Friday's Ferrari

This car, pictured at Luffield corner, was one of the competitors in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association's Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's the 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis #0504M, of Tom Walduck that was driven in the race by Kerry McSwan. The 750 Monza had an Aurelio Lampredi designed 4-cylinder twin overhead camshaft 2,999cc engine and bodywork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. This car was first campaigned by Mike Sparken (real name Michael J Pobereksky) who didn't own it, but 'rented' it from S.A.I.P.A. in Modena. This was apparently so that the car could be registered in Modena and so was able to avoid export restrictions and import duties when it travelled around Europe to different race meetings. The only major race that it contested was the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hour race where it was driven by Mike Sparken and Masten Gregory, but retired early in the race. It's the first Ferrari that I saw in competition, being driven by Mike Sparken in the 1955 British Empire Trophy race at Oulton Park.

Friday's Ferrari

Two cars leaving the pit lane here during a practice session for the Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

Leading is Christian Traber in his 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis #0554M, which has a 2,999cc 4-cylinder inline engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. The car was originally owned by Masten Gregory. The car behind is the 1959 Ferrari 250GT LWB Berlinetta TdF of Plinio Haas, chassis #1401GT, which has the 2,952cc Gioacchino Columbo designed V12 engine common to most of the 250 series cars.

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the competitors in the Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza of Dieter Streve-Mühlens and is chassis #0470MD with a 4-cylinder inline 3,000cc engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi and a body by Carrozzeria Scaglietti.

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the competitors in the Italy v Rest of the World race for Pre 1959 Drum Brake Sports Cars at the Silverstone Historic Festival meeting in August 2001.

It’s Carlos Monteverde’s 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis 0568M, with the Aurelio Lampredi designed 3,000cc 4-cylinder inline engine and was driven in the race by David Franklin. This car had a very chequered history about which the programme of the event says this:

'Built in 1955, with the three-litre four-cylinder engine - following the rule of thumb that the type number multiplied by the number of pots gives the capacity - this sleek sports-racer has an extraordinary competition history, if not with star drivers.

Originally supplied to French racer François Picard, it finished third in the '56 Agadir Grand Prix in Morocco, and third back on home soil on the speedbowl at Montlhéry, just outside Paris. Thereafter the Italian stallion spent much of its life in Scandinavia, where initially Swedish owner Tore Bjurström used it for the popular local pursuit of ice racing!

From there a short hop to Finland to its next custodian, Carl-Otto Bremer, who returned it to more conventional pastures. After finishing sixth in the '57 Swedish Grand Prix at Kristianstad, won by Jean Behra/Stirling Moss in a Maserati 450S, Bremer confined his major outings to the Helsinki GP thereafter, and the combination won in '59 having finished third the previous year.

Carlos Monteverde acquired  'The Ice Racer' two years ago, and commissioned Tony Merrick to undertake a full mechanical restoration, while leaving the body original. David Franklin has tested the car extensively and says it is beautifully balanced with its five-speed transaxle, but races it for the first time here.'

Friday's Ferrari

This car competed in the Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1998.

It's Christian Traber's 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis 0554M, and has a 2,999cc 4-cylinder inline engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. The car was originally owned by Masten Gregory.

Friday's Ferrari

I took this photograph of these two Ferraris at the Silverstone Historic Festival meeting in August 2001.

Both cars belonged to Brazilian Carlos Monteverde, the one of the left being a 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, chassis 0738TR, with the Gioacchino Colombo designed 2,953cc V12 engine and was driven in the race by Carlos Monteverde himself. On the right is a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis 0568M, with the Aurelio Lampredi designed 3,000cc 4-cylinder inline engine and was driven in the race by David Franklin. This car had a very chequered history about which the programme of the event says this:

'Built in 1955, with the three-litre four-cylinder engine - following the rule of thumb that the type number multiplied by the number of pots gives the capacity - this sleek sports-racer has an extraordinary competition history, if not with star drivers.

Originally supplied to French racer François Picard, it finished third in the '56 Agadir Grand Prix in Morocco, and third back on home soil on the speedbowl at Montlhéry, just outside Paris. Thereafter the Italian stallion spent much of its life in Scandinavia, where initially Swedish owner Tore Bjurström used it for the popular local pursuit of ice racing!

From there a short hop to Finland to its next custodian, Carl-Otto Bremer, who returned it to more conventional pastures. After finishing sixth in the '57 Swedish Grand Prix at Kristianstad, won by Jean Behra/Stirling Moss in a Maserati 450S, Bremer confined his major outings to the Helsinki GP thereafter, and the combination won in '59 having finished third the previous year.

Carlos Monteverde acquired  'The Ice Racer' two years ago, and commissioned Tony Merrick to undertake a full mechanical restoration, while leaving the body original. David Franklin has tested the car extensively and says it is beautifully balanced with its five-speed transaxle, but races it for the first time here.'

Friday's Ferrari

This was one of the competitors in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association's Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's the 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis #0504M, of Tom Walduck that was driven in the race by Kerry McSwan. The 750 Monza had an Aurelio Lampredi designed 4-cylinder twin overhead camshaft 2,999cc engine and bodywork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. This car was first campaigned by Mike Sparken (real name Michael J Pobereksky) who didn't own it, but 'rented' it from S.A.I.P.A. in Modena. This was apparently so that the car could be registered in Modena and so was able to avoid export restrictions and import duties when it travelled around Europe to different race meetings. The only major race that it contested was the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hour race where it was driven by Mike Sparken and Masten Gregory, but retired early in the race. It's the first Ferrari that I saw in competition, being driven by Mike Sparken in the 1955 British Empire Trophy race at Oulton Park.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph taken at Luffield Corner during the Classic Car Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

Driving the leading car is Paul Alexander in Brandon Wang's 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis #0470MD. Behind it is the Jaguar D-Type of David Pennell and two Lotus Elevens, and on the far side of the circuit an Aston Martin DB3S leading two Jaguar C-Types.

Lister Corvette

This car competed in the BRDC Historic Sports Car Championship Race at the Silverstone Historic Tribute meeting in June 2004.

It's the 1959 Costin-bodied 5.3 litre Lister Corvette of Julian Bronson, which was originally built for Mike Anthony. Next to it is the 1956 Ferrari 750 Monza (chassis #0568M) of Carlos Monteverde that I featured on 27 June 2014.

Ferocious looking beast!

Friday's Ferrari

I took the photographs of this car at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Autumn Historic Car Races meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's Paul Alexander's 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis #0470MD, and on 20 March 2015 I showed some more photographs of this car at that meeting.

Here's Paul Alexander approaching Lodge Corner during his race.

On 20 September 2013 I showed a photograph of the same car at the 1993 Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone, where the programme of the event shows the entrant and driver of the car to be Paul Alexander, but the barchetta.cc record says that Brandon Wang was the owner at that time.

Friday's Ferrari

On 16 October 2015 I showed a couple of photographs of a Ferrari that took part in the Historic Car Championship Race at the Aston Martin Owners Club Autumn Historic Car Races at Oulton Park in September 1992. Here's two more photographs of the same car at that meeting.

It's Robert Brooks' 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, the winner of the 1954 Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod, and was driven at this meeting by Tony Dron.

Its serial number is 0440MD

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of two Ferrari 750 Monzas that competed in the Historic Car Championship Race at the Aston Martin Owners Club Autumn Historic Car Races at Oulton Park in September 1992.

This car is serial number 0440MD and is the first Ferrari 750 Monza to be built. It was raced by Scuderia Ferrari in 1954 and is the car with which Mike Hawthorn and Maurice Trintignant won the 1954 Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod in Northern Ireland.

It was entered in the Oulton Park race by Robert Brooks and driven by Tony Dron.

I showed some photographs of the other Ferrari 750 Monza that took part in this race on 20 March 2015.

Friday's Ferrari

This photograph was taken at Silverstone at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting in July 1997.

It's a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, serial number 0520M, originally owned by Louis Rosier and in 1997 owned by José Albequerque who drove it in the Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race.

Friday's Ferrari

The Historic Car Championship Race at the Aston Martin Owners Club Autumn Historic Car Races at Oulton Park in September 1992 included classes for pre-war single-seaters, post-war front and rear engined single-seaters and post-war sports cars. One car entered in the latter class was the one shown below.

It's a 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, chassis number 0470MD. Looking at the photographs I took at this meeting it looks as if it was a particularly overcast and dismal day.

The Ferrari was driven in the race by Paul Alexander of London

Friday's Ferrari

The Shell Ferrari Historical Challenge race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997 included the car shown below.

It's a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza, serial number 0504M, driven in the race that day by Kerry McSwan. I've previously shown a photograph of this car at the 1995 Silverstone meeting, and it was driven by Mike Sparken at the first race meeting I ever attended, the 1955 British Empire Trophy race at Oulton Park.

Friday's Ferrari

Today's car is one which I've shown twice before, on 29 March 2013 and 5 April 2013, on those occasions at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 2001.

It's a 1956 Ferrari 750 Monza, serial number 0568M, and it's pictured here in the pit garage at Silverstone at the Historic Tribute meeting of June 2004. The website www.finecars.cc says this about the car:
 0568M was a 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder, was sold to Francois Picard, F, he finished 3rd in the GP Agadir, was a dnf in Dakar, 3rd in the 1000km Paris, Monthlery, 11th in GP Rouen, then Alfonso de Portago raced the Monza in the GP Sweden, where it stayed after the GP, new owner was Tore Bjurström, S - Scuderia Ferrari Swezia. In 1958 the Finn Carl-Otto Bremer became the new owner and raced the Monza until 1961. After Bremer died in a flying accident, the car went Pentti Groehn he drove the car on local sand tracks and ice races.

I don't know whether the car took part in the meeting or not. The www.barchetta.cc history of the car (click on the serial number above) doesn't mention this Silverstone event, but it does say that Carlos Moneverde was the owner at that time. It was a 2 day meeting and I went on the Saturday but the Historic Sports Car Championship race was on the Sunday. This is the entry list for that race:

You will see that the last car is Carlos Monteverde's Silver and Blue Ferrari Y50 (I think someone must have mistaken a badly formed '7' for a 'Y').

Friday's Ferrari

I've mentioned before that the first race meeting I ever attended was the 1955 British Empire Trophy event at Oulton Park and in this race there were two Ferrari 750 Monzas, one driven by Mike Sparken and the other by Luigi Piotti. 

This Ferrari 750 Monza, which took part in the Louis Vuitton '50s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995 was entered by Tom Walduck and driven in the race by Kerry McSwan. It's serial number is 0504M and is the car which was driven by Mike Sparken in that 1955 race at Oulton Park.

Friday's Ferrari

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.

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of three Ferraris entered in the Champagne Charles Heidsieck Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993.

It's a Ferrari 750 Monza, entered and driven in the race by Paul Alexander, and this is what Wikipedia says about the Ferrari Monza:

750 Monza

1954 saw the introduction of a new four-cylinder sports racer, the 750 Monza. Sporting a three-litre version of the 500 Mondial's engine, the Monza was much more powerful, with 250 hp (186 kW) available, but barely heavier at 760 kg (1675 lb). The new-style body was penned by Pinin Farina and presaged the droop-nose look of the famed 250 GTO, but it was Scaglietti's 750 Monza, with its faired-in headrest suggesting the flowing Testa Rossa that drew attention.

Mike Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli piloted their 750 Monza to victory at Monza on its very first race, giving the car its name. Although they were strong on the track, the Monza was unable to hold off the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in 1955, allowing the Germans to seize the sports car championship that Ferrari claimed in 1954.

The serial number of this car is 0470MD.

Friday's Ferrari

Last week's photograph was of a line of cars featuring four different Ferraris at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 2001. Today we have photographs of the cockpits of three of those cars:

This is the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, serial number 0568M

This is the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, serial Number 0738TR.

This is the 1950 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta, serial number 0040M.

You will notice that, although they are Italian cars, two of the three are right-hand drive instead of the expected left-hand drive. This is because races at most circuits (in Europe at least) are run in a clockwise direction. Most of the corners are therefore right-hand ones and having right-hand drive cars is advantageous as far as weight distribution and the driver's view of the apex of the corner are concerned. I don't know why the Testa Rossa is left-hand drive; I have photographs of other examples of this Testa Rossa model which are right-hand drive.