Showing posts with label Spyder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spyder. Show all posts
Friday, 22 January 2016
Monday, 19 January 2015
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Friday, 1 July 2011
Ice Maiden - Ferrari 500 Mondial Spyder PF Series I #0408 MD
The 1953 Ferrari 500 Mondial used a version of the 2 litre / 121 cui 4 cylinder engine that powered Alberto Ascari to the 1952 & 1953 World (Mondial) Championship run to Formula 2 open wheel regulations. With body work by Pinin Farina a Mondial Spyder finished second in the 1954 Mille Migllia driven by Vittorio Marzotto despite giving a 1 litre / 60 cui in engine size to the top class vehicles tipped for overall victory.
So far as I can tell the vehicle in Geoffrey Horton's photo above taken at Danville Concours d'Elegance in 2007 is chassis #0408 MD completed in March 1954 and sold to Valdemar Stener in Sweden who in 1955 set a class Swedish Speed Record in the car. This vehicle has had many owners one of whom Mas-Olle Persson won the 1957 Swedish Ice Racing Championship in this car.
In 1958 0408 MD was rebodied with a copy of a later Scaglietti body in fibreglass and just over 30 years later the Pinin Farina Spyder spec body by Carrozzeria Bachelli & Villa was fitted.
My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending today's photograph and to toggie at Ferrari Chat for pointing me in the direction of the cars probable chassis number.
Hope you have enjoyed today's Ice Racing Champions edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
PS Belated congratulations to Geoffrey and his Jaguar XK 140 on winning class B at Palo Alto Concours last weekend !
So far as I can tell the vehicle in Geoffrey Horton's photo above taken at Danville Concours d'Elegance in 2007 is chassis #0408 MD completed in March 1954 and sold to Valdemar Stener in Sweden who in 1955 set a class Swedish Speed Record in the car. This vehicle has had many owners one of whom Mas-Olle Persson won the 1957 Swedish Ice Racing Championship in this car.
In 1958 0408 MD was rebodied with a copy of a later Scaglietti body in fibreglass and just over 30 years later the Pinin Farina Spyder spec body by Carrozzeria Bachelli & Villa was fitted.
My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending today's photograph and to toggie at Ferrari Chat for pointing me in the direction of the cars probable chassis number.
Hope you have enjoyed today's Ice Racing Champions edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
PS Belated congratulations to Geoffrey and his Jaguar XK 140 on winning class B at Palo Alto Concours last weekend !
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
You can't reverse that thing here mate ! - Lotus IX
Moving up the field at Thompson CT on 20th July 1958 today Ed Arnaudin's photo's feature a Lotus IX driven by Len Bastrup a respected Lotus driver who finished 2nd in Race 1 for class G, HP & HM cars.
Around thirty Lotus IX models were manufactured from 1954 to 1955 with a variety of engines available from MG, Connaught and Bristol, this particular model had the most common 4 cylinder 1098 cc / 65.4 cui Coventry Climax Class G spec motor .
The body was penned by Frank Costin, brother of Mike who gave the Cos to Cosworth, and manufactured by Williams & Pritchard, who GALPOT regulars might remember were responsible for an all time favourite of mine the special body on a BMW 315/1.
Colin Chapman the dynamo behind Lotus Cars and accomplished racing driver entered a IX for the Le Mans 24 hours in 1955.
During the race he crashed his car into a sand bank. Thinking nothing of the incident he reversed out and was promptly disqualified for unauthorised reversing.
Len Bastrup was racing from at least 1953 to 1960 starting in MG's and then moving to Lotus cars in 1955. He shared a Lotus XI at the Sebring 12 hours in 1956 with Lotus founder Colin Chapman which burst into flames after an accident in practice which caused terminal damage and withdrawal from the race before it had started.
My thanks to Ed Arnaudin for the photographs, his son Steve for sending them on and Terry O'Neil for the race results.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 45.5cui edition of Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Around thirty Lotus IX models were manufactured from 1954 to 1955 with a variety of engines available from MG, Connaught and Bristol, this particular model had the most common 4 cylinder 1098 cc / 65.4 cui Coventry Climax Class G spec motor .
The body was penned by Frank Costin, brother of Mike who gave the Cos to Cosworth, and manufactured by Williams & Pritchard, who GALPOT regulars might remember were responsible for an all time favourite of mine the special body on a BMW 315/1.
Colin Chapman the dynamo behind Lotus Cars and accomplished racing driver entered a IX for the Le Mans 24 hours in 1955.
During the race he crashed his car into a sand bank. Thinking nothing of the incident he reversed out and was promptly disqualified for unauthorised reversing.
Len Bastrup was racing from at least 1953 to 1960 starting in MG's and then moving to Lotus cars in 1955. He shared a Lotus XI at the Sebring 12 hours in 1956 with Lotus founder Colin Chapman which burst into flames after an accident in practice which caused terminal damage and withdrawal from the race before it had started.
My thanks to Ed Arnaudin for the photographs, his son Steve for sending them on and Terry O'Neil for the race results.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 45.5cui edition of Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Sunday, 6 February 2011
HM Racer - Nardi MD4 Spyder
Todays post comes courtesy of photographer Ed Arnaudin who's photo's were kindly forwarded to me courtesy of his son Steve.
Featured today is a Nardi ND 4 Spyder, seen here at the New York Championship Race meeting, Thompson CT July 20th 1958 where it came in 11th driven by John Igleheart in Race 1, a race which I will be returning to tomorrow.
Enrico Nardi was an Italian racing driver, engineer and designer who worked for Lancia and the works Alfa Romeo Scuderia Ferrari Team. Enrico is credited with being one of the first two drivers to race the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, considered to be the very first Ferrari model in all but name, in the 1940 Mille Miglia.
In 1951 Nardi established his own workshops on Via Lancia, Torino to build prototypes and one of the strangest vehicles out side of Can Am 2 the twin boom Nardi Bisiluro for the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The mid 1950's ND4 Spyder is one of many of Nardi's 750 cc vehicles which came in a variety of shapes powered by a variety motors including JAP, Crosley, Panhard and in the case of this particular vehicle a 4 cylinder 43 hp 747 cc / 45.5 cui FIAT unit sourced from the FIAT 600 parts bin.
John Igleheart driver of the #95 seems to have been a specialist at racing cars with small motors he is known to have raced from at least 1953 to 1968, he seems to have been most successful driving a 'Bobsy'.
My thanks again to Ed and Steve Arnaidin for todays valuable contribution and to Terry O' Neil for the race results.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 45.5cui edition of Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Featured today is a Nardi ND 4 Spyder, seen here at the New York Championship Race meeting, Thompson CT July 20th 1958 where it came in 11th driven by John Igleheart in Race 1, a race which I will be returning to tomorrow.
Enrico Nardi was an Italian racing driver, engineer and designer who worked for Lancia and the works Alfa Romeo Scuderia Ferrari Team. Enrico is credited with being one of the first two drivers to race the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, considered to be the very first Ferrari model in all but name, in the 1940 Mille Miglia.
In 1951 Nardi established his own workshops on Via Lancia, Torino to build prototypes and one of the strangest vehicles out side of Can Am 2 the twin boom Nardi Bisiluro for the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The mid 1950's ND4 Spyder is one of many of Nardi's 750 cc vehicles which came in a variety of shapes powered by a variety motors including JAP, Crosley, Panhard and in the case of this particular vehicle a 4 cylinder 43 hp 747 cc / 45.5 cui FIAT unit sourced from the FIAT 600 parts bin.
John Igleheart driver of the #95 seems to have been a specialist at racing cars with small motors he is known to have raced from at least 1953 to 1968, he seems to have been most successful driving a 'Bobsy'.
My thanks again to Ed and Steve Arnaidin for todays valuable contribution and to Terry O' Neil for the race results.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 45.5cui edition of Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Sunday, 23 January 2011
West Coast Spyder - Porsche 550
My thanks go out again to Ed Arnaudin & Son for today's photograph, Ed purchased this photo by Carlyle Blackwell of Jack McAfee in his John Edgar owned 550 most likely being driven to victory at Pebble Beach, a track I know very little about, on 22nd April 1956.
Photo Carlyle Blackwell, Publised Courtesy Blackwell Archive, for sales enquiry's please e-mail infoATpsychoontyres.co.uk and your contact details will be forwarded to the Blackwell Archive.
Jack McAfee was an extremely successful West Coast driver who started out in hot rod racing by tuning a neighbour friends mother's model T, unbeknown to the fellow's poor mother.
Jack is best known for driving cars owned by John Edgar highlighted by a couple of international appearances including the Nurburgring 1000 kms. Driving the 550 seen here Jack became National class F champion in 1956.
At 29 Jack became the youngest ever Porsche Dealer and was responsible for the often copied McAfee aftermarket wheels for Porsche and VW cars long before Porsche cars were fitted with the iconic Fuchs alloy wheels.
Just 90 Porsche 550 purpose built racing cars, inspired by the 356 specials built and raced by Walter Gloecker, were produced from 1953 - 1956.
Allegedly one of these low slung cars was driven under a pair of railway crossing gates by Hans Hermann during the 1954 Mille Miglia. A light weight 550 A variant was driven to Porsche's first major out right sports car victory by drivers Umberto Maglioli and Huschke von Hanstein in 1956 Targa Florio.
However all of the 550's racing successes are dwarfed by it's position in 20th century movie culture, outside a restraunt on the 23rd of September 1955 Alec Guiness, the original Obi-Wan Kenobi, was shown the #130 Porsche 550 known as 'Little B*st*rd' owned by an emerging acting talent and part time race driver.
Sir Alec thought the vehicle looked sinister and advised the owner 'If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.' Sadly, a prediction that came true on 30th September 1955 when the legend of James Byron Dean was born.
My thanks to Arnaudin & Son for the wonderful photograph and to racingsportscars.com for the race information.
Hope you have enjoyed today's edition of getting a little psycho on tyres and that you'll join me again tomorrow for a look at a Porsche in need of a little TLC. Don't forget to come back now !
28 07 12 PS My thanks to Pamela Blackwell who has kindly retrospectively given me permission to post the photo's her father took.
Photo Carlyle Blackwell, Publised Courtesy Blackwell Archive, for sales enquiry's please e-mail infoATpsychoontyres.co.uk and your contact details will be forwarded to the Blackwell Archive.
Jack McAfee was an extremely successful West Coast driver who started out in hot rod racing by tuning a neighbour friends mother's model T, unbeknown to the fellow's poor mother.
Jack is best known for driving cars owned by John Edgar highlighted by a couple of international appearances including the Nurburgring 1000 kms. Driving the 550 seen here Jack became National class F champion in 1956.
At 29 Jack became the youngest ever Porsche Dealer and was responsible for the often copied McAfee aftermarket wheels for Porsche and VW cars long before Porsche cars were fitted with the iconic Fuchs alloy wheels.
Just 90 Porsche 550 purpose built racing cars, inspired by the 356 specials built and raced by Walter Gloecker, were produced from 1953 - 1956.
Allegedly one of these low slung cars was driven under a pair of railway crossing gates by Hans Hermann during the 1954 Mille Miglia. A light weight 550 A variant was driven to Porsche's first major out right sports car victory by drivers Umberto Maglioli and Huschke von Hanstein in 1956 Targa Florio.
However all of the 550's racing successes are dwarfed by it's position in 20th century movie culture, outside a restraunt on the 23rd of September 1955 Alec Guiness, the original Obi-Wan Kenobi, was shown the #130 Porsche 550 known as 'Little B*st*rd' owned by an emerging acting talent and part time race driver.
Sir Alec thought the vehicle looked sinister and advised the owner 'If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.' Sadly, a prediction that came true on 30th September 1955 when the legend of James Byron Dean was born.
My thanks to Arnaudin & Son for the wonderful photograph and to racingsportscars.com for the race information.
Hope you have enjoyed today's edition of getting a little psycho on tyres and that you'll join me again tomorrow for a look at a Porsche in need of a little TLC. Don't forget to come back now !
28 07 12 PS My thanks to Pamela Blackwell who has kindly retrospectively given me permission to post the photo's her father took.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
East Coast Spyders - Porsche 550 Spyder
Thanks to Ed Arnaudin for 3 more superb photographs from Thompson CT on July 20th 1958.
From race 7 we have three Porsche 550 Spyders.
Newton Davis, 550 Chassis 550-04 Finished 1st. Newton is known to have raced both Porsche and later Lotus cars from at least 1957 to at least 1965. He appears to have raced this one from 1958 - 1960.
Bernhard Vihl's career is much less well known he appears to have entered races in 1955 and 1962 but not much is documented about him in between except we know that he finished 10th on this day in July behind the #123 Lister Bristol, #52 Jaguar C-type and #76 Aston Martin DB 3S mentioned in previous posts.
Warren James is known to have raced a Porsche 356 from '54 to '56 and then showed up with this 550 in 1958, this photograph extends Warrens known career by at least one race.
The fact that Newton Davis beat much more powerful V8 Maserati, Jaguar - Cadilllac Special a C-Type and an Aston Martin show's he must have been an exceptional talent for handling the far nimbler 550 round the tight Thompson CT circuit, I'll cover some of the technical details tomorrow with a photograph of a 550 on the West Coast.
Thanks to Arnaudin & Son for the photographs and to Terry O'Neil for the results information.
Don't forget to come back now !
From race 7 we have three Porsche 550 Spyders.
Newton Davis, 550 Chassis 550-04 Finished 1st. Newton is known to have raced both Porsche and later Lotus cars from at least 1957 to at least 1965. He appears to have raced this one from 1958 - 1960.
Bernhard Vihl's career is much less well known he appears to have entered races in 1955 and 1962 but not much is documented about him in between except we know that he finished 10th on this day in July behind the #123 Lister Bristol, #52 Jaguar C-type and #76 Aston Martin DB 3S mentioned in previous posts.
Warren James is known to have raced a Porsche 356 from '54 to '56 and then showed up with this 550 in 1958, this photograph extends Warrens known career by at least one race.
The fact that Newton Davis beat much more powerful V8 Maserati, Jaguar - Cadilllac Special a C-Type and an Aston Martin show's he must have been an exceptional talent for handling the far nimbler 550 round the tight Thompson CT circuit, I'll cover some of the technical details tomorrow with a photograph of a 550 on the West Coast.
Thanks to Arnaudin & Son for the photographs and to Terry O'Neil for the results information.
Don't forget to come back now !
Friday, 26 November 2010
Masking Tape Special - Ferrari LWB 250 GT California Spyder #0919
For Ferrari Friday today we have Steve Arnaudin to thank for sending his Dad Ed Arnaudins pictures for me to share, the vehicle we are looking at today is a Ferrari LWB 250 GT California Spyder at Lime Rock, Terry O'Neil's book 'Northeast American Sports Car Races 1950 - 1959' * suggests these photographs might have been taken on the 9th May 1959 from a meeting held over form the 24th April 1959.
Allegedly when it started raining during the second race on the original date Connecticut Law Enforcement officers moved in to cancel the rest of the days activities !
This 250 GT California Spyder LWB was powered by a 240 hp 2,953 cc /180 cui Colombo designed V12 similar to that in the 250 GT Ellena featured last week. The car is capable of in excess of 140 mph.
The California was the brain child of US importers Jon von Neuman and Luigi Chinetti who wanted a competition car for their biggest market from which the car derives it's name, the interior is deliberately sparton with a 'small' heater the only concession to occupants comfort. Notice there is no seat harness.
The bodywork by Scarglietti on this car was made from steel there were two body types available one with closed in headlights seen here the other with regular headlights lights on the front of the wings, this is particularly important because Bob Grossman the driver seen here drove both sorts of body style and both were painted silver. Seven competition versions of the California Spyder were built with aluminium alloy bodies again in both body styles.
Note despite the absence of a seat harness the car is fitted with a roll bar behind the drivers head. It is not clear why Bob added several rolls of masking tape to the front of his car, it may have been a cheap way to protect his paintwork from chips, scratches nicks and bugs.
Originally finished in dark red this chassis #0919, one of just 45 examples, was built in 1958 and sold to Julio Batista Falla in Cuba before Bob Grossman turned up with it in silver and raced it within the USA, clocking up several wins and class victories in SCCA sanctioned events.
Bob more famously raced another silver 250 GT California in 1959, chassis #1451 one of the seven original competition spec vehicles featuring all aluminium bodies, but curiously without the headlight fairings.
#1451 was part of a three car attack on the 1959 Le Mans 24 hour race by the North American Racing Team, Bob and Fernand Tavano came in 5th overall and 3rd in class (not 1st in class as erroneously stated by an auction house recently). Bob also won the Nassau Memorial Trophy Race in #1451.
(Paragraph on subsequent history of #1451 removed 03/04/11)
My thanks again to Steve & Ed Arnaudin, hope you have enjoyed Ferrari Friday at Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres, looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings, don't forget to come back now !
* Please note :- I do not in anyway endorse, or have any commercial interest in the products or distributors highlighted in today's feature, I am merely passing information on as an enthusiast of all things motoring, I have no experience of handling these products nor have I used these vendors. I recommend anyone interested in these items or distributors do their own thorough investigation into suitability, reliability and particularly prices of both products and vendors before making any purchasing decisions.
26 11 10 Erratum Julio Batista's son has informed me that today's featured car was white when his father owned it in 1958, his Dad had never raced it, if he had he would have painted it yellow as he did with his TR # 0698. Apologies for any confusion.
Allegedly when it started raining during the second race on the original date Connecticut Law Enforcement officers moved in to cancel the rest of the days activities !
This 250 GT California Spyder LWB was powered by a 240 hp 2,953 cc /180 cui Colombo designed V12 similar to that in the 250 GT Ellena featured last week. The car is capable of in excess of 140 mph.
The California was the brain child of US importers Jon von Neuman and Luigi Chinetti who wanted a competition car for their biggest market from which the car derives it's name, the interior is deliberately sparton with a 'small' heater the only concession to occupants comfort. Notice there is no seat harness.
The bodywork by Scarglietti on this car was made from steel there were two body types available one with closed in headlights seen here the other with regular headlights lights on the front of the wings, this is particularly important because Bob Grossman the driver seen here drove both sorts of body style and both were painted silver. Seven competition versions of the California Spyder were built with aluminium alloy bodies again in both body styles.
Note despite the absence of a seat harness the car is fitted with a roll bar behind the drivers head. It is not clear why Bob added several rolls of masking tape to the front of his car, it may have been a cheap way to protect his paintwork from chips, scratches nicks and bugs.
Originally finished in dark red this chassis #0919, one of just 45 examples, was built in 1958 and sold to Julio Batista Falla in Cuba before Bob Grossman turned up with it in silver and raced it within the USA, clocking up several wins and class victories in SCCA sanctioned events.
Bob more famously raced another silver 250 GT California in 1959, chassis #1451 one of the seven original competition spec vehicles featuring all aluminium bodies, but curiously without the headlight fairings.
#1451 was part of a three car attack on the 1959 Le Mans 24 hour race by the North American Racing Team, Bob and Fernand Tavano came in 5th overall and 3rd in class (not 1st in class as erroneously stated by an auction house recently). Bob also won the Nassau Memorial Trophy Race in #1451.
(Paragraph on subsequent history of #1451 removed 03/04/11)
My thanks again to Steve & Ed Arnaudin, hope you have enjoyed Ferrari Friday at Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres, looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings, don't forget to come back now !
* Please note :- I do not in anyway endorse, or have any commercial interest in the products or distributors highlighted in today's feature, I am merely passing information on as an enthusiast of all things motoring, I have no experience of handling these products nor have I used these vendors. I recommend anyone interested in these items or distributors do their own thorough investigation into suitability, reliability and particularly prices of both products and vendors before making any purchasing decisions.
26 11 10 Erratum Julio Batista's son has informed me that today's featured car was white when his father owned it in 1958, his Dad had never raced it, if he had he would have painted it yellow as he did with his TR # 0698. Apologies for any confusion.
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