Tag Archives: Misurata

Ferrari Friday – Blackhawk Museum and Danville Concours d’Elegance

While participating at the Danville Concours d’Elegance last month Geoffrey also popped into the Blackhawk Museum where some of today’s Ferrari’s were also seen.

Ferrari 195 Sport Touring Berlinetta, Blackhawk Collection

Among the cars yet to feature at Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres is this Ferrari 166MM chassis #0060M that was fitted with a larger 2.3 litre 195 engine by the Ferrari factory and entered at Le Mans By Chinetti and later at Sebring by Briggs Cunningham in 1950.

Ferrari 250 GT Ellena Coupé, Blackhawk Collection,

The Ferrari 250 GT Ellena Coupé above was built in 1957 it is the 23rd of the 50 Coupés with bodies by Carrozzeria Ellena.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet, Blackhawk Collection

Built in 1958 the 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet above was the 30th of 40 Series 1 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet’s to be built which I believe was seen at the 1958 Paris Salon before being sold to Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata in Venice.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet, Blackhawk Collection,

I have not yet I identified the chassis number of this 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet, if you know it please do not hesitate to chip in below.

Ferrari 250 Europa Vignale Coupé, Danville Concours d'Elegance,

Outside in the Danville Concours D’Elegance Brian Hoyte’s 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Vignale Coupé chassis #0295EU, another Paris show car, was judged worthy winner of the Award of Excellence.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Danville Concours d'Elegance,

While the Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #4757GT, another ex Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata car, now belonging to Tom Price turned plenty of heads, but on this occasion was awarded no prizes.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for once again sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Ferrari Friday” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a diminutive Chevron GT. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Confiscated By The FBI – Ferrari 250 GTO #4757GT

When Enzo Ferrari delayed the delivery of Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata’s second Ferrari for the 1962 Le Mans 24 hours the Count turned to several former employees of the Ferrari team to convert his 250 GT SWB into a GTO challenger the infamous Ferrari “Breadvan”.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Sonoma Historics,

It would appear that Count Volpi and Enzo made up their differences the following season when the Count is believed to have taken delivery of today’s featured GTO chassis #4757GT after it had been entered in the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours by the factory for Carlo Mario Abate and Fernand Tavano who crashed the car after completing 105 laps from 12th on the grid.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Sonoma Historics,

Carlo Abate is then known to have driven #4757 to class victories on four hillclimbs before it was entered in the 1963 Tour de France by Scuderia SSS Repubblica di Venezia for Fernand Tavano and Lorenzo Bandini who retired from the event after an accident.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Sonoma Historics,

Georges Marquet acquired the for the 1964 season and under the Ecurie Francorchamps umbrella competed in at least a dozen events including races and hillclimbs winning the Coupes Benelux, Zandvoort, Anvers hillclimb and Bomeree hillclimb events outright.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Sonoma Historics,

There after the car made it’s way to the USA via Jaques Swatters in 1965.

In 1982 Christopher Murray of Middletown Rhode Island is said to have bought #4757 for $345,000 two years before fleeing to Spain to avoid a drugs related indictment.

Murray was murdered in Spain in 1987 the same year the FBI who had confiscated the car in December 1984 sold it through a sealed bid auction for $1.6 million.

From 1988 to 2009 #4757 resided in The Netherlands and returned to the USA in 2010 when it’s present owner bought the car.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who took these photographs of #4757 at last years Sonoma Historics meeting.

Thanks for joining me on this “Confiscated By The FBI” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at only surviving Le Mans Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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