More GTO chat

These poor and crappy pix are from 2022. Just read the stickers on the windscreen.......
@Andrew: please put in a little more effort.

Marcel Massini

 

From Ilias Abawi in Maranello.

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Same car a little earlier.

Marcel Massini

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I was chatting with a local guy here in Utah who was showing me pictures of a collection outside of Rome. It looked like a dark grey GTO was in the facility, which was mostly Porsche, a few MB, and what resembled a Maserati Tipo 151. I'm assuming the Italians are replicas... but curious if anybody is aware of this group of cars?

 

The only real Tipo 151 remaining is in Connecticut.

 

Great Photo - Goodwood April 1962 ???

 

23 April 1962, Goodwood.

Marcel Massini

 

I kinda like it without the covers...

 

What's wrong here ?

https://abmemorabilia.com/product/david-piper-exclusive-signing-1963-targa-florio-ferrari-250-gto/

 

Ha ha ha...! the question is also currently being asked on Autodiva.

 

What's next ?

 

No conclusion for now...
It seems that D. Piper was only entered once at the Targa Florio, in 1964, but without starting.
In the photo, the car is clearly a LHD, while #3767GT is well known to be a RHD.
This photo is usually known to be that of #3909GT at the Targa 65, with C. Bourillot and M. de Bourbon Parme.

 

The question is, how can AB Memorabilia make such a big mistake ?

 

Do they care at all?

Marcel Massini

 

Why would Piper sign this limited edition photo if it is not him, old age???

 

MONEY
I would sign it too, 10$ each
you only have to ask

 

He's 93 years old.

Marcel Massini

 

Indeed and well respected and also probably does not need the money.
But if customers are willing to pay for this signed photo, I am quite willing to grant AB Exclusive Signing exclusive rights on a pic of me at le Mans in 1946

 

When I last spoke to David, on the phone two years ago for general GTO 64 info my article on 5575GT, he was quite tired and his wife was monitoring the conversation very closely. She corrected him a couple of times.

It should be understood there are two sides to him, the enthusiast such as when he hosted me at his house in 1982 when I was 17, showing me all his cars, including my first 512S sighting, and an ultra rare video with unused portions of the film Le Mans which I never saw anywhere else, that was exceptionally nice.

He is a wonderful dinner companion to listen to, I had that chance in recent years several times.

The other side of him is a pure businessman for whom a deal is all important.

The late and much missed Adrian Hamilton once told me of how he had crashed a Miura decades ago and ended up unhurt but out of the car "in a field with my mouth fill of grass, the car split in half. I sold it to David who cobbled it back together and sold it."

 

The whole Porsche 917K broken gearbox fiasco speaks to that

 

…

 

Mark Hales agreed with David Piper not to over rev the 917's engine beyond 7000 rpm. Through driver error Mark Hales missed a gear which caused the engine to over rev to 8200 rpm resulting in nearly £40,000 of damage to the engine.

 

Yes although the chap who did the damage was a jerk about it and annoyed Piper a lot, which is what led to the lawsuit.

 

David raced the Targa Florio in 1968 (number 138) with Paul Vestey (now Lord Vestey) in 250 LM #6167 where they crashed and did not finish. Lots of pics on the net of the remains of the the 250 LM.