Playboy centrefold: PH Blog

How sleeping around and doctoring the speedo to show bigger speeds can boost your car's value

The word 'gentleman' crops up regularly with regard to Porfirio Rubirosa; that he mixed with society, played polo, dabbled in motorsport and was seen at the very best of parties in all the most glamorous of locations throughout the 50s would seem to back that up. Whether he behaved in a gentlemanly manner is another matter but there's little doubt he was the definitive playboy, women with whom he is reputed to have had 'associations' including (but probably not limited to...) Marilyn Monroe, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Evita Peron, Jayne Mansfield, Veronica Lake and more. Where did it all wrong, eh?

When they say it has history they're not kidding...

Well he died, allegedly having consumed rather a lot of champagne, by piling a Ferrari into a tree on a Parisian boulevard. You've got to go somehow. May as well be in suitable style.

What are the parallels between my life and that of Rubirosa? Erm, none. But I have driven one of his cars! And the story of the man has - unsurprisingly - stuck with me.

Why talk about him now? Well Ferrari has just restored one of his cars, a 1954 500 Mondial Spyder PF, and used it to promote the skills of its factory 'Classiche' department. There's a vid below which, frustratingly, goes big on music but not engine noise. No matter, it's a stunning looking car. Rubirosa raced it once in California in 1954 before selling it to Hollywood resident John Von Neumann. Celebrity associations continued, James Dean being photographed in it and Richie Ginther racing it. Phil Hill nearly did too but mechanical problems cheated him of the chance.

Rubirosa's Gullwing [Pic: HK Engineering]

Anyway. To that Gullwing. Restored by Bavarian 300SL specialists HK Engineering I was chucked the keys to it on a visit to their charmingly rustic workshops. Matt silver, stripped of bumpers and subtly enhanced with some choice HK mods it was an absolutely stunning car to drive. If the numbers ever come up, etc... Particularly amusing was the retention of a period Rubirosa modification - a carefully doctored speedo for the benefit of passengers to enhance the sense of the owner's manliness and kid them into thinking a Gullwing really can do 225mph. They're fast. But not that fast. And I can't help but think if a lady had stepped into Rubirosa's Gullwing and accepted a lift home the deal was probably done and he didn't really need to overplay the car's performance. Or his own, according to myth. Those large peppermills in Parisian restaurants? Apparently they were nicknamed 'Rubirosas' back in the day, at least according to the Daily Mail. Must be true then.

James Dean photographed in the Ferrari

This makes me chuckle too. When this Ferrari goes on show in the sanitised surroundings of Pebble Beach much will be made of its history, provenance and factory restored perfection while literally glossing over the fact it was owned by, basically, an averagely talented 'gentleman' racing driver known better for being a rampant and unrepentant shagger. There's celebrity history and there's celebrity history...

Dan

Watch the vid here.