Tag Archives: Swatters

Sweet Talking The Wife – Ferrari 250 GT/E #4049

Today’s featured Ferrari is an Ivory White 1962 Series 2 250 GT/E that was originally delivered to Jacques Swaters in Belgium. By 1967 the vehicle was offered for sale in San Francisco when the previous owner bought it and used as his daily driver taking it to work at McClellan Air Force Base north east of Sacramento.

Ferrari 250 GT/E, Niello Serano Concours d'Elegance

One night the present owners son saw the car being driven through the neighborhood and followed it home and made a mental note of where it was and told his Dad Jim Bonney who at the time owned an Alfa Romeo GTV.

Soon after Jim went and introduced himself to the previous owner and established that the car was not for sale but stayed in touch for a couple of years.

One day Jim got the bright idea of appealing to the decision maker in the previous owners house and waited until the previous owner was out and then introduced himself to his wife. On ‘discovering’ the previous owner was out he left a business card with revised figure for the car on the back.

Some months later the previous owner got in touch with Jim and they did a deal which meant Jim had to sell his GTV and raise $5,000.

Jim has kept the car more or less as he bought it, the paint was last done around 1995 while the motor was last overhauled around 1980.

I’m not exactly sure why the car is carrying the #40 Liege Rome Liege plates I am not aware of a 250 GT/E competing in that event but would be glad to hear of any evidence to the contrary.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph taken at Niello Serano Concours d’Elegance a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Sweet Talking The Wife” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a rare British Car with an American motor and an Italian styled body. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Le Mans & Targa Class Winner – Ferrari 500 TRC #0682MDTR

The Ferrari 500 TRC was the last of a line of 4 cylinder sports racing cars built by Ferrari between 1953 and 1957.

Ferrari 500TRC, Silverstone Classic

Today’s featured 500 TRC chassis #0682MDTR, seen above at the recent Silverstone Classic where it was driven by David and James Cottingham, was built for Belgian entrant Jaques Swatters in 1957.

The high light of Swatters “Ecurie Francochamps” 1957 season was the class win, 7th overall, recorded at Le Mans with Lucien Bianchi and Georges Harris at the wheel of #0682MDTR.

The following season Gaetano Starraba acquired the car and with Franco Cortese finished 7th overall, 1st in class, in the 1958 Targa Florio.

Starrabba returned to the Targa the following year with Domenico Lo Coco however the car was wrecked in accident which ended it’s ‘in period history’.

Present owner David Cottingham next appeared with the car in Classic and Sportscar in 1991 and he has raced this most famous of TRC’s regularly ever since.

Thanks for joining me on this “Le Mans & Targa Class Winner” edition of “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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