FON DE PORTAGO | FerrariChat

FON DE PORTAGO

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by 03402, Nov 16, 2004.

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  1. 03402

    03402 Rookie

    Feb 4, 2004
    7
    I'am looking for pictures of Fon de Portago's cars.

    If anyone hold pictures ; Many thanks in advance.
     
  2. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
    here we go
     
  3. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

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    vincent
  4. Yquem

    Yquem Formula 3

    Dec 2, 2003
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    BELGIO
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    JR
    Wow, Vincent, that's great!
    Where do you get all those vintage photos from? You scan them from your books?
    Greet,
    Joren
     
  5. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
    1957 and last
     
  6. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
    No, never scan any picture.....

    got them from the net, put them in maps - year - race - car - # - driver.....

    as some of us do of the chat community.

    greetings, vincent
     
  7. GTE

    GTE F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2004
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    Marnix
    Now lets wait for Boudewijn...
     
  8. 03402

    03402 Rookie

    Feb 4, 2004
    7
    Awesome pictures !!!

    many many thanks
     
  9. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

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    vincent
    another one....
     
  10. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
    1,305
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    Full Name:
    vincent
  11. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
  12. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
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    May 15, 2003
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    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    #13 Boudewijn, Nov 20, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    the Hutton archive says n°4 is 1955 GB grand prix ...............help me please.
     
  14. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
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    May 15, 2003
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    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    According to Alan Henry in his book "Ferrari The Grand Prix Cars" in the British Grand Prix of 1956 De Portago finished 2nd sharing his car with Peter Collins, who retired with his own car, while Eugenio Castelloti finished 10th sharing his car with De Portago. You understand what I'm saying. Those were the days.........
     
  15. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
    Yep, those beautiful days.............
     
  16. Manel

    Manel Karting

    Oct 7, 2004
    91
    Catalonia
    Full Name:
    J.Manuel Baró
    As mentioned recently, I am just finishing a detailed biography of Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca, Marquis de Portago, a gentleman who focussed the mundane media of the fifties due to his aristocratic craddle, endlees means, glamourous way of living and a natural, uncommon gift for the risky sports such as horse steeple chase, bobsleigh or motor racing during his short, lightning life. No wonder he still personifies the golden days of motor racing.
    Will try to clarify a couple of doubts you mention
    - During the qualifying laps previous to the BRDC Int. GP held at Silverstone, Fon's own #24 Ferrari -tipo 625 A/ 0540- singleseater, skidded at Copse Corner due to rain. Fon suffered head concusion and a broken leg so spnt the summer recovering and setting up the first-ever Spanish Bobsleigh team to compete at the Olympic Winter Games of 1956.
    - During of 1956 British GP, Fon handed his SF D50 #4 to teammate P. Collins retired in the early stages of the race. Later on, Castellotti' front damaged D50 # 3 retired and Fon, sitting iddle on the SF pits, asked permision of race marshalls to resume the race with it. He eventually went into the track to stop soobn afterwards due likely to overheating. Typically Fon, parked exhausted horse# 3 just before to the finish line, had a couple of cigarettes and crossed the line pushing it just before the GP ended, in tenth position.
    Images joined on thread show somewhat the sequence of facts.
    As Collins arrived in second place with Fon's # 4 original car, he shared three of the six points obtained with him. Fon qualify officially twice i.e. second and tenth.
     
  17. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
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    Thanks Manel for the detailed explanation. Received your Pegaso Z-102 book yesterday and I must say: very interesting history, though my spanish is not that good. Period photography is excellent as well, as is the coloured section in the rear. Just 1300 copies have been printed, right? It is a nice addition to the other Pegaso book I have by Carlos Mosquera. When is the Portago book released? May be an english version as well?
     
  18. 03402

    03402 Rookie

    Feb 4, 2004
    7
    Manel, you are giving us a very good news ! when your book will be finished and available ?
     
  19. vince308

    vince308 Formula 3

    May 23, 2003
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    vincent
    non racing
     
  20. Horsefly

    Horsefly F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2002
    6,929
    What was the purpose of that fairing behind the driver's head? Streamlining? That doesn't seem feasible because in nearly every photo of those old cars, the driver's head is entirely above top of the fairing. And most of those cars would seem to have been a certain death trap in the event of a rollover....driver's head a foot above the top of the fairing and the windshield. A helmet would seem to be little protection against the weight of a 2000 pound car pushing down on the driver's head.
     
  21. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
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    Robert G. Zambelli
    I believe he was killed in the mid-fifties, in the Mille Miglia. How old was he?
    Bob Z.
     
  22. Bryanp

    Bryanp F1 Rookie

    Aug 13, 2002
    3,799
    Santa Fe, NM
    although the scholarship re: aerodynamics was only a fraction of what it is today, I think that engineers of the day had a rudimentary understanding of "dirty air" and that there would be a lot less buffeting of the driver's head with a nacelle behind the driver's head to remove the big low-pressure zone that would result absent the nacelle. As for the height of it, that would obviously have depended on the driver. I guess de Portago was a lot taller that Porfirio Rubirosa whose head barely poked over the nacelle.

    I don't think that driver safety even entered into their thinking in 1957 - not even the basic concept of seat belts had shown up in these cars yet. The support for the nacelle is nothing more than some small-diameter steel tubes. Looking at the construction of the sports racers, you were probably better off being thrown from the car - better than getting a steering column through the chest or an engine in your lap. There was literally nothing between you and the motor excpet a sheet of aluminum. The formula cars were worse since they wrapped the driver w/ fuel tanks.

    I remember reading a story about wiry little Masten Gregory and how he would put his foot up on the seat when he saw a shunt coming to spring himself out of the car.
     
  23. Edmcd

    Edmcd Rookie

    Aug 7, 2005
    4
    UK
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    Ed McDonough
    I was interested in Manel's post about writing about de Portago. I am engaged in writing such a book at the moment for a UK publisher. Perhaps he would like to contact me.
    Thanks
    Ed McDonough
     
  24. trashidelek!

    trashidelek! Formula Junior

    Nov 18, 2004
    891
    Manel or EdMcD, would you care to provide more information? I would be interested in having a copy of either one.
     

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