Race Winning Chinetti Ferrari | FerrariChat

Race Winning Chinetti Ferrari

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Bob Zambelli, Oct 1, 2019.

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  1. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
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    Many years ago, I was visiting Chinetti International Motors in Connecticut.

    I was speaking with a gent (might have been Francois) and he took me on a tour of their storage garage. He pointed out an open Barchetta type Ferrari that he said Mr Chinetti drove and won at Lemans.

    Truth to the story and if so, where is the car now?

    Just curious!

    Bob Z.
     
  2. 375+

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    Did s/n 0008M ever pass through Chinetti's hands or was this a different car? Now in the (late) Bob Lee collection.
     
  3. Lusso123

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    Bob Baker owned it for many years before selling to Robert Lee. I don't recall who had the car before Baker.
     
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  4. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Before Baker it was Tom Price. And before Price it was Bamford. Before Bamford it was Bross.
    Between Baker and Lee was an owner in between who had it only for a short period. Lee got it May 1996.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  5. Lusso123

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    Great info as always Marcel, and thanks for correction. After I wrote my reply, I was wondering if I had missed anyone between Baker & Lee.... I sort of remembered there was someone in between, but thought that might just have been my clouded memory.
     
  6. Timmmmmmmmmmy

    Timmmmmmmmmmy F1 Rookie

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    It wouldn't of been 166MM Touring Barchetta #0014M which Chinetti owned for decades?
     
  7. Bob Zambelli

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  8. Timmmmmmmmmmy

    Timmmmmmmmmmy F1 Rookie

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    That is the 1949 Le Mans winner, 0008M, I am just not so sure that is the car Chinetti owned post 1949, he, and his family, have owned #0014M since 1957 and it is said to be painted like #0008M complete with #22 on it although it differs in other ways. IF indeed it is #0014M it has been on long term loan to the Le Mans museum since 1994 where it is displayed next to a Porsche 917L (#917-045) and a Ford GT40 (#1020) as seen here. The Le Mans Museum is rather aptly on Place Luigi Chinetti, Le Mans !
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  9. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    THIS photo here shows 0014 M.
    Not 0008 M, the 1949 MM and LM winner.

    0014 M was sold by Jacques Swaters/Garage Francorchamps SA to Luigi Chinetti in 1957. It's been on loan to the Le Mans Museum for decades. The LM Museum decorated it to look like the #22 1949 Le Mans Winning car.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  10. Timmmmmmmmmmy

    Timmmmmmmmmmy F1 Rookie

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    Sort of what I was trying to get at, IMHO the car Bob Zambelli may have seen at Chinettis shop is #0014 during its 30+ years with Chinetti in the USA before it shifted to La Francaise for exhibition at the Le Mans museum. Its broadly the same as the Le Mans winner and would have literally been in Chinetti's shop during whatever time frame Bob would have seen it. While incorrect it remains that someone in the shop would likely say its the Chinetti Le Mans winner because well it is so similar. #0008M may have been with Chinetti when it first came to the USA and again when it was sold in the 1990s but that is only a possible, isn't it? We know #0014M was definitely in the shop for decades.
     
  11. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 Marcel Massini, Oct 6, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2019
    Following the Mille Miglia win 24 April 1949 the factory sold 0008 M in May 1949 to first owner Peter Mitchell-Thomson, a.k.a. Lord Peter Selsdon, London, England, price paid was US$ 17'000. Chinetti and Selsdon then did the 24 h of Le Mans. On August 7, 1949 Chinetti raced 0008 M at Comminges in France. Thereafter, on 15 April 1950, the Company Chinetti & Plisson sold 0008 M to the second owner Peter Staehelin in Basel, Switzerland. Steehelin raced 0008 M in at least 8 hillclimbs in Switzerland. 1955 it was sold to the 3rd owner, Peter Hoffmann, Switzerland. His Buddy Robert Küderli, steel magnate in Basel, continured to race 0008 M, then it was sold to the 4th owner Alois Keller, also in Switzerland, Thereafter sold by Keller to the fifth owner Herbert Ott, also in Switzerland and on the 23 October 1967 Ott sold 0008 M to 6th owner Rob de la Rive Box, the Dutch dealer and broker in Switzerland. Box sold it to 7th owner Carl Bross in USA (he owned the Orange Blossom Diamond Ring Jewelry Company in Detroit/MI). In late 1969 the Bross estate sold it to 8th owner Anthony Bamford in the UK. In 1983 it went from Bamford to Tom Price, CA/USA. In 1988 it went from Price to Bob Baker, 1996 to Kery Manolas in Australia and then in May 1996 to Bob Lee.
    Chinetti was NOT involved with 0008 M after the sale 15 April 1950 and was never in Chinetti's shop at all.
    But yes. Chinetti had 0014 M since 1957 which was decorated in the style of the 1949 Le Mans winner.
    Here's a photo of 0014 M taken in 1973 at Chinetti's in Greenwich/CT.

    Marcel Massini


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  12. Timmmmmmmmmmy

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    Great stuff, to hell with the 166MM, what about the BMW 507, gold 330/365GTS and Italian '30s exotic, maybe a 6C Alfa. Great stuff, so evocative of the era.
     
  13. Marcel Massini

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    Here's another one from that memorable day in Greenwich.
    PS: My favorite is the Dodge Charger in the rear on the left.

    Marcel Massini

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  14. Bob Zambelli

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    Those photos take me back a ways!

    In the late 60s/early 70s, I was a development engineer for Homelite in the Byram, CT area, very close to Greenwich.

    We would often go to lunch at a restaurant somewhere along Putnam Ave.

    There was a Chinetti dealership in that area and we often stopped to admire and dream. I do remember one day going into the small showroom and seeing an ALFA 8C-2900 and next to it was a Ferrari three-seat with the center mounted steering wheel – 365P as I recall.

    We also saw a strange looking car based on a rear- mounted Oldsmobile Toronada powertrain but built in Italy. Anyone know about this car?

    The place I mentioned in my original post was much larger and they sold Ferrari, SAAB and Riva powerboats. It was owned by Tom (last name escapes me). I’m not sure if it was on Putnam Ave but definitely in Greenwich. Maybe it was Ferrari of Greenwich?

    By the way, I’m pretty sure the gold GTS in the photo was a 330GTS – look at the side vents.
     
  15. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    You mean Tom Parker, who bought part from Chinetti and became Chinetti International Motors in Greenwich/CT.
    Not the same as Luigi Chinetti Motors.
    Here's a pic showing the three seater 365 P Tre Posti 8971 in 1974 in Greenwich at LCM.

    Marcel Massini

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  16. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    That is #09781, originally Nocciola 19397 M and owned at the time by Gerald Martin in NYC who traded it back to Chinetti.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  17. Lusso123

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    Yes, it was on Putnam Ave.
     
  18. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Chinetti Motors opened August 1965 at 600 West Putnam Ave in Grrenwich.
    Now the Citarella Gourmet Market.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  19. Lusso123

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    Yes
    Yes. I was answering about the building that Parker owned, which was 342 West Putnam Avenue. Now Miller Motorcars main building. I worked there for awhile back in the mid 1980s.
     

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