Woman buried in Ferrari

Howdy! Not a Ferrari owner (I drive a Jeep Wrangler, about as far from a Ferrari as you can get); but I stumbled across this forum searching for info on Sandra Ilene West. I live in San Antonio and heard about her a couple of days ago on a local forum. We like to take family outings to interesting places, so most likely we are going to pay our respects to her and the 330 (or 250GT) this coming weekend. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the info, and the pics. She must've been one heckuva woman!

And as a sidenote, we made the trek up to Tulsa for the unburying of the '57 Belvedere. I had read about it a few years prior while stationed in Belgium with NATO (I am retired USAF), and made a pact that if we were anywhere near Tulsa in 2007, we would go. Well, we went and as most of you know, the 'container' the car was placed it resembled a swimming pool, which it turned out to be. Apparantly Tulsa is the flood capital of the US! Anyhow, despite the car ending up being a compete write-off, we still had a great time and saw some vintage iron at the car show.

I don't know the state of Mrs West's Ferrari, nor am I going to make any attempt to find out. But if anyone wants to suggest what kind of momento we should leave at her gravesite, I am open to your ideas!

And the next time you blast by a Jeep Wrangler, wave as you pull away. Despite being some of the slowest and poorest handling vehicles on the road, we Jeep owners still admire Italian class!

Cheers! M2

 

How about a quart of oil?

 

Ugh! How about flowers or something?

I'm gonna have to make the pilgrimage next time I'm in S.A.

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/alamo_masonic_cem/
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/alamo_masonic_cem/imA/map1.jpeg

 

Unfortunatly, we didn't make it there this weekend, but we plan to do so soon.

The flowers are a better suggestion, as it seems a bit more respectful toward the person who is buried there...

Cheers! M2

 

Daytona Spider = 365GTS/4

 

What a GREAT read this thread has been. Thanks to the family member and historian that contributed.

 

We were downtown this afternoon, so we took a detour out and visited Mrs West's gravesite. It is her husband's family plot, and her gravestone was actually covered by the recently cut grass. For some reason, I knew exactly where it was, and walked right up and brushed the grass away. It sits right next to her husband Ike, and under the shade of a nice oak tree. You would never know there was a Ferrari down there. Kinda wished we had some flowers or something to lay there, it is truly an amazing story!

Cheers! M2

 

Dude, if that is you in the white shirt, HOW DO YOU FIT INTO THAT CAR?!

 

i have just discovered that sandra west owned a dino at the time of her death, s/n 08454. i believe this may be the ferrari "pininfarina" that is referrenced in the newspaper article

 

Actually, if it was a US-spec Daytona Spyder, then it would be a 365 GTB/4 Spyder. All of the US-spec Daytona Spyders were stamped 365 GTB/4 Spyder; all of the Euro-spec Spyders were stamped 365 GTS/4*.


*This is, of course, except for S/N 14383, the first US-spec Daytona Spyder, which was actually the second US-spec Spyder to arrive stateside (because the owner of the second one had his flown in air freight, and it arrived before the first one); 14383 is the fifth Daytona Spyder made - sixth if you count 12851, the Daytona Spyder prototype (which is the only real Daytona Spyder to leave the factory with a Plexiglas nose, but was made two years before Daytona Spyder production even began).


Dino 08454 has an interesting history. It came up for sale 7 February 1988, at the Chequered Flag in Los Angeles, with 7,122 miles. In late 1989 (and then early 1990), it was for sale by Gary Thieltges of Glendale, California; 7,200 miles. But in October of 1989, the car was advertised in the duPont Registry by St. Louis Sports Car Company; red and tan, chairs and flares, all books and records, one owner (lol) - 12,000 miles! In 1990,the car was for sale by Ted Bella, in Hilton Head, SC. Resold at the Rick Cole auction in Monterey, California, 12,100 miles, where it reportedly sold for over $240,000. In 1991, 08454 came up for sale through Foreign Cars Italia "at the request of a North Carolina bank". The bank repossessed the car and was owed $150,000 (plus $900 for storage). Originally sold through Luigi Chinetti Motors on 13 August 1974, 08454 was purchased by Nancy Allard McNaughton of Tulsa, OK.

 

The Dino went to John Valentine of Glendale. The "Pininfarina" is mentioned as going to Larry Denman. If you can tie 08454 to Valentine, you'll have something.

I'll have to reach out to Gary Thieltges, maybe he'll remember the car.

T308

 

I'm sorry about your aunt; it sounds like the unspoken details made for a rather debaucherous crescendo to her burial.

I don't suppose you have any pictures of the Daytona Spyder she loved so much. Perhaps you recall its color, or from whom she bought (probably new), or any other details...?

 

Brocket not only cut up a number of very rare cars, he also sold a 250 SWB passing it as the real thing while it was not. After the fact it was advertised (presumably by the new owne). Can't remember the chassis #, it was painted silver with a red stripe over it, IIRC.

More cars were bussied and hidden behind walls. some 10 or 15 years ago, someone dug up a 166 (?) Barchetta in California, with air in the tyres but the woodrim of the steering wheel rotted away.
In the seventies a 250MM Vignale coupe (once off, #0334MM) was found after tearing down a wall in a factory in Switzerland. Some chatters in Holland may know more about the whereabouts of it, I knew the car well in the early eighties.

Now where's my shovel....

Ciao,

Jack.

 

carbon,

08454 was delivered new to john cohen/sandra west by hollywood sports cars on 8/12/74. sandra west owned the car, with the lastest record of her and the car5 i have being some warranty work done on the car in june 1976. the car was delivered in verde medio nijinsky with a beige interior.

 

Awesome... Wanna help me with another Dino...?

 

the buried dino, 07862

 

Awesome, thank you. Now back to our regularly scheduled inhumation. How do we go about figuring out which Daytona was Sandra's...?

 

I remember when this was in the LA press originally. The 330 was at Hollywood Sports Car service department on Gower. At one time had a conversation with the Gower service manager Gene (anyone remember his last name) when he talked of the family fighting over which car she was to be buried in.

Is my memory correct that the 330 was a pale blue?

Since wspeer said that the Dino came from Hollywood Sports Car it makes sense that any of her other Ferrari's regularly went there too.

Other points of that time in 1977 - there were several Daytona spiders that went through Hollywood Sports Cars service department. I also specifically remember a black 365 California that was in LA but never knew who owned it. The Gower service department was maybe 1/2 - 1 mile from the dealership but the Ferrari and Maserati maintenace was all done on Gower.

Jeff

 

In 1989, Robert Beecham had 9615 painted black; in 1995, 9849 was advertised as being black with tan interior, but it started life as silver; apparently none of them left the factory black; 8347 is midnight blue, but I believe it was in Italy during the '70s.

According to previous posts in this thread, the corresponding serial number and several links posted, the 330 in which West was buried was, yes, (pale) blue.

Hollywood Sports Cars was the original destination for the following Daytona Spyders:
14539 (yellow)
14857 (yellow)
15171 (Rosso Chiaro) this car was originally sold to "a lady in California" but she returned and the car was later purchased by a doctor on 31 August 1974.
15283 (Bianco Polo)
16473 (Rosso Chiaro) offered for sale in 1974
16835 (Rosso Chiaro) listed in 1975-1976 FOCUSA
16901 (Bianco Polo) listed in 1974-1975 FOCUSA by Bert Sugarman
17045 (Rosso Dino) listed for sale at Hollywood Sports cars in 1975 (unregistered)
17061 (Verde Scuro) offered in 1977 by a private seller (L.A. Times, w/phone number) who listed the car as having only one owner, 15,000 miles. But in 1981, the car was stolen and Jim Kaufman, claiming to be the original owner, said he was the one who advertised in the Times back in '77. The car was then reported stolen (again?) on 4 October 1988 and, as of January, 1992, was still missing.

 

17045 was sold new to John Von Neumann and delivered in Geneva, Switzerland. After many years in USA it is now back in Geneva, Switzerland with an enthusiastic collector.
Marcel Massini

 

I done a bit of reading about her. One of my least favorite traits in people is mediocrity. Right or wrong; have some passion and do it with style. I think I would have liked Sandra.
We stopped by, paid our respects, and left her some flowers. My wife and I thought we'd show her a Ferrari that was being introduced at the time of her passing. You can see our 400i in the background.
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Very nice Dave! I looked up the thread as soon as I got home from visiting with y'all....

 

I remember hearing this story as a kid and thinking it was such a waste to bury the car.

Being a little older now, my priorities have changed slightly.

God she was beautiful. (Ms. West that is). Tragic.

 

I google'd her and I found out that she is located in Alamo Masonic Cemetery at San Antonio, Texas.

 

Yep, we visited her a few months ago. Quite a non-descript grave for someone who was so flamboyant in life. You can read the posts on it in a San Antonio forum of City-Data.com starting from mine here.

Cheers! M2