Tag Archives: Niello Concours at Serrano

Italian Spitfire – FIAT 1200 TV Transformabile

When Geoffrey Horton sent me the first of today’s photo’s from Niello Concours at Serano a couple of years ago I spent a good while trying to work out what it was, it looked so like a Triumph Spitfire but it turns out the FIAT TV, Tourismo Veloce, Transformabile, Fast Touring Convertible, predates the Spitfire by seven years.

FIAT 1200TV Transformabile, Niello Concours at Serano,

Based on the chassis pan of the contemporary FIAT 1100 4 door saloon with bodywork by Fabio Luigi Rapi this 1958 1200TV is ‘under’ powered by a post 1957 upgraded 55 hp motor that was considered a little too timid in the contemporary press.

FIAT 1200 TV Transformabile, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

The interior of the car, which features an adjustable steering column and swivel seats for easy entry and egress was considered worthy of far more expensive marques like Ferrari and Maserati in some contemporary US press reports.

FIAT 1200 TV Transformabile, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance,

It is believed 571 53 hp 1100TV Transfomabile’s were built from 1955 to 1957 and a further 2,360 more powerful 1200TV Transformabile variants were built up until 1959.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs from Niello Concours at Serano and Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Italian Spitfire” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be at a Safari Rally winning Subaru. 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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Dutch Rattle Free Coachwork – Delahaye 135M Pennock Cabriolet

Four years after Emile Delahaye founded Delahaye to manufacture automobiles in France, P.J. Pennock & Sons founded Carrosseriefabriek P.J. Pennock & Zonen in the Netherlands in 1898.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

In 1935 Delahaye built the first 135 Competition models which featured low chassis with independent front suspension and conventional solid rear axle which were competitive in events as the Monte Carlo Rally and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

After war the Delahaye 135 returned to production with the six cylinder motor now producing 130 hp in M spec, as before the war Delahaye customers had no choice but to send their Delhaye chassis coach builders as Delahaye had no in house coach building facilities.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

The chassis of this particular 1947 Cabriolet was sent to Carrosseriefabriek P.J. Pennock & Zonen who had eliminated rattling body work by using a bare minimum of woodwork framing and by welding their creations direct to the customers chassis.

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

Thanks for joining me on this “Dutch Rattle Free Coachwork” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Coffee, Croissant & Cars tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Not So Felice Carlo – Maserati 4CL #1564

Today’s featured 1939 Maserati 4CL chassis #1564 is one of 14 4CL siblings of chassis #1566 that I looked at a couple of weeks ago.

Maserati 4CL,  Sonoma Historics

Like chassis #1566 today’s car appears to have taken part in the greatest ever race for 1.5 litre Voiturettes the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix.

Maserati 4CL,  Niello Concours at Serrano

It appears most likely that Carlo Felice Trossi qualified #1564 10th on the grid over two seconds slower than Giovanni Rocco in the 8th placed #1566.

Maserati 4CL,  Niello Concours at Serrano

The only results that I can find for the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix show that Carlo retired with an engine problem without completing a lap.

Maserati 4CL,  Sonoma Historics

The rest of the #1564’s period history is not known within the confines of the internet, although it is believed to have been driven by Maserati team mates Franco Cortese and Luigi Villoresi.

In the 1960’s #1564 was resident in the UK and in 1992 it fetched nearly $300,000 at auction in Monaco. If you know any further details about #1564 please do not hesitate to chip in below.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who took these photographs at Sonoma Historics and Niello Concours at Serrano.

Thanks for joining me on this “Not So Felice Carlo” Edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I be looking at a Bugatti. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Under The Hood Details – Niello Concours at Serrano

On October 5th Geoffrey Horton took his Jaguar XK 140 to Niello Concours at Serrano where it was shown in the special display class.

Jaguar XK140, Niello Concours at Serrano

Any one interested in what is under the hood of Geffrey’s Jaguar can see it by following this link.

National, Niello Concours at Serrano

Today’s post will focus on what was lurking under the hood of some of the other vehicles on display, above the 1911 National Indy 500 car only had 4 cylinders but with a displacement of 7.5 litres / 460 cui they still packed a 100 hp punch.

Allard K2, Niello Concours at Serrano

I beleive this is the third appearance of this particular 1951 Allard K2 on this blog, but the first appearance of it’s 5.4 litre / 331 cui Cadillac overhead valve motor with three original Stromberg carburetors that produce around 160 hp.

Plymouth Fury, Niello Concours at Serrano

The 281st, off the production line, 1956 Plymouth Fury above boasts a 5 litre / 303 cui polyspherical head V8 with optional twin 4 barrel carburetors which combined to produce 270hp.

Chrysler 300F, Niello Concours at Serrano

For 1960 Chrysler introduced the 6.8 litre / 413 cui wedge motor for the 300F seen above. To maximise power in low to mid rpm range the motor was fitted with tuned 30 inch intake pipes which were fed by the carburetors from opposite sides.
The air resonances inside the air intake pipes helped to force air into the cylinders at low to mid range rpm and thus increase the power which topped out at 375hp.

Lotus 27, Niello Concours at Serrano

Not completely off topic I was reading some information about the early days of racing recently and discovered that while Voiturettes were generally restricted to 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui motors there was a smaller class known as Cycle Cars which were restricted to 1.1 litres / 67.1 cui which would make the much later 1963 Formula Junior Lotus 27 above the equivalent of a cycle car in Veteran times. The motor for this Lotus is clearly a Ford production block with a Cosworth head. Power for these motors has risen from 36hp in original side valve production form to 115 hp quoted by some tuners for a competitive Formula Junior with the Cosworth head.

Lotus 19, Niello Concours at Serrano

In late 1963 Lotus built the last Lotus 19 B chassis #966 uniquely powered with a 4 carburetor 4.7 litre / 289 Ford V8 motor for Dan Gurney. The car was quick, but unreliable and Dan never recorded a win with it although it’s next owner Steve Diulo managed a win at the SCCA Willow springs race in December 1965. The cars last appearance was at Texas International Speedway in November 1969 where Bruce Campbell was running but unclassified in chassis #966 by now rebranded as a BVC Mk 1 and with a Chevrolet motor installed.

Ford Mustang GT 350, Niello Concours at Serrano

Finally, for this week, above is another Ford V8 this time a 306hp 4.7 litre Shelby tuned Ford HiPo 289 inside one of the 252 “carry over” 1965 Shelby Mustang 350 GT’s which feature ’65 Ford VIN numbers and ’66 Shelby VIN numbers.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton once again for sharing his photographs from the California Concours d’Elegance scene through the year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Under The Hood Details” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a 3 ton pickup that gets up to 60mph from rest in just 5 seconds. Don’t forget to come back now !

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