Mondial - no, not mine - a 500! | FerrariChat

Mondial - no, not mine - a 500!

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by snj5, Dec 8, 2003.

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  1. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    Was the guest of FChat 365GT 2+2 owner Bryan Phillips and his Dad who gave a brilliant tour of his 500 Mondial. They are terrific folks and I'm appreciative of their hospitality. Brian's 365 is drop dead gorgeous as well.
    It was great to have a 4, 6 and 12 cylinder Ferrari in one place: 2 Mondials and two 2+2s
    Here are a couple of photos.
    Thanks to the Phillips for a wonderful afternoon!
     
  2. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    another
     
  3. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    yet another
     
  4. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    another again
     
  5. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    Last one

    I'd again like to thank the Phillips for their great hospitality and spellbinding stories of the Mondial's history. Class folks.

    best to all
    rt
     
  6. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary Owner

    Oct 23, 2002
    32,118
    Full Name:
    Jim Glickenhaus
    SUPER!!!
     
  7. Bryanp

    Bryanp F1 Rookie

    Aug 13, 2002
    3,799
    Santa Fe, NM
    Thanks, Russ! We had a good time as well; but you shortchanged yourself 2 cylinders in your first post above!

    It's definitely a kick to work on the 500 and then my 365 which we call "the new car."
     
  8. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    Dang - never could do math in public.
    Thanks again!
    rt
     
  9. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,430
    B.C., Canada
    Awesome!
     
  10. michael platzer

    michael platzer F1 Veteran

    Nov 12, 2003
    5,220
    Austria
    Full Name:
    Michael Platzer
    nice pics - but please tell me more.

    i was told, that the 500 mondial (0556MD) was rebodied and renumbered from a 735s (0446M).
    now the pics show the chassis-number (0446MD).

    are this two different cars ?
     
  11. Bryanp

    Bryanp F1 Rookie

    Aug 13, 2002
    3,799
    Santa Fe, NM
    here's the story:
    Francois Picard, a French privateer and regular Ferrari customer, owned 0446MD, a 735S. He and Paul Maret raced it from approximately fall 1954 through the spring of 1955. At that point, he wanted to trade it in on one of Ferrari's new Series II 500 Mondials.

    In the first week of May 1955, the fifth of the ten Series II cars was completed and, instead of being given its sequential s/n of 0556, Ferrari stamped the s/n plate as well as the front frame crossmember and crankcase with "0446MD." This way Mr. Picard would not have appeared to purchase a 'new' car and pay the extremely high French tax that would have been imposed on such a purchase. Picard's former 735S 0446 was then stamped 0556MD and was re-sold by Ferrari to another privateer, the Swiss DeGraffenried. The car pictured above never carried any s/n other than 0446MD.

    In an interesting twist, the 735S now numbered 0556MD and the S. II 500 Mondial numbered 0446MD eventually ran in the same race; the Grand Prix of Venezuela in Caracas on November 6, 1955. The 735S, driven by DeGraffenried, came in 3th OA while the S. II 500 Mondial, driven by Schell and Castellotti as a factory entry, came in 5th OA and first in the 2 liter and under class.

    We have heard the 'rebody' theory that you were told and know the author. In that theory, the car pictured above was born as a 735S with the tipo 501 chassis but then rebodied, engine replaced with the tipo 111 2 liter, and the front suspension changed from the 501's transverse leaf spring to 2 coil springs. This theory does not pan out for so many reasons I would use up significant band width completely debunking it. The theory you heard does not begin to explain all of the myriad differences between the chassis, gas tank, instrument cluster, etc. on the car pictured in this thread and the 735S now numbered 0556MD. The chassis on 0446MD is CLEARLY a tipo 510 (the chassis for S. II Mondials), and not a 501, because of its curved chassis rails (as opposed to the 501's straight, welded members) and the lack of interstitial structural members intruding into the cockpit. The assembly data sheets of the two cars also clearly track the distinct physical differences between them.

    This factory re-stamping for certain customer's tax purposes was not uncommon; the same thing happened with 0424MD and 0564MD.

    Because of serial numbering confusion occurring on many older Ferrari racers, several prominent Ferrari historians adhere to the following numbering protocol - first, the proper sequential manufacture number followed in parentheses by the number now carried. The car in this thread is referred to as 0556(0446)MD.
    thanks for you interest.
     

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