Today's car is a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder as seen at the Christies International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992. The car wasn't competing but was amongst the Ferraris parked in the paddock at this Ferrari-themed meeting. It's chassis number 0518M - you can read a full history of the car here, and below is a brief history of its early life from www.finecars.cc:
0518M was a 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder, it was sold to Jacques Swaters, B, he finished the GP Dakar in 5th position, Roger Laurent drove the Monza to a 3rd position in the Voitures de Serie, Spa, but crashed heavily in the GP Bari, during the repair time the Monza received a larger grill and larger side air outlets, in Tourist Trophy Dundrod Jacques Swaters & Johnny Claes finished 13th. In 1956 Andre Pilette crashed in the GP Agadir and 0518M was rebodied in 1956 style cars (500 TR). In 1956 André Pilette; Rousselle, Changy and Milhoux drove the yellow Monza, the following races, GP Porto (6th), GP Rouen (10th), GP Sweden (dnf) and 1000km Paris, Monthlery (4th OA, 4th IC), then it was sold to the USA.
Monza designation or not, this body is the later 500TR, nominally of 1956. Monzas with the thinner grille opening and longer tail were the first of the Scaglietti spyders appearing in late 1954, and these bodies, for 2 liter Mondials were redesignated Testa Rossas. To have acheived a three liter four in place of a 2 liter is no big deal on these blocks, as their cylinder cases bolted to the same sort of barrel crankcase. Maybe the hood bulges were slightly more prominent.
ReplyDeleteThat's correct - the barchetta.cc description of the car does say 'rebodied as 500 TR'.
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