Friday 17 June 2011

What goes around - Ferrari 250 MM Vignale #0260MM

The Ferrari 250 MM was launched with a tube frame chassis carrying a 237 hp V12 with a Barchetta body by Carrozzeria Vignale in 1953 weighing just 850 kgs / 1874 lbs.

Ferrari 250MM, Vignale

http://www.psychoontyres.co.uk/im-in-the-wrong-business-ferrari-860-monza-0604m/ pictured here by Geoffrey Horton at Danville Concours d'Elegance in 2007 was supplied with this vehicle by US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti and drove this Vignale 250MM to victories at Pebble Beach and Santa Barbara in 1953 and scored a class victory at Stead AFB Reno, Nevada the same year.

There after the car was retired from racing and resurfaced on the Concours circuit, at Pebble Beach in 1983. Phil appears to have driven the car competitively for the last time at the Monterey Historic races in 1984.

For the 2007 Danville Concours d'Elegance, an annual event which raises money for the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, Sunnyvale, California, Phil's former employers Road & Track created the Phil Hill Trophy for the winner of the Concours event.

Phil, who suffered from and died as a result of complications from Parkinson's disease, may have been understandably a little biased when he selected the Vignale 250MM car he had once owned and raced to victory to be the inaugural winner of the trophy named after him.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who kindly sent me this image.

Thanks for stopping by today's Phil Hill Trophy edition on 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now!