.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Beadvan, Goodwood Revival

Readers from Rowdy.com may remember my blog on the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan, I’ll repost the whole blog here if I find myself getting short of Ferraris to write about, chassis #2819 is a bastard in so much as it also started life as a 1961 250 GT SWB, but Count di Misurata had his car upgraded by Giotto Bizzarrini, the man responsible for designing both the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and the later 250 GTO. The ‘Breadvan’ was driven at Goodwood by Nicholas Minassian and Max Werner.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Revival

One of my all time heroes Art Merzario shared the #19 250 GT SWB/C with Kilian Koenig. This 1960 model chassis #1811GT was another car originally supplied to Garages Francorchamps and in the hands of Robert Crevits won 3 races outright in the 1961 season.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Goodwood Revival

Conrad Ulrich shared his #20 250 GT SWB chassis #3107GT with Frank Stippler at Goodwood. This chassis was originally supplied to M. Auregli in Italy and has no race history, that I can discern, until the current owner acquired it in 1999.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione, Goodwood Revival

This light weight 1961 250GT SWB Compitizione was originally entered by the North American Racing Team in the Paris 1000 kms for the Mexican Rodriguez brothers who won on the cars debut race. Subsequently it was sold to Doug Thiem in the USA who succesfully campaigned this chassis #3005GT in 1962. The #21 car now belongs to Lukas Hueni who shared it with Carlo Voegele at Goodwood.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

Gregory Whitten’s #23 250 GTO chassis #3413 was originally used as a spare car and tested by Graham Hill and engineer Mauro ‘Fury’ Fogheri on the Targa Florio in 1962, later that year #3413 was acquired by Edoardo Lualdi who scored numerous overall and class wins hillclimbing with it. In 1963 Gianni Bulgari raced it scoring a class win on the Targa and an overall win at Monza. In 1964 the car was fitted with ’64 GTO bodywork at the Ferrari factory for new owner Corrado Ferlaino who promptly took another class win on the Targa and at least two more hillclimb class wins. In 1967 Jack Le Fort acquired #3413 for £6000 /@ US$ 15,000 after several further changes of ownership Gregory Whitten acquired it in 2000 for US$ 7 million ! Greg shared his car with 6 time Le Mans winner Derek ‘Dinger’ Bell at Goodwood.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

The #24 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #3767GT was raced with the #8 by original owner David Piper to 5th place in the 1962 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. David won races in Angola and South Africa with this car in 1962. In 1963 David shared the car at Sebring with the cars next owner Ed Cantrell who clocked up further class wins with the car through to the end of 1964. Since 1974 #3767 has been the property of heavy plant magnet Anthony Bamford at Goodwood his son Jo shared the drivng duties with Alain de Cadenet.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta , Goodwood Revival

Jose Albuquerque, of Portugal brought his 250GT Compitizione to Goodwood and shared it with Barrie Williams. Chassis #2159GT was originally supplied to Garage Montchoisy, Geneva, CH and Gérard Spinedi won on his debut in the 1000m sprint at Cern, Spinedi scored numerous overall and class victories in races, rallies and on the hills up to 1964. Mr Albuquerque has been the custodian of this car since 2001.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta , Goodwood Revival

Finally Garage Francochamps appears to have acquired this 1960 steel bodied 250GT SWB Berlinetta chassis #2069GT from Baron de Fierlant in 1962, apart from a 2nd place in the 1962 Ardenne hillclimb with Robert Crevits at the wheel, the car has no discernable competition history until the turn of this century when Vincent Gáye acquired it. Vincent was sharing #2060GT with former national hillclimb champion David Franklin in the RAC TT celebration.

My thanks to PauloSF at Ferrari Chat for his contribution to todays blog.

Thanks for joining me on this RAC TT edition of ‘Gettin a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

SOT Thanks to a strong alignment of favourable planets I’ll be attending the Bill Boddy Tribute Day at Bill’s spiritual home Brooklands tomorrow, if I had not picked up a copy of Motor Sport, edited by Bill Boddy, in January 1973 I’d never have been bitten by the passion I still have 38 years later for all things motoring.

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My Word Is My Bond – Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible

Today’s uniquely bodied Ferrari images come straight from the Carmel By The Sea Concours on the Avenue which was held on Tuesday courtesy of GALPOTS regular contributor Geoffrey Horton.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible

In 1955 a New Yorker Robert Lee set off on a Safari stopping over in Rome for a week on the outward journey. While in Italy Mr Lee went to Modena and visited Enzo Ferrari who suggested that if Mr Lee should ever want to buy a Ferrari he should buy one direct from the factory in Italy.

Mr Lee responded that he did not think a Ferrari would be up to running on the streets of New York, to which Enzo replied “If you buy a Ferrari, I guarantee it will run in New York City”.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible, Carmel By The Sea

In 1956 Mr Lee saw this 250 GT Convertible on the Ferrari stand at the New York Auto Show, when Mr Lee enquired about the possibility of purchasing it he was informed by Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s New York representative, that the car was not for sale and would be returned to Modena after the show.

Mr Lee then sent Enzo a Telegram reminding him of their meeting and offering $ 9,500 dollars, all he had, for the Convertible.

Ferrari 250 GT Boano Convertible, Carmel By The Sea

Soon after on the instructions of Mr Ferrari, Mr Chinetti asked Mr Lee to bring him a cashiers cheque for $9,500 and the worlds only 250 GT Boano Convertible, which is alleged to have cost $20,000 to build, would be his.

55 years and two restorations later this unique car still belongs to Mr Lee, possibly making it the worlds oldest Ferrari in continuous original ownership.

Jaguar XK150,  Carmel By The Sea

My thanks again to Geoffrey Horton, seen above with his sister Vanessa and XK140, for today’s photographs, I hope you will join me in congratulating Geoffrey on winning second place at the Carmel By The Sea Councours on The Avenue.

Hope you have enjoyed this Boano Convertible edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a large Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Towards Standardisation – Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I #9811GT

A couple of weeks ago I looked at a Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet Series 2 which is on view at the Haynes International Motor Museum.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

Today’s featured car, seen competing in the regularity competition on the recent Tour Britannia, is the earlier Series I model which is immediately distinguishable by it’s recessed headlights and headlight covers. Notice the chromed edge on the bonnet / hood air intake belies the fact that this in essence a production road car.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

This particular Right Hand Drive (RHD), car was delivered painted Yellow to a customer in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1957.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

Only 40 examples of this model were built including 4 prototypes of which only two or three appear to have been built to RHD specification. This particular chassis appears to be the 15th in the production run. These models were far from standardised in the traditional sense.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

There were for example two distinct variations of the stylised tail lights fitted to the Series I 250 GT PF Cabriolets.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

Early examples of this model were supplied with 2 rear quarter bumpers to match the pair of front nudge bars however later examples such as the one seen above were supplied with full width items.

Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I, Castle Combe, TB

Hong Kong businessman Sir Michael Kadoorie became the owner of this vehicle in 1998, he and co pilot Brian Lewis were not classified in the overall Tour Britannica results. Sir Michael counts among his collection of vehicles a Type 57 Bugatti, a 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom II Thrupp & Maberly and a 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Van Vooren Cabriolet.

Thanks for joining me on today’s Ferrari Friday edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Rare Side Vents – Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2 #1815GT

Despite the Haynes International Motor Museum having a room full of red vehicles only one of the Rosso Corsa cars is a Ferrari.

Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2, Haynes IMM

The Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2 was launched in 1959 featuring a Pinin Farina designed body that was simpler than the Series 1, in part was due to the intention of the Series 2 to be made for series production rather than to order.

Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2, Haynes IMM

This 1960 left hand drive model with a 3185 cc / 194 cui V12 was orginally exported to the USA and in 1987 was sold by Coy’s of London with the registration ‘Q 999 EGC’.

Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2, Haynes IMM

It is thought around 212 Series 2 models were manufactured as against just 36 of the Series 1 model.

Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2, Haynes IMM

While the Series 2 is known as a model manufactured in series this particular example has extremely rare, for the model type, side vents.

Thanks for joining me on this slightly tardy Ferrari Friday edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me for a stretch limo edition tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Variable Inlet Cam Phasing – Nissan Skyline GT R33

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This 1996 Skyline GT R33 is a two wheel drive forth generation Skyline. The front bumper and spoiler on this one appears to be an after market item.

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Power was delivered by an RB25DET 250 hp twin turbo 2490cc / 151 cui straight 6 engine which featured variable inlet cam phasing ( NVCS ). Many of these vehicles have been sent to engine specialists for radical tuning, racing versions of these engines have shown over 500 hp.

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It is thought that 217,133 R33 Skylines were produced from 1993 – 1998 and sold in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and the UK, although officially imported many more are thought to have arrived in the UK as personal ‘grey’ imports.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s NVCS edition of ‘Getting a little Psycho on Tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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