Hello, everyone! I just recently learned about this colorful character, and read that he was a regular client of Ferrari, back in the days, having owned and raced many "cavallino" cars. He died while racing a 250 GT, I believe, after partying all night. Does anybody have any information about this car? Serial number, color, options, etc.?
Rubirosa was a playboy of the Dominican Republic, born in 1909. He had homes in Paris/France and Palm Beach/FL/USA. Rubirosa met Barbara Hutton in summer 1953 at a dinner party in Deauville, France. Rubirosa married January 5, 1954 the 40-year old Woolworth heiress Hutton and was divorced after 73 days already. Hutton gave him a twin-engined airplane, a heard of polo ponys and 1 million dollars in cash. At the 1955 Festival de Cannes Rubirosa was accompanied by Zsa Zsa Gabor. October 20, 1956, Rubirosa married the 19-year old French actress Odile Rodin. It was his fifth marriage. December 31, 1956 and New Year 1957 he spent with Odile and a bunch of friends at St. Moritz, Switzerland. Rubirosa died July 5, 1965 when trying to avoid a crash with a BMW in the Allée de la Reine Marguerite at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris he hit a tree with his metallic grey Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II (#1561 GT). See four page article with many photos in "Cavallino" magazine, issue #102, of December 1997/January 1998. Marcel Massini
While not tall in stature he was apparently hung like a stallion-in fact famed peppermill manufacturer Peugeot's largest version is called a Rubirosa. Peugeot Rubirosa 50cm Pepper Mill - Tabletop - Home and Away - The Good Store
If you really want to read all about it: The Last Playboy: The High Life of Porfirio Rubirosa: Shawn Levy: 9780007170609: Amazon.com: Books
He also owned this beauty, 250 GT PF Cabriolet S1 0783GT now owned by FChat member Joe Hayes. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcNANEiIXu8&feature=player_embedded]Harold Hayes - 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Pininfarina - YouTube[/ame] Image Unavailable, Please Login
Talking about other F-cars he owned... is there any information regarding the cars with racing history? Let's try to come up with a list off all the F-cars he raced, and where they are these days!
375MM PF Berlinetta 0380AM which may be destroyed. Seen here at Le Mans 1954. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well, that's one reason why he was married to two of the richest women in the world during his lifetime, and countless other beauties!
Doris Duke, his third wife and the 'richest girl in the world' bought him the '57 Pininfarina cab as a birthday gift I think. I'll be visiting Duke Farms this week in NJ and will ask about Rubi. She never married again after they divorced . . .
Rubi bought our car, Series II 500 Mondial s/n 0556(0446)MD from Ferrari in November 1955 after it won the 2-liter class in the Grand Prix of Venezuela driven by Schell and then Castellotti. Rubi took it to the Bahamas a few weeks later and ran it at the Nassau Speed Week, coming in first in class in the Nassau Governor's Race on 12/9/55 and second in class the next day in the Nassau Ferrari Classic. (pic of Rubi in the car below) The following day, Rubi flew back to Miami for a polo match, and allowed his friend, Ebby Lunken from Cincinnati, drive the car in the Nassau Trophy Race (pic below) where he scored another first in class for the Mondial. The following March (1956), Rubirosa painted the car dark blue from its original French Racing Blue, and, with co-driver Jim Pauley, won the 2-liter class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. (pic of Rubi and Pauley accepting the trophy) Rubi sold the Mondial to Chuck Hassan, another of the "Cincinnati Gang", later in the spring of 1956. I have never been able to find a picture of Rubi and Zas Zsa in our car, although I believe he was dating her at some point while he owned it. I have attached a pic of the two of them in another Ferrari, but it's not our Mondial. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ok; So far we have: Road Cars: * 250 GT Cabriolet Series II (#1561GT) - Car in which he died. Unknown current status. * 250 GT PF Cabriolet SI (#0783GT) - Gift from Doris Duke? Now owned by Joe Hayes. Race Cars: * 166MM (#0050) - Raced at LeMans 1950 * 375MM PF Berlinetta (#0380AM) - Raced at LeMans 1954. Presumed to be destroyed. * 500 Mondial Series II (#0556MD) - Raced at Nassau 1955 and Sebring 1956. Now owned by Bryanp. Is everything correct? This is getting good!
166MM/53 #0328M raced at 12 Hours Reims 1953. 500 TRC Spyder Scaglietti #0660 MDTR raced at 12 Hours Sebring 1958. 500 TRC Spyder Scaglietti #0706 MDTR raced at Cuba GP 1958.
Ok, updating the list: Road Cars: * 250 GT Cabriolet Series II (#1561GT) - Car in which he died. Destroyed. * 250 GT PF Cabriolet SI (#0783GT) - Gift from Doris Duke? Now owned by Joe Hayes. Race Cars: * 166MM (#0050) - Raced at LeMans 1950 * 375MM PF Berlinetta (#0380AM) - Raced at LeMans 1954. Presumed to be destroyed. * 500 Mondial Series II (#0556MD) - Raced at Nassau 1955 and Sebring 1956. Now owned by Bryanp. * 166MM/53 (#0328M) - Raced at 12 Hours Reims 1953. Picture taken with Zsa Zsa Gabor. Unknown current status * 500 TRC Spyder Scaglietti (#0660 MDTR) - Raced at 12 Hours Sebring 1958. Unknown current status. * 500 TRC Spyder Scaglietti (#0706 MDTR) - Raced at Cuba GP 1958. Unknown current status. * 500 Mondial Spyder Scaglietti (#0464MD) - Gift from Barbara Hutton. Raced at Carrera Panamericana. Unknown current status. * 625 LM Spyder Touring (#0644MDTR) - Raced at GP of Venezuela 1956. Unknown current status. * ?? (#0438MD) - Owned by a short period of time. (Race info? - current status?) * ?? (#0440MD) - Raced at Sebring 1957. Unknown current status. Wow! This man really had a bunch of cars!!