1955 Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955 and It has a reproduction chassis with an original offset 2,488cc V8 engine and transmission salvaged from Enzo Ferrari's 'scrapyard'. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars, but Robin Lodge had taken the precaution of also entering his 1959 Ferrari 246 Dino for that race, both numbered 42, in case the Lancia was not allowed to take part because of a doubt about its eligibility. In the end the car was allowed to race and was driven by Robin Lodge - the Ferrari also  took part in the race, renumbered as 54 and was driven by Willie Green.

1954 Maserati 250F

This is a photograph that I took at the Aston Martin Owners Club’s Autumn Historic Car Races meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's indistinguishable from a 1950s Maserati 250F, but it's one of 12 replicas built by Cameron Millar and this one has the chassis number CM8. Cameron Millar acquired a genuine Maserati 250F in 1964 (originally 2501, later renumbered 2523) which he kept and raced for 8 years. In this time he purchased all the remaining cars and spare parts belonging to the Scuderia Centro Sud who had competed with the 250F in the 1950s, and also the chassis jigs from the Maserati factory. He then set about creating this series of replicas, using as far as possible genuine period parts, which are so well crafted that the FIA has allowed them to race alongside the genuine Maserati 250F and its contemporaries in competitive historic racing event. It was driven in the Historic Car Championship Race at this meeting by the owner Robin Lodge.

1955 Maserati 250F

This car was driven by Peter Hannen in the HGPCA Pre’65 Grand Prix Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's indistinguishable from a 1950s Maserati 250F, but it's one of 12 replicas built by Cameron Millar and this one has the chassis number CM8. Cameron Millar acquired a genuine Maserati 250F in 1964 (originally 2501, later renumbered 2523) which he kept and raced for 8 years. In this time he purchased all the remaining cars and spare parts belonging to the Scuderia Centro Sud who had competed with the 250F in the 1950s, and also the chassis jigs from the Maserati factory. He then set about creating this series of replicas, using as far as possible genuine period parts, which are so well crafted that the FIA has allowed them to race alongside the genuine Maserati 250F and its contemporaries in competitive historic racing events. At the time of this Silverstone event CM8 was owned by Robin Lodge.

 

The number 12 car in the background is another of Cameron Millar’s Maserati 250F replicas, CM1, which was owned by Peter Waterman and was driven by Willie Green in this race.

1955 Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955 and It has a reproduction chassis with an original offset 2,488cc V8 engine and transmission salvaged from Enzo Ferrari's 'scrapyard'. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars, but Robin Lodge had taken the precaution of also entering his 1959 Ferrari 246 Dino for that race, both numbered 42, in case the Lancia was not allowed to take part because of a doubt about its eligibility. In the end the car was allowed to race and was driven by Robin Lodge - the Ferrari also  took part in the race, renumbered as 54 and was driven by Willie Green.

1957 Maserati 250S

I took this photograph just before Lodge Corner during the 1950's Sports Car Race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1993.

It's Robin Lodge's 1957 Maserati 250S and was driven in the race by Nigel Corner. A note in the programme of the event reads as follows:

 

'Robin Lodge has entered Nigel Corner to drive his 1957 250S Maserati. The Prototype of the 250S sports cars of 1954-56 used the earlier sports A6GCS chassis fitted with a 6 cylinder 250F 2.5 litre engine giving 230 bhp instead of the 240-270 bhp of the Grand Prix 250F engines as it ran on petrol instead of alcohol. The developed 250S cars were converted from the left hand drive of the A6GCS to right hand drive and these, in turn, were developed into the 300S Maseratis by an increase in stroke, giving 245 bhp. There was a second coming of the 250S, 1957-1959 having a 196 bhp 4 cylinder engine in a shorter wheelbase chassis resulting in a lighter car. Robin Lodge's car has this later chassis (#2432) with the 4 cylinder engine.'

1954 Maserati 250F

I took this photograph at Luffield corner during the Corporate Jets Historic Grand Prix Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's Robin Lodge in the ex-Gilby Engineering Company's 1954 Maserati 250F, with the replacement chassis #2507/2 given to the car after an accident at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in 1954, and it has the 6-cylinder inline 2,491cc Maserati engine.

1955 Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars. It has a reproduction chassis with an original offset 2,488cc V8 engine and transmission salvaged from Enzo Ferrari's 'scrapyard'.

1956 Jaguar D-Type

This is a photograph that I took at Luffield corner during the Classic Car Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

Leading is Frank Sytner in Anthony Bamford's 1956 Jaguar D-Type, a former Ecurie Ecosse car, chassis XKD603. I can't identify the car behind him but the following red car is the 1960 Maserati T61, chassis 2458, of Lindsay Owen Jones and in the background is the 1957 Maserati 250S of Robin Lodge, chassis 2432.

1957 Maserati 250S

This is a photograph that I took at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Autumn Historic Car Races meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's Robin Lodge's 1957 Maserati 250S which he drove in the Classic Car Invitation Race. The Prototype of the 250S sports cars of 1954-56 used the earlier sports A6GCS chassis fitted with a 6 cylinder 250F 2.5 litre engine giving 230 bhp instead of the 240-270 bhp of the Grand Prix 250F engines as it ran on petrol instead of alcohol. The developed 250S cars were converted from the left hand drive of the A6GCS to right hand drive and these, in turn, were developed into the 300S Maseratis by an increase in stroke, giving 245 bhp. There was a second coming of the 250S in the period 1957-1959, having a 196 bhp 4 cylinder engine in a shorter wheelbase chassis resulting in a lighter car. Only two cars were originally built with a 2½ litre engine, Robin Lodge's car (chassis #2432) and chassis #2431.

1954 Maserati 250F

I took this photograph at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's the ex-Gilby Engineering Company's 1954 Maserati 250F, with the replacement chassis #2507/2 given to the car after an accident at the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in 1954 and it has the 6-cylinder inline 2,491cc Maserati engine. The car was owned by Robin Lodge and was driven by him in the Corporate Jets Historic Grand Prix Car Race.

1950s Grand Prix Cars

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

These cars are waiting to go out onto the circuit for a qualifying session for the HGPCA Pre-1960 Grand Prix Cars Race. At the front, from left to right, are the 1956 Maserati 250F of Burkhard von Schenk, the 1959 Ferrari 246 Dino of Robin Lodge, the 1954 Maserati 250F of Christian Glaesel, the 1954 Maserati 250F of Dieter Streve-Mülhens and the 1952 Fraser Nash of Peter Mann. Behind the first two cars are the 1960 Ferrari 246 Dinos of Tony Merrick and Nigel Corner, and you can also see a Cooper Bristol T23 and a Connaught A-Type.

1950s Sports Car Racing

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

Robin Lodge is leading in his 1957 Maserati 250S followed by the 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 of Simon Draper. The red car on the outside is Tony Merrick in Richard Utley's 1957 Lotus Eleven Le Mans. Behind the Aston Martin is Chris Drake's 1958 Lister Chevrolet in front of what looks like another Lotus Eleven.

1955 Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars.

Friday's Ferrari(s)

Two Ferraris and a Maserati at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.

Burkhard Von Schenk in his 1956 Maserati 250F leading the 1959 Ferrari 246 Dinos of Robin Lodge and Tony Merrick at Luffield corner in the HGPCA Pre '60 GP Car Race.

1957 Maserati 250S

I took this photograph at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's Robin Lodge's 1957 Maserati 250S which he drove in the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association Sports Car Race. The Prototype of the 250S sports cars of 1954-56 used the earlier sports A6GCS chassis fitted with a 6 cylinder 250F 2.5 litre engine giving 230 bhp instead of the 240-270 bhp of the Grand Prix 250F engines as it ran on petrol instead of alcohol. The developed 250S cars were converted from the left hand drive of the A6GCS to right hand drive and these, in turn, were developed into the 300S Maseratis by an increase in stroke, giving 245 bhp. There was a second coming of the 250S in the period 1957-1959, having a 196 bhp 4 cylinder engine in a shorter wheelbase chassis resulting in a lighter car. Only two cars were originally built with a 2½ litre engine, Robin Lodge's car (chassis #2432) and chassis #2431.

1955 Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars, but Robin Lodge had taken the precaution of also entering his 1959 Ferrari 246 Dino for that race in case the Lancia was not allowed to take part. The programme of the event says:

'The mouth-watering prospect of Robin Lodge's pannier-tanked Lancia D50 - a magnificent reproduction chassis, using original 0ffset V8 engine and transmission salvaged from Enzo Ferrari's 'scrapyard' - joining the fray hangs in the balance. Lodge will bring his V6 Ferrari Dino if the sensational flashback to 1954 is blackballed.'

Maserati 250S

This car competed in the twelve lap 1950's Sports Car Race at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies Meeting at Oulton Park in June 1993.

It's Robin Lodge's 1957 Maserati 250S and was driven in the race by Nigel Corner. A note in the programme of the event reads as follows:

'Robin Lodge has entered Nigel Corner to drive his 1957 250S Maserati. The Prototype of the 250S sports cars of 1954-56 used the earlier sports A6GCS chassis fitted with a 6 cylinder 250F 2.5 litre engine giving 230 bhp instead of the 240-270 bhp of the Grand Prix 250F engines as it ran on petrol instead of alcohol. The developed 250S cars were converted from the left hand drive of the A6GCS to right hand drive and these, in turn, were developed into the 300S Maseratis by an increase in stroke, giving 245 bhp. There was a second coming of the 250S, 1957-1959 having a 196 bhp 4 cylinder engine in a shorter wheelbase chassis resulting in a lighter car. Robin Lodge's car has this later chassis with the 4 cylinder engine.'

The earlier versions of the 250S were produced by fitting the 2½ litre engine into a Maserati 150S or 200S chassis, but only two cars were originally built with a 2½ litre engine, Robin Lodge's car (chassis #2432) and chassis #2431.

This is the Maserati at Lodge Corner during the race.

Maserati 250F

I took these photographs at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

This is the ex-Gilby Engineering 2½ litre 1954 Maserati 250F, chassis 2507/2 which does not have a racing number and may or may not have taken part in the meeting. In the programme of the event seven Maserati 250F's are listed in the HGPCA Pre-1960 Grand Prix Race and the programme shows the colour of each of the cars, but one is shown as being blue and the other six are red. The 1936 Maserati 4CM behind the 250F belonged to Robin Lodge who did have a Maserati 250F but it is not listed in the programme for this race.

On 11 May 2019 I showed a photograph of Roy Salvadori in this car at Silverstone in 1993.

Friday's Ferrari

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One and today's photograph shows two cars in the pit lane setting out as part of a parade of cars round the circuit marking the event.

There were two Ferrari Dino 246 F1 cars listed in the Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars Race in the programme of the event, that of Nigel Corner, chassis #0007, number 52 in the race, and Robin Lodge's car, chassis #0006. Robin Lodge has two cars listed for this race, the Ferrari and his recently re-created 1954 Lancia D50, both numbered 42, because of a doubt about the eligibility of the Lancia to take part. In the end Robin Lodge drove the Lancia and the Ferrari took part in the race driven by Willie Green, and it looks as if it was renumbered as 54 - the highest numbered car in the race programme being 53. The blue car behind the Ferrari is the 1949 Talbot Lago T26C of Tony Bianchi that took part in the Pre 1952 Grand Prix Cars Race, and is chassis #110 008.

Lancia D50

The Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000 celebrated 50 years of Formula One, the World Drivers' Championship having started in 1950, and the first race of that Championship was run at Silverstone on 13th May of that year. At the July 2000 meeting at Silverstone there was a representative display of cars covering that 50 year period, and the car below was one of those taking part.

It's a re-creation of the Lancia D50 that competed in the Championship in 1954 and 1955. This car was owned by Robin Lodge, and was entered in the Maserati UK Race for Pre 1961 Grand Prix Cars, but Robin Lodge had taken the precaution of also entering his 1959 Ferrari 246 Dino for that race in case the Lancia was not allowed to take part. The programme of the event says:

The mouth-watering prospect of Robin Lodge's pannier-tanked Lancia D50 - a magnificent reproduction chassis, using original 0ffset V8 engine and transmission salvaged from Enzo Ferrari's 'scrapyard' - joining the fray hangs in the balance. Lodge will bring his V6 Ferrari Dino if the sensational flashback to 1954 is blackballed.

The display cars were arranged in a large marquee, and here the Lancia is being wheeled out to take part in a track parade with several other of the cars.

Here's the car leaving the pit lane on one of its demonstration runs.

On 2 January 2013 I showed photographs of one of the two surviving original Lancia D50s that was present at the Coys meeting in 1998 in a display marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Silverstone circuit.