Born April 20, 1927 Passed April 20th 2008 Raced for the Scuderia Ferrari and was the 1st American F1 Driver to win the Formula One World Championship Title in 1961 at the wheel of a Ferrari. The following are the results for ONLY the Formula One World Championship. In 1958 raced for the Scuderia for the final 4 races of the GP Champinship. 2 races in a Dino 156 in the German and Portuguese Grands Prix then the final 2 races in a 246 in the Italian and Morrocan Grands Prix. He finished 10th in the Drivers Championship with 9 Points. In 1959 he raced for the Scuderia also in the 246 for the GP Championship as well as the Indianapolis 500. He finished 4th in the Drivers Championship with 20 Points. In 1960 once again in the 246 for the 1st 9 races of the GP Championship. He finished 5th in the Drivers . Championship with 16 Points. In 1961 he raced in the 156 and finished 1st in the Drivers Championship which brought him to be the 1st American Driver to win the World Championship. In 1962 he raced once again in the 156 for most of the season. He finised 6th in the Drivers Championship with 14 Points. Below is one a couple Beautiful Ferraris in which Hill was the Pilot - I took these at the 2008 Monterey Historics. This was my 2nd event to which I had volunteered and I was looking forward to meeting him once again. I had met him in 2004 at this same event. But he was to never arrive as he had been taken to the Salinas Hospital after having complications with Parkinsons Disease. After hearing that he had passed, I was rather saddened to have not had the chance to actually speak to him about his carrer with Ferrari. The pictures are from that event weekend. I am however extremely grateful that I did get to meet him during a Meet and Greet during the 2004 Historics event. Seeing him with the kid in front of me while waiting to get a signature, he was having a great time looking at the 1:10 scale Formula 1 Lego Cars. He just thought they were very neat toys. When it was my turn, I got my Ferrai Cap, Event Poster and Program signed and he was more than gracious for the 3, I was able to get a photograph with him. It was a film camera so I am not able to post it. Thanks for the read. I just feel that he is a prime person to be on this section of Ferraris People of significance. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Glad this thread was finally started, thanks. I had the chance to meet Phil twice: Once at a restaurant in Maranello (where I didn't know at first who he was) and a couple years later at Goodwood (where I didn't know at first who the fellow next to him was ). Image Unavailable, Please Login
A bitter sweet pic. I believe this was at the PB in 2008 that he was not able to attend. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Forgot I had this picture. I took it while standing in the crowd during a Q+A session (I think) with the guys from Speed. Mario Andretti, Derek Daly, and Olivier Panis also spoke. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Phil did not suffer fools easily, or at all. But in the right crowd (meaning knowledgeable enthusiasts) he could be one of the most entertaining people one can imagine. His background as a mechanical wizard helped him nurse home cars that others would have destroyed. He was not always the fastest driver on a particular day, but he enjoyed success as he almost never broke a car nor crashed. He was the embodiment of the phrase, "to win, one must first finish". I was lucky enough to share a few meals with Phil. One that comes easily to mind was when Jess Pourret was "in residence" and we invited Phil and Alma over. I broke out a bottle of Haut Brion (thanks, Matt Ettinger) and the tales started flowing. Mostly I just sat there; Jess and Phil kept the stories going. Another time, when I also just listened, was when we had lunch with Chuck Queener and Richie Ginther, shortly before Richie went to the great garage in the sky. The Hills took us to dinner once in his ancient Packard, which he drove flat-out, not babying it a bit. One of his tales involved a trip to Italy, long after his retirement, when he decided to "drop in" on Enzo. After passing the time of day, and just making conversation, Phil asked Enzo what ever happened to the pile of old race cars and parts out back. Enzo responded with rage, "So you just came here to get that stuff away from me!" Phil left dumbfounded. Phil had many interests beyond racing. He was a great restorer and fan of older cars (for a while he had a resto shop called Hill and Vaughn) as well as musical instruments and music machines. He married the lovely Alma late in life, after he stopped racing. He spent his entire life (when home) at the family home in Santa Monica, where his father had been postmaster, and was well-known and respected in that community.
Let's remember Phil again today, his birthday. No less a light than Doug Nye called him the "greatest motoring enthusiast I have ever had the pleasure to meet" and I imagine Doug has met a few! Phil was so much more that "just" a racing driver. He was a true Renaissance man, perhaps one of the last of his kind. His life after retirement from racing was at least as interesting and accomplished as during his competition days. I wish someone of stature would write his biography while there are still a few primary sources around. He deserves to be honored and his life story should be told and remembered.
He had not been well for some time but did get to meet him a couple of times and a picture with him once. Had great stories about Enzo. Never saw him drive except in a vintage car. It really was poetry. Smoothest man behind the wheel I have ever seen. Man and car as one. Alma and my other half have become very friendly, share an alma mater etc. Nice woman. RIP Phil Thanks for reminding us of the date.
Denise McCluggage famously called Phil "Hamlet in a helmet". The thinking man's driver. R.I.P. Phil, you're missed.
My pleasure. The first race I ever attended was Sebring, 1963. It was Phil's first race after leaving Ferrari and, I believe, the first championship race for the "factory" Cobra team. He was already my hero by then, so you might imagine the thrill when he led the first lap (still a Le Mans start, then) in his Cobra, waving as he passed the pits. John Surtees told me many years later that Phil was waving to his old Ferrari mechanics......and they were waving back!! Jack
Phil Hill story for his birthday. As told by him in a one on one encounter with a friend. In Ferrari dealer parts department with large Enzo picture on wall behind counter. Phil was buying parts for his restoration company. Phil looks at picture and said "Biggest SOB I ever new". My friend enquirers. Phil said "Just one example. When I won the World Championship I came home here to Santa Monica. I get a telex demanding my presence in Maranello by the old man in less than a week. In those days you didn't just grab the afternoon flight. I did what I had to do to get there and arrived in time. I reported to his office 1st in the AM as directed. His secretary told me he knew I was there and would call as soon as he was ready to see me. I sat there all day long. Late in the afternoon she said he had gone home for the day and would see me tomorrow. Come back at 8AM. 8 AM and I am there and directed to sit down, he would call when ready. All day long again and very close to the end of the day he called the secretary to show me in. I walked up to his desk and he just sat with his head down looking at a paper. After a minute or two he looked up at me and stood, He stuck out his hand and shook mine and told me congratulations on the Championship then turned and left out the back door. " True story according to Phil himself.
I took this photo 15 August 2008 at Quail, CA/USA. Left to right Dick Fritz (ex-NART manager), Phil Hill and his son Derek Hill. Less than two weeks later Phil passed. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
I first met Phil at Road & Track's test of Harley Cluxton's 312 B3 at Riverside in around 1977. R&T had rented the track for the day and the only folks there were R&T staff, Harley and his crew, myself and two classmates from Art Center. Sometimes it was just the B3 on the track and at other times Harley's 312 P (or PB) was also out there as the camera car with John Lamm doing the pictures. One of the particularly interesting elements of the day were the conversations between Phil and Henry Manny. Henry had been the R&T European correspondent during some of Phil's career. Not too long after that went to Phil's house to see his cars in the garage and a tour of the restoration shop he co-owned, Hill & Vaughn. What looked like maybe a 3 car garage was at least 3 deep with various cars. The ones I remember were a very early Renault, a Twin Six Packard that had been his grandmothers and always in the family, and his Best of Show from Pebble Beach 1938 Brunn bodied Packard 12 touring sedan. [College friend on this visit, his father had a 1939 of the same Brunn bodied Packard.] Can't remember if was here or at the shop but Phil had a 4.5 Blower Bentley. Phil then took out his 1912 Model 30 Packard and drove us to Hill & Vaughn. He was clutchless shifting and using the exhaust cut out through the streets of Santa Monica. At the time the shop was next door to *****cat Theater. The gentrification of Santa Monica would come some years later. Hill & Vaughn was noted as one of the finest Packard restoration shops in the country. But there was an assortment of other classics and antiques too. Talked to Phil about the TdFs one time when I was working on an article. Say Phil at the Laguna Seca Historics one year and we talked about the Twin Six Packard. He had intended to restore it but he said that it was hard to think of doing that after he spent the days dealing with customer restoration. And, the value and appreciation for preserved cars had increased so much he was probably going to just keep it that way. Last say Phil at the Seattle/Kent Historic races in around 2000. One of the people that had stayed at the track for some festivities the night before said that Phil had been enjoying himself during the dinner and then took out one of the Mercedes demo cars and started doing flying laps.
Here’s a picture of Phil with the Aston Martin (215P) team at Le Mans in 1963. Take a look at the polished loafers. I don’t recall ever seeing a picture of him with a cigarette, although I must have at some time. Picture by Anthony Carter. Image Unavailable, Please Login