A couple of interesting old photos
Discussion
Looks like a 1954 Ferrari Squalo a la Mike Hawthorn. Lovely photos. Strange location!
Actually changed my mind: Ferrari 625 as driven by Hawthorn in the 1955 British GP at Aintree. Moss won that one.
Actually changed my mind: Ferrari 625 as driven by Hawthorn in the 1955 British GP at Aintree. Moss won that one.
Edited by LotusOmega375D on Thursday 25th October 15:44
Edited by LotusOmega375D on Thursday 25th October 15:45
A Squalo was at one time fitted with the engine from a Lancia-Ferrari 801, in one of the Scuderias confused attempts to find the best chassis/engine combination. This could be it.
Wasn't Moores one of the early supporters of the historic racing scene, and didn;t he race under the pseudonym "Willie Eckerslyke". Or am I going mad?
PS Ferrari 555 Squalo with Lancia engine took part in 1956 Argentine GP.
Wasn't Moores one of the early supporters of the historic racing scene, and didn;t he race under the pseudonym "Willie Eckerslyke". Or am I going mad?
PS Ferrari 555 Squalo with Lancia engine took part in 1956 Argentine GP.
Yes it looks like you're right there. I wonder what it was doing at Southport if it had nothing to do with any race at Aintree? I bet the owner would like those photos of yours. It was clearly raced in the UK relatively recently judging by the JCB stickers, so it should be possible to track down.
I also found that image under Ferrari 375 Indy, but none of the others looked like it. I think, but may be wrong, that Ferrari only attempted the Indy 500 once, in 1952, and this was the car..
That photo at Southport would tie in with the Moores connection (Liverpool), and the JCB sticker would tie in with being raced in Historic meetings in the UK. But I still think those megaphone exhausts look like a Lancia V8 engine. Curiouser and curiouser...
That photo at Southport would tie in with the Moores connection (Liverpool), and the JCB sticker would tie in with being raced in Historic meetings in the UK. But I still think those megaphone exhausts look like a Lancia V8 engine. Curiouser and curiouser...
nicanary said:
A
Wasn't Moores one of the early supporters of the historic racing scene, and didn;t he race under the pseudonym "Willie Eckerslyke". Or am I going mad?
Nigel Moores used this name because his parents didn't like him racing. The name of course is a lovely Yorkshire pun. I spent some time trying to trace the races he was in but to no avail.Wasn't Moores one of the early supporters of the historic racing scene, and didn;t he race under the pseudonym "Willie Eckerslyke". Or am I going mad?
Just fixing the door handle to the shower room (why is the Allen key you want never there?) when I came up with what I thought was the answer. The Race of two worlds (Aka Monzanapolis) in 1958. Ferrari entered cars which were essentially old GP chassis powered by large sports car engines. I know one driver was Luigi Musso, and I think Castellotti may have been there.
That would fit in with the image being in the "Indy" section on Google, but the car dosn't look the same.
Probably barking up the wrong tree here, but it was just a thought. Still think it's a Squalo fitted with a Lancia motor - maybe Nigel Moores was trying it out with a view to purchase, and decided to take a few snaps? The guys on the Nostalgia forum will give the answer in seconds, but I'm half scared to go on there - they don't have much time for halfwits.
(Willie Eckerslyke is the best pseudonym ever. I remember he raced a Jaguar D-type in the JCB series. Oh to have family money.)
That would fit in with the image being in the "Indy" section on Google, but the car dosn't look the same.
Probably barking up the wrong tree here, but it was just a thought. Still think it's a Squalo fitted with a Lancia motor - maybe Nigel Moores was trying it out with a view to purchase, and decided to take a few snaps? The guys on the Nostalgia forum will give the answer in seconds, but I'm half scared to go on there - they don't have much time for halfwits.
(Willie Eckerslyke is the best pseudonym ever. I remember he raced a Jaguar D-type in the JCB series. Oh to have family money.)
Solved it. Phew! It was sold by Ferrari to Pat Hoare in New Zealand (who was one of their "favoured" customers, like David Piper and Col. Ronnie Hoare ) and was used by him to contest the Tasman races from early 1958 onwards. It was known as a 625, which is the Ferrari 500 chassis fitted with a 3-litre sports-car engine.
As surmised, it was sold to Nigel Moores in 1969, and he raced it in the JCB Historic series. On his death in 1988, it was sold to the Dutch National Motor Museum, and is still displayed there.
Basically, it's a one-off, like many Tasman racers. It's never been a GP car, nor an Indy racer, nor taken part in Monzapolis. Now I can sleep tonight.
As surmised, it was sold to Nigel Moores in 1969, and he raced it in the JCB Historic series. On his death in 1988, it was sold to the Dutch National Motor Museum, and is still displayed there.
Basically, it's a one-off, like many Tasman racers. It's never been a GP car, nor an Indy racer, nor taken part in Monzapolis. Now I can sleep tonight.
Great history lesson.
LotusOmega375D said:
Good detective work Holmes!
But were you equally as successful with your door-handle?
Mission accomplished. I somehow kept those old Allen keys you get to construct a new bed with.Result.But were you equally as successful with your door-handle?
It's described in the site I found as a Tasman 625. Well the 625 was a 500 fitted with the new 2'5 litre engine for the '54 season. Trintignant won at Monaco in '55 with one. It was a desperate attempt to find a suitable car since the intended season car Squalo was rubbish.
If you use the Ferrari system for model numbers, this Tasman car should be a 750 - 3 litres engine divided by 4 cylinders. Having said that, Neil Corner's Dino is always called a 246, even though it too has a 3 litre engine. Confused.
It now looks like this
From the Louwman Museum website
It is assumed that the New Zealand racing driver Pat Hoare had a special bond with Enzo Ferrari, although it is not clear how this came about. Nevertheless, contrary to his habit, Ferrari built a special racer in 1957 at Hoare's request so that he could race it in the Tasman Series in Australia and New Zealand. This also allowed the Ferrari marque to be represented in that championship.
The car consisted of a dated Tipo 500 chassis, a Le Mans engine enlarged from 2.5 to 2.8 litres, and the transmission of a Tipo 555 'Super Squalo' Grand Prix racer. The rear fuel tank came from a Lancia D50, Ferrari having taken over Lancia's Grand Prix project.
Hoare entered many races in New Zealand with this car but the upgraded four-cylinder often caused problems. He went looking for a V12 but could not find one, so he then contacted the factory which offered him a completely new car. The original 625 New Zealand was sold by Hoare and later became part of the Louwman Museum collection.
From the Louwman Museum website
It is assumed that the New Zealand racing driver Pat Hoare had a special bond with Enzo Ferrari, although it is not clear how this came about. Nevertheless, contrary to his habit, Ferrari built a special racer in 1957 at Hoare's request so that he could race it in the Tasman Series in Australia and New Zealand. This also allowed the Ferrari marque to be represented in that championship.
The car consisted of a dated Tipo 500 chassis, a Le Mans engine enlarged from 2.5 to 2.8 litres, and the transmission of a Tipo 555 'Super Squalo' Grand Prix racer. The rear fuel tank came from a Lancia D50, Ferrari having taken over Lancia's Grand Prix project.
Hoare entered many races in New Zealand with this car but the upgraded four-cylinder often caused problems. He went looking for a V12 but could not find one, so he then contacted the factory which offered him a completely new car. The original 625 New Zealand was sold by Hoare and later became part of the Louwman Museum collection.
A controversial story, man and car much discussed in NZ. Some further information here
http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?344-ferrari-625-tasman-pat-hoare
and in this book
http://www.amazon.com/Enzo-Ferraris-Secret-David-Manton/dp/0983413304
http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?344-ferrari-625-tasman-pat-hoare
and in this book
http://www.amazon.com/Enzo-Ferraris-Secret-David-Manton/dp/0983413304
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