Friday's Ferrari

The SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005 included 'A Demonstration of Italian Racing Cars' which consisted of some laps of the track by a variety of Maseratis, Ferraris and a Lancia D50. This is one of the Ferraris that took part in the demonstration.

It's Nick Mason's 1978 Ferrari 312 T3, chassis number 034 and the car Gilles Villeneuve drove for most of the 1978 racing season.

1959 Maserati T61

This was one of the entrants in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's Nick Mason's 1959 Maserati T61, chassis #2457, and has a 4-cylinder inline 2,890cc engine. The T61, and the 1,989cc T60 were generally known as Maserati Birdcage cars because of the intricate tubular space frame chassis, and in common with many of these cars 2457 started off life in the USA. After passing through various hands it was acquired by Nick Mason in the 1980s. Sixteen examples of the T61 were produced between 1959 and 1961.

1959 Maserati T61

This was one of the entrants in the Louis Vuitton '50s Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It's Nick Mason's 1959 Maserati T61, chassis #2457, and has a 4-cylinder inline 2,890cc engine. The T61, and the 1,989cc T60 were generally known as Maserati Birdcage cars because of the intricate tubular space frame chassis, and in common with many of these cars 2457 started off life in the USA. After passing through various hands it was acquired by Nick Mason in the 1980s. Sixteen examples of the T61 were produced between 1959 and 1961.

Pre-War Le Mans Cars Team Race

I took this photograph during the Christie's Cup Le Mans Cars Team Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

Leading here is the 1932 Invicta S Type of Bob Wood followed by the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C Le Mans driven by Peter Hannen. Behind that seems to be the 1931 Bentley 8 litre of Keith Schellenberg with the red 1935 Aston Martin Ulster of Nick Mason on the outside.

Aston Martin

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in September 1993.

It's a 1930's Aston Martin, either an Ulster or a Le Mans, but without a race number of registration plate I've not been able to identify it. The lack of a registration plate means it was possibly competing that day and the race numbers had not yet been applied, and the only red 1930s Aston Martin shown in the programme of the event is the 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans of Nick Mason, driven at this meeting by Chloe Mason. 

1954 BRM P30

This car is at Luffield Corner competing in the Chopard Grand Prix Cars Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993.

It's the 1954 BRM P30, the Mk2 version of the original V16 BRM P15. The Mk2 was shortened and lightened, but had the same 1,496cc V16 supercharged engine which was claimed to produce 600bhp at 12,000rpm. This car is chassis V16/04 (or V16 Mk2 No.1) and is being driven by Nick Mason who owned it at that time, but it's now part of Bernie Ecclestone's large collection of rare Grand Prix cars.

Friday's Ferrari

The Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005 included 'A Demonstration of Italian Racing Cars' and here, if you look closely, are two of the cars that took part.

The leading car is the 2.992cc flat-12 1980 Ferrari 312 T5 of John Fenning, being driven here by Mike Littlewood. Immediately behind him (you can just see the tops of his rear wheels and roll bar) is what appears to be the 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 of Nick Mason. The T5 was driven in the 1980 season by Gilles Villeneuve and Jody Scheckter, neither of them having a successful year and finishing in fourteenth and nineteenth places respectively in the Drivers' World Championship.

On 15 February 2019 I showed a photograph on another lap of the demonstration run with the cars almost side by side.

1959 Maserati T61

This car was listed in the programme as a Reserve entry in the 10 Lap Scratch Race for 1950s Sports Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Donington Park in May 2001.

It's Nick Mason's 1959 Maserati T61, chassis #2457, and has a 4-cylinder inline 2,890cc engine. The T61, and the 1,989cc T60 were generally known as Maserati Birdcage cars because of the intricate tubular space frame chassis, and in common with many of these cars 2457 started off life in the USA. After passing through various hands it was acquired by Nick Mason in the 1980s. Sixteen examples of the T61 were produced between 1959 and 1961.

Friday's Ferrari

Two cars here that took part in 'A Demonstration of Italian Racing Cars' at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005.

On the left is the 2,992cc flat-12 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 that was driven by Gilles Villeneuve in the 1978 F1 season. It's not listed in the programme of the event as one of the cars taking part in the demonstration runs, but it's chassis 034 and was owned at the time by Nick Mason, the driver here being Mark Hales. I've shown photographs of this car previously, the last occasion being 13 October 2017. The car on the right is a later version of the Ferrari 312, the 1980 T5, with the same flat-12 engine. It's John Fenning's car, chassis 048, and was driven here by Mike Littlewood. On 22 June 2012 I showed a photograph of the car in the pit lane at this meeting.

Aston Martin Ulster

This car took part in the Pre-1959 Aston Martin Race at the Aston Martin Owners' Club's meeting at Oulton Park in September 1986.

It's Nick Mason's 4-cylinder inline 1,495cc 1935 Aston Martin Ulster, LM21, the last of the Ecurie Bertelli 1934/35 team cars to be built. The only major race it took part in was the 1935 Ulster TT where it finished in 11th place, driven by Tim Rose-Richards.

Here's Nick Mason entering Lodge Corner during the race.

On 10 December 2012 I showed a photograph of this car at Silverstone in 1996.

BRM P30

This car is competing in the Chopard Grand Prix Cars Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993.

It's Nick Mason at Luffield Corner in his 1952 1½ litre supercharged BRM P30, #V16/04, now owned by Bernie Ecclestone.

On 4 August 2016 I showed a photograph of this car at the Coys meeting of 2000 at Silverstone.

Friday's Ferrari

This is one of the cars that took part in the 'Demonstration of Italian Racing Cars' at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005.

It's the 1978 3-litre Flat-12 Ferrari 312T3 of Nick Mason, chassis 034 that was driven by Gilles Villeneuve during the 1978 season. On 17 June 2016 I showed two more photographs of the car at this meeting, and on 6 February 2015 I showed photographs of the car at Silverstone in 1992.

Maserati Birdcage

Three Maserati 'Birdcage' cars took part in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992, one 2-litre T60 model and two of the 3-litre T61's. All three are pictured below.

The car above and below is Nick Mason's 2-litre 1959 Maserati T60 and is chassis #2466.

This is Lindsay Owen-Jones' 3-litre 1960 Maserati T61. chassis #2458.

Above and below is Jeffrey Pattinson's 3-litre 1961 Maserati T61, chassis #2453.

The programme of the event said this about the 'Birdcage' Maseratis:

'Maserati's final fling on the international stage was with their legendary 'Birdcage' models, so named because of the multitude of small tubes which made up their chassis. They proved faster than anything else in 1960 but also more fragile, though the quasi-works Camoradi team managed to win the gruelling 1000km at the Nürburgring that year and again in 1961.

The car entered here by Lindsay Owen-Jones is an ex-Camoradi T61, used once or twice by Stirling Moss (but not in his Nürburgring victory). Nick Mason's is a 2-litre version, a T60 rather than a 2.9-litre T61, originally campaigned by Scuderia Serenissima.'

BRM P30

This was one of the display cars at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 when the theme was 50 years of Formula 1 racing.

It's Nick Mason's 1954 BRM P30 V16/04, now owned by Bernie Ecclestone, and seen here leaving the pit lane on a demonstration run driven by Ray Boulter. He appears to be wearing Nick Mason's helmet.

Friday's Ferrari

Another car from the 'Coys of Kensington GT Race' at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1993.

This time it's another car I've featured before, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO of Nick Mason - in this race he shared the driving with Mike Wilds. The serial number of this car is 3757GT.

Friday's Ferrari

I've photographed this car several times, and here it is seen at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

It's Nick Mason's 1962 Ferrari 250GTO, originally owned by the Ecurie Francorchamps racing team of Belgian Jacques Swaters. You can read here the full history of this car, serial number 3757GT.

Friday's Ferrari

This is a car photographed at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992 which featured a special Ferrari display.

It's a 1979 Ferrari 512 BB/LM and the programme of the event had this to say about the car:

'512 BB/LM

Mid-engined flat 12; 4.9 litre; 480bhp at 7200rpm; twin

ohc per bank; fuel injected; all-round independent

suspension by A-arms/coil springs. A number of these

were built in mainly 1979 and to meet the 'Silhouette'

regs which required cars to have some resemblance to

the production versions in the windshield, doors and roof

areas.'

The car is serial number 27577, originally an Ecurie Francorchamps car and owned by Nick Mason in 1992.

Red car, Pink Floyd

Three of the Aston Martin Ulster 1.5 litre cars were built for the 1935 Le Mans race, LM18, LM19 and LM20. LM21 was added to the team after Le Mans and before the 1935 TT race, where it finished in 11th place, and that car is shown below at the 1996 Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone. The car is owned by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, standing next to the car, and was driven at this meeting by his wife Annette, who is sitting in the car in this photograph.

Maseratis at Silverstone

These photographs were taken during a practice session during the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992. I don't remember taking the photographs, but looking at the circuit layout as it was then they're obviously taken from inside the paddock at some point between Priory and Brooklands corners.

This is a 1957 Maserati 250S driven by Robin Lodge

A 1957 Maserati 450S driven by German Thomas Bscher, one time head of the Bugatti Automobiles division of Volkswagen AG. Thomas Bscher won the 1995 BPR Global Endurance GT Series driving a McLaren F1 GTR and finished fifth in the 1999 Le Mans 24 hour race driving a BMW V12 LM.

A 1959 Maserati T60 'Birdcage' driven by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason

Friday's Ferrari

This is a photograph of a Ferrari taken at the Coys International Historic Festival at Silverstone in 1995. As the numberplate says, it's a 250GTO and this one belongs to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Some people say that the Ferrari 250GTO is the most beautiful car ever made and I've got to admit they've got a point. The serial number of the car is 3757GT.

In fact they're so nice I'm going to show you a photograph of another 250GTO taken at the Coys Silverstone meeting three years later.

The serial number of this car is 3589GT.