Now arguing with myself regarding preference for long nose or short/orginal nose ... And yes a replica with a Alfa Romeo 3 ltr v6 would be fun. I'm sure with some clever engineering I could replicate the driving experience completely (and without sacrificing any Ferraris!!!). Pete
Playing at Bernie Ecclestone's private track Le Castellet/Paul Ricard. COPYRIGHT MARCEL MASSINI Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marcel, From looking at the photos I have some detail questions on the Drogo nose. Is 6051 sitting lower on the suspension than 5899? It appears to me that the relationship of the front wheel opening on 6051 is lower to the wheel than 5899 and am not sure that this is just a difference in the shape of the opening. Is the front lid exactly the same shape and mounting points between the two versions? That would meean that through this section of the nose all the difference for the Drogo shape is forward of the lid. Are the headlight lenses different for the Drogo or are they the same with a slightly different positioning? By the way, that must have been a fun day for you. Did you get to drive either one? Jeff
Jeff Keep in mind that all these LMs were handbuilt. No two are identical. Almost all have been restored at least once if not more during the past 44 years. The Drogo long nose was not just the front part (from the front wheel arch forward) but the entire front clip, normally. They are lower than the standard Scaglietti shortnose. Yes, over the years I've driven a few of these fantastic cars and yes, we had a great day at Le Castellet. Marcel Massini
i have pics of 5909 at Bridgehampton 1964 with No. 85 and a white nose, copyright Scuderia Bear and David Castelhano. did i save them wrong ? the car looks totally different to your pic.
Currently on display at Blackhawk Museum in Danville, CA, along w/ the 1953 Pebble Beach winning 250 MM Vignale of Phil Hill and a dozen other rare and unique Ferraris. Cheers
The photo must have been taken in 1965. I have a photo of Bridgehampton 1965 with 5909, but the layout is different as far as the front racingnumber position. I guess the photo fits Cumberland 1965 best.
Jeff Kennedy asked a question a while back---I'd forgotten that I had 5909 2 times. I finally found a pic from the second time. Story: the first time, after painting it resale red, I sold it to Sonny Bono ( a great story in itself) and I used to hear that it was parked in front of the Playboy Club many eves. Then it "disappeared". Turned out that Sonny (after refusing my offers of a check-out ride) had broken the trans. He then sold it to Dan McLaughlin, a local body-man who was a Lola nut. Dan proceeded to cut the front fenders to widen the car so as to graft a Lola rear onto it! Then he had a shop fire, and the derelict LM was lifted (!) out of a window to save it. I bought it back with no wheels and the front fenders flapping around, held on with 2 tiny straps each. In those days, the value didn't support a real resto, so I sold it off "as-is" to a real enthusiast/car dealer in Fla., who gave it the next of many restos. And to answer the next question, the other car is 0392 before it went to Kerry Manolas (sitting in my home garage with Pontiac eng/trans). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Lodovico Scarfiotti in the Scuderia Filipinetti 250 LM #5899 at the Sierre-Montana Crans hillclimb in Switzerland on the 30th August 1964 (he placed 1st OA). COPYRIGHT MARCEL MASSINI Image Unavailable, Please Login
Tom Can you please stop badmouthing this car? Thank you. Many of the 250 LMs have had a VERY hard life. The chassis is original (has been x-rayed, measured and very carefully inspected, even metallurgically tested, also repaired by Ferrari SpA after the modifications), the engine is original, the gearbox is (but it is a gearbox from another 250 LM), and all the numbers are. The entire bodywork is new (and not the one from 1964), however, as you already know very well. And for those who care, it has been factory certified (13th April 2005, Certificate #027 F). PLEASE use the separate replica/reconstruction thread for possible discussions. Thank you very much. PS: As you also know very well, there is another car in Japan which also uses the number 5899, but that is a TOTAL REPLICA. I have tons of pictures of that one too. Marcel Massini
Marcel, Ed- Did not realize there were so many duplicates (fakes) of the 250 LM. Would have thought it would have been more profitable for GTOs, but I guess they are better documented and harder to fake. The original aluminum short noses are my favorites, even if I can never aspire to owning one. Do you know the split between RHD and LHD cars? The lines are just so pure on these cars, and the dog-clutch transaxles put them closer to pure race cars than the synchronized transmission GTOs. Would love to hear some more "I drove them" comments on shifting, braking, acceleration and cornering. 1800 lbs and 320 bhp had to make for one great ride. Read Davis' description in C&D, but would love to hear more. Taz Terry Phillips
Here are 2 very rare LHD 250LM (3 produced in total), Targa Florio 1965 5891 (#136). Antonio Nicodemi & Francesco Lessona , 14th overall 5903 (#138) Sergio Bettoja & Andrea De Adamich , 30th overall. Copyrights on pics otherwise unknown... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
6173 at Targa Florio 65, Luigi Taramazzo e Oddone Sigala , 8th overall-1st in class... Copyrights unknown or on pic. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ed, Did the polishing of the aluminum fuel cells occur during your watch? I remember Steve Griswold describing how when he did the restoration for Fred Knoop that the aluminum had already been polished and he (Steve) decided it was better to re-polish them than to construct new so they could be to original finish. Jeff
Chanh- Thanks. Three LHDs are definitely rare. Can shift with either hand (6 years in the UK), but all a bit out of my price range anyway. Can always dream. Taz Terry Phillips
This is #6233 of film producer Haskell Wexler of Hollywood/CA, taken in 1966 on the Warner Bros Lot at the set of "Who is afraid of Virginia Wolf". Haskell, who also ran the Haskell Motors Team, had acquired #6233 in August 1965 from Mort Sahl, a comedian in Beverly Hills. Wexler advertised it in "Road & Track" magazine of January 1966, he was asking US$ 17'500. Early 1966 Haskell sold it to Federico de la Chica in Mexico. Today this car is in a major collection on the U.S. East Coast. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mr. Wexler is still very active in the film industry to this day. He's a two-time Oscar winning Cinematographer and regarded as one of the ten most influential cinematographers in movie history. Interestingly, if you read his credits on IMDB, he shot the original Thomas Crown Affair featuring Steve McQueen and (briefly) #9437. Thanks Marcel for the stunning pics of the LM's on this thread.
