Ferrari 250 GTO in the 1964 Portugal Grand Prix (Cascais)

The Ferrari GTO ran the Grand Prix of Portugal in 1964 at the Circuit de Cascais. It was piloted by Kris Kerrison, who won the race. (June 26)
Jess Pourret considers this GTO, the # 4399GT (but as confirmed by the photo, this was not a body of 1964). Pourret (and www.barchetta) also considers that could be the # 2735GT, the 250 SWB Drogo later bodywork. But the image does not think so. What do you think?

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/manueltaboada/cascais1964.jpg

 

Kerrison, I believe was scheduled to start in 2735 but for some reason did not and took over this 250 GTO.

A guess, and only a guess, is that it could be 3505.

Paul

 

Kerrison and Mike Salmon took 2 Ferraris down to the Portuguese GP. Chris picked up his GTO from Nice Airport and drove it on the road to Portugal to meet the Drogo. The Drogo #2735 and the GTO (don't know the chassis number for sure but Jess Pouret is usually right on these cars, so maybe the photo could be wrong? It certainly is a Series 1 GTO in the photo and not the Drogo) were both practised by both drivers and far quicker than anything else, according to Salmon (so why would the GTO in the photo be only 2nd on the grid? Is this an indication that the photo is wrong?). Chris Kerrison blew the Drogo's engine in a big way so they agreed to share the driving in the GTO, but Salmon felt really ill on the day, leaving Kerrison to drive the GTO to 1st place by himself.

 

Thank you, is a fabulous information.
Thanks!

 

In the grid, the first is Jack Sears in the Ac Cobra, and 2º Kerrison GTO. The third, Mario Araujo Cabral, in the Lotus Elan. The photo is from the 1964 race, for sure.

 

Ok here goes.

In Alan Liss' book on the GTO, he quotes Kerrison and Salmon as I have mentioned above.

Salmon also says the GTO he practised in Portugal was a 'LHD GTO' yet the photo clearly shows it to be a RHD GTO Series 1

Pourret states that 4399 is the Portuguese car, a series 2 RHD GTO, and in fairness, this is the only GTO I can find definitive records of Kerrison racing in (at the Nurburgring, with Salmon). So we know that as they both raced 4399, does it not stand to reason that they would also have used it in Portugal where they would have both used it again?

Salmon states in Liss that the Drogo and the GTO were far faster than anything else present when practising for Portugal. Would Kerrison in the Drogo be faster than Jack Sears in a Cobra? I think not. Wouldn't Jack and his Cobra at least get a mention from Salmon? The Cobra in the picture is also clearly in pole position on the grid, so this refutes the claim that the 2 Ferraris were the fastest cars by far. So, is the photo Portugal 1964 as Manuel assures us is the case, or something else?

I have looked in my files and found an unsubstantiated solution. On the 12th August 1964, Colonel Ronnie Hoare wrote to Chris Kerrison stating: "I am afraid I may have misinformed you when I guessed that the origin of YOUR (my capitals) GTO was the ex Surtees car which we had in 1962. If the chassis number is 3505/GT, this was the car which we supplied new to UDT/Laystall racing...which we subsequently sold on behalf of UDT to an Austrian called Dr Philippe of Vienna...in December 1962..............we have never heard another word about the car since then."

This backs up Paul's (Pink Umbrella) guess that it could be 3505, which IS a Series 1 RHD GTO as in the picture, but I have never seen any confirmation in the varuious books of Kerrison buying the car. He may have been simply asking the Colonel questions about buying the car. If Kerrison did race 3505 in Portugal, it simply means that Salmon's recollections of a LHD car, that was faster than anything else on the Grid, are wrong.

The fun of Ferrari history!

Clive Beecham

 

Clive
The photo is for sure from 1964 Cascais race. This photo is taken from the ACP Magazine (the Automobile Club of Portugal). nº7/8 - July/August 1964.

The link for the final classification:

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/manueltaboada/acpmagazine1964.jpg

Thanks
Manuel Taboada

 

As far as I known, Dr Philippe was already racing 3505 GT in 1963 and continued doing that in 1964. For both the "Wien Pokalrennen" on 12.04.1964 as for the "Grosser Preis Osterreich GT" on 23.08.1964 he is listed as driver of 3505 GT.

Of course this does not exclude fully the possibility of Kerrison driving 3505 GT in June 1964, but then we have to explain the connection between dr. Philippe and Kerrison.....

 

The mystery remains:
what GTO did the race at Cascais, 1964?

3505 ?

And why not:

3647
3729
3869


How Kerrison appears to drive it?

I'il try to get some new photos from the race...but is not easy...
The mistery remains...

 

Below follows a note I have had from Keith Bluemel, a famous Ferrari Historian.


'I found a very grainy image on the internet. From what I can see it is definitely right hand drive, which narrows the field. It doesn’t appear to be white, so that eliminates 3729. It appears to have two light coloured stripes, but that may just be the poor quality of the image.

It can’t be 4399 as that had a ’64 style body by then, 3589 and 3767 were in the USA so that eliminates them, 4491had a “low-line” roof by 1964, so that leaves the possibilities as 3505, 3647 and 3869. Checking the race results 3869 was at Dyrham Park Hillclimb on 25 July with Ron Fry, so it couldn’t be in Portugal the next day. Which leaves us with 3505 and 3647. I believe that 3647 had three wing slots by this time, and the car in the picture only appears to have two, so my best bet is 3505.'


Also, Manuel, your race record says that someone else was driving the Cobra, not Jack Sears, and his lap times weren't that great, which ties back in with Salmon's comments of the 2 Ferraris being fastest. BUT, why was the Cobra 1st on the grid? Maybe the centre position was deemed best?

Things tend to point to 3505.

Regards

Clive

 

It was owned by Gunther Philipp at that time. The 1963 and 1964 race history of 3505GT otherwise shows local races only.
This photo of 3505GT was taken 4 weeks later at the Austrian GP at Zeltweg. Copyright?????
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"....The first positions of the grid were occupied by Jack Sears Ac Cobra, Kerrison Ferrari GTO, and Mário Araújo Cabral Lotus Elan. On the very first lap, Jack Sears quit the race..."

This is the text from the report of the ACP (Automobile Club Portugal) magazine.
But they are other 2 AC Cobras, to Bob Olthoff (DNF) and Francisco Herédia (11º).

Regards
Manuel

 

My thanks to all!
I'm trying to get a better picture from this GTO, if i find it I publish here.
Best regards
Manuel Taboada
www.ferrariemportugal.blogspot.com

 

NEW PHOTOS!

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/manueltaboada/k4b.jpg
http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/manueltaboada/k5b.jpg
http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/manueltaboada/k2b.jpg

These photos were given by Jose Mota Freitas.

Regards
Manuel Taboada

 

That is the exact same thought process and elimination I adopted.

Paul

 

If Boudewijn's photo is 3505, then the Portuguese race car is a different GTO. Look at the front side light configurations on Manuel's photos.

Regards

Clive

 

It is 3851GT of Prinoth.

 

3505 is right hand drive.

Paul

 

This is 3505GT

 

I stand corrected.

 

Oh dear! I thought you were perfect. I guess I have to go back and check all the info I have collected from you over the years .Just kidding. Always look forward to your comments. just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

Thanks. No doubt there will be other photos in my collection of 150.000 Ferrari photos that will be named wrong.

 

This picture is of 3851 GT raced there by Ernesto Prinoth - note the registration number and it is left hand drive

 

Your Ferrari picture collection sounds like a lifetime work. How old were you when you got the 'Ferrari addiction' there? Someone else must have helped you get started as it is obviously contagious!
CH

 

I know, it was mislabeled. 3851GT had some major accidents, of course the sad Oreiller accident, then the Coppa Intereuropa accident of 1964 of which I show this photo, then there is the other photo where I wonder when this accident happened.
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