Ferrari monoposto thread

At least one of them had been Alberto Ascari's factory entered car ar Indianapolis in 1952. Numbered as No. 1, I believe. After that abortive attempt, the car returned to the factory, was shortened, (by most accounts 100mm), and raced by Ascari in two Formula Libre races in Europe in 1953. Then, it was sold to Carlos Patron in Uruguay. In turn, he sold it to Oscar-Maria Gonzales, who raced it for several years, now Corvette/Chevrolet engined. Eventually it was sold to Colin Crabbe and after restoration, he sold it to Van der Lof, whose family still have it. This is/was 0566.

 

Very interesting. I knew the post Crabbe history but nothing of the pre Crabbe....

 

So assuming that was #375-1, that assumes either #0388 was built from scratch in '53/54 or was it built from one of the other unaccounted for 375s......

Leaving us with something like

#375-1 - Works>#375 Indy #2 carries #1 stamp> If so Bothwell>Bross>Merritt>Beutler>Monteverde>Louwman, NL (Indy #2 is stamped #1 underneath)
#375-2 - Works>chassis stamped #375-2 to Rosier>Roycroft, NZ>Nunn>de Joux>Bain>Perfetti, Italy (same #2 throughout or new #2 in late '51?)
#375-3 - Works>#375 Indy #4>Keck>Barrett>Wang, USA (Indy #4 is stamped #3 underneath)
#375-4 - Works>375 Indy #3>Mauro>IMS, USA (process of elimination only, could be any of the 375 F1s)
#375-5 - Works>chassis stamped #375-5 to Landi, RA>Barberis>Crabbe>von Donnhoff>Obrist>BCE>Red Bull, AU (same #5 throughout or?)
#375-6 - Works>?
#375-7 - Works>?
#375-8 - Works>?
#375-9 - Not built?
#375-010 - Thinwall #4>dismantled>supposedly the car is in a French museum today

Still have to allocate 375 chassis #s to

1 - #375-0388>Built '53/54, many believe as #375 Indy #1> Chinetti>Holterbosch>Mak>Knobloch, AU (if not 375 Indy #1)
2 - #375 Indy #1> Built '52, aborted entry for Indy '53> Unknown (If not #0388)
3 - #340-0566> Traditional history says this used frame #125-C-04>same Crabbe history as above
4 - another #375-5, could be the 500/625 based car built in '57 for Gonzalez

The only thing we can be sure of is Ferrari was a tiny company always short of cash so anything usable would have been sold so unless we can find a massive writen off style crash, #375-6, #375-7 and #375-8 will have some further history, whatever that might be

 

The 375 at the Louwman Collection.
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a while ago Marcel posted a pic from 375 INDY Louwman
the car has GP/50/1 on it

 

This is the light blue car, right? If so, I believe it now belongs to a member of the DuPont family.

 

Noted Ferrari collector Lammot Dupont.

 

Two cars with number 2, the 1950 car which won the 1951 British and German GP. It was last seen at the 1951 Italian GP with Landi. At this race the other No2 debuted, driven by Villoresi. Then sold to Rosier in 1952.

There is also another 375, the car that debuted at the 1952 Valentino GP, driven by Villoresi. This was a short wheel base car compared to the Indy spec cars driven by Ascari and Farina. I think this car may have become 0388. Could be wrong.

 

Ferrari was not a tiny company. Even in 1945, it employed circa 160 people...

 

I thought I would post the racing record of the Ferrari factory 375 Grand Prix cars in 1950 and 1951. By identifying the differences in bodywork details in the period photos it is possible to follow the career of each car. The only races where there is a little bit of doubt is the Pescara and Bari GPs where I couldn't find many decent photos.
Six cars were used.
Chassis 1 first appeared at the Grand Prix des Nations, 30 July 1950, driven by Villoresi. He had a serious crash, however the car was repaired in time for the Italian GP a month later.
Chassis 2 debuted at the 1950 Swiss GP, 4 June 1950, driven by Villoresi. It used the 125 twin-supercharged engine. Body panels remained with this car throughout.
Chassis 3 debuted at the 1950 Penya Rhin GP, driven by Ascari.
Chassis 4 debuted at the 1951 Belgian GP, driven by Villoresi.
Chassis 5 and 6(51-2) both debuted at the 1951 Italian GP, driven by Ascari and Villoresi.

375-1
Grand Prix des Nations, 30 Jul 1950
#42 Villoresi Ret.
Italian GP, 3 Sep 1950
#48 Serafini(shared with Ascari) 2nd
Penya Rhin GP, 29 Oct 1950
#4 Taruffi 3rd
San Remo GP, 22 Apr 1951
#18 Ascari 1st (24 plug engine installed)
Swiss GP, 27 May 1951
#20 Ascari 6th
Belgian GP, 17 Jun 1951
#12 Taruffi Ret
French GP, 1 Jul 1951
#10 Villoresi 3rd
German GP, 29 Jul 1951
#73 Taruffi 5th
Pescara GP, 15 Aug 1951
#10 Gonzalez 1st
Bari GP, 2 Sep 1951
#10 Gonzalez 2nd
Italian GP, 16 Sep 1951
#8 Taruffi 5th

375-2
Swiss GP, 4 Jun 1950
#22 Villoresi Ret
Grand Prix des Nations, 30 Jul 1950
#40 Ascari Ret
Italian GP, 3 Sep 1950
#16 Ascari Ret
Penya Rhin GP, 29 Oct 1950
#6 Serafini 2nd
Syracuse GP, 11 Mar 1951
# 24 Villoresi 1st
Pau GP, 26 Mar 1951
#10 Villoresi 1st
San Remo GP, 22 Apr 1951
#26 Villoresi Ret
Swiss GP, 27 May 1951
#18 Villoresi Ret
British GP, 14 Jul 1951
#12 Gonzalez 1st
German GP, 29 Jul 1951
#71 Ascari 1st
Pescara GP, 15 Aug 1951
#6 Ascari Ret
Bari GP, 2 Sep 1951
#6 Ascari Ret
Italian GP, 16 Sep 1951
#12 Landi Ret

375-3
Penya Rhin GP, 29 Oct 1950
#2 Ascari 1st
Syracuse GP, 11 Mar 1951
#20 Ascari Ret
Pau GP, 26 Mar 1951
#12 Ascari Ret
San Remo GP, 22 Apr 1951
#30 Serafini 2nd
Swiss GP, 27 May 1951
#44 Taruffi 2nd (24-plug engine installed)
Belgian GP, 17 Jun 1951
#8 Ascari 2nd
French GP, 1 Jul 1951
#12 Ascari Ret
British GP, 14 Jul 1951
#11 Ascari Ret
German GP, 29 Jul 1951
#74 Gonzalez 3rd
Spanish GP, 28 Oct 1951
#6 Gonzalez 2nd

375-4
Belgian GP, 17 Jun 1951
#10 Villoresi 3rd
French GP, 1 Jul 1951
#14 Gonzalez(shared with Ascari) 2nd
British GP, 14 Jul 1951
#10 Villoresi 3rd
German GP, 29 Jul 1951
#72 Villoresi 4th
Pescara GP, 15 Aug 1951
#22 Villoresi Ret
Bari GP, 2 Sep 1951
#8 Villoresi Ret
Italian GP, 16 Sep 1951
#6 Gonzalez 2nd
Spanish GP, 28 Oct 1951
#8 Taruffi Ret

375-5
Italian GP, 16 Sep 1951
#2 Ascari 1st
Spanish GP, 28 Oct 1951
#2 Ascari 4th

375-6(51-2)
Italian GP, 16 Sep 1951
#4 Villoresi 4th
Spanish GP, 28 Oct 1951
#4 Villoresi Ret

 

AJ: Your information is amazing. There will be plenty of "experts" to comment on your work, telling you if you are "right" or "wrong". Regardless, the shear effort it takes to begin to understand and research these very confusing cars makes your work commendable. You have my congratulations.

 

Thank you

 

Writer, aka John Starkey is the author.
Cheers, Allan.

 

Here is what I have for the ten Tipo 375 cars built. In this case, I prefer "build numbers" to chassis numbers...


1950:


Build No 1:

125-C-03.

Built before June, 1950.

1950-07-30: GP des Nations, Geneva: Villoresi in a 340-engined car, with de Dion rear suspension. His Lap times in qualifying are the same as Ascari's, which definitely had a 340 size engine. DNF. Accident. Luigi Villoresi was out of the team for the rest of 1950.

Repaired and re-numbered as GP/50-1

1950-09-03: Italian GP, Monza: Serafini/Ascari; 2nd.

1950-10-29: Spanish GP. P. Taruffi, #4; 3rd.

1951:

GP/50-1 is usually driven by Ascari. From July 1951, it has a 24 plug engine and bigger brakes than previously.

1952: Indycar?


Build No 2:

125-C-04.

Built before July, 1950.

1950:

1950-06-04: Swiss GP: Villoresi, #22; DNF. 4-cam engine.

1950-07-30: GP des Nations, Geneva: Ascari , #40 in what is called a "new car" GP50 type, De Dion rear axle, 2320mm wheelbase, 4-speed gearbox. 340 size engine. DNF. Engine.

Renumbered as Tipo 375, No.GP/50-2.

1950-09-03: Italian GP: A. Ascari; DNF. (Engine).

1950-10-29: Spanish GP. D. Serafini: #6; 2nd.


1951: Further races in Europe, wins British and German GPs, sometimes used as the team's muletto, (practice car).

1952:?


Build No 3:

GP/50-3

Built before October, 1950.

1950:

1950-10-29: G.P. de Penya Rhin, Pedralbes F1, GP50/3, Ferrari 375F1, A. Ascari, SF#2; 1st. (AM). Tanner: 4.5 litres U/S.

01/07/1951:French GP: Now appears with 24 plug engine and bigger brakes, Ascari, #12; DNF.

Usually Ascari's car.

1951:

All three 1950 cars run in the first part of the season, gradually being re-engined with 24-plug engines and bigger brakes, except for GP/50-2, which keeps its 12-plug engine for the season.

1952: Modified and re-numbered as Indycar No.4.


Build No 4:

GP/51-4 Villoresi's car for most of the 1951 season.

Built before June 17, 1951.

1951 European race season.

1952 ?



Build No 5:

GP/51-5.

1951: Re-numbered to be GP/52-001.

Built before September 16, 1951. Camelli bodywork.

16/09: Italian GP: A. Ascari, #2; 1stOA. Tanner: 24-plug, re-designed high tail and headrest.

1951-10-28: Spanish GP: Pedralbes: A. Ascari, SF#2: 4th. Tanner: Held up with tyre trouble.

1952:

As GP/52-001, it is sold to Chico Landi, Brazil.


Build No 6: GP51-6.

Re-numbered as GP/52-002:

1951:

1951-09-16: Italian GP, Monza: L. Villoresi, #SF4: 4th. (ORC/AM). Tanner: 24 plug body, redesigned high tail and headrest.

1951-10-28: Penya Rhin GP: Pedralbes, Spain: L. Villoresi, #SF4: DNF. (ORC/AM): Ignition. Tanner: Engine. 375-6.

1952: Sold to Louis Rosier. France.

At the end of 1951,GP/50-1, GP51-3 are modified and re-numbered as Indycars. for U.S. private owners. They stay in America. We know that GP/51-3 became Howard Keck's Indycar No.4. We know that one car is in the Indianapolis Museum, claiming to be Ascari's "No. 1" Indycar but it isn't. It is Indycar No. 3, the Kennedy Tank Special of Johnny Mauro.


Build No: 7:

Built before April 6th, 1952.

There was a new SWB car, chassis number unknown at present. I call it GP/52-003, built for Villoresi to race in 1952, with a "Tuboscocca" (Tube frame) chassis. Possibly used the mechanicals from GP51/375-4. (24-plug engine, big brakes). This car was raced in Turin, (1st), by Villoresi on April 6th, 1952. Then to Britain for Silverstone (2nd), and Boreham.(1st) in July/August 1953, still being driven by Villoresi.

1953: Re-chassised with LWB type chassis, (Build No.8), and sold to Chinetti in January 1954 as 0388 (Bill of sale number 0372), for abortive use at Indianapolis. What happened to the old SWB chassis?
Build No: 8 was Build No: 7, (See above). Re-chassised by the factory with the longer "Tuboscocca" GILCo chassis for Indianapolis in 1953.


Build No: 9:

Indycar No 1: Ascari's works entered car at Indianapolis in 1952, A new build, (Round Tubes used, particularly around the cockpit structure). It came back to the factory in 1952, was shortened by 100mm, and raced in Argentina and Albi in 1953 by Alberto Ascari and then was sold from the factory in 1955 as 5 0566 52 to Carlos Patron, and then Oscar-Maria Gonzalez in Uruguay, and re-engined with a Corvette Engine. This came back to Europe, engineless, via Colin Crabbe, as chassis number 5 0566 52. Sold to Dries Van der Lof.


Build number 10:

010-375: New Indycar type car sold in 1952 to Vandervell as the 4th Thinwall Special. (According to the GILCo Archives, there were three new Indycar type chassis built by them. One for Ascari, - Indycar No.1, another meant for Farina, Perhaps Indycar No.2, that was sold to Jerry Grant? and 010-375).