The Froilan Gonzalez Ferrari in the Barn (Still) | FerrariChat

The Froilan Gonzalez Ferrari in the Barn (Still)

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by huayra, Aug 13, 2018.

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  1. huayra

    huayra Rookie

    Nov 13, 2014
    31
    Bad Bodendorf, Germany
    Full Name:
    Jose Manuel Balbiani
    Uff. This will be long so i will go in sort of chapters.

    Even if everybody knows this in the forum, is not bad to refresh that Jose Froilan Gonzalez (ARG) was the first driver ever to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix with Ferrari in Silverstone on the 14th of July 1951. Repeating at the same venue in 1954 and winning the Le Mans 24 the same year, driving himself 17h as Trintignant was sick.

    Few month ago i was doing some footage while coaching drivers in Nürburgring, when one of the Argentinean driver said to me "Jose, are you aware that Carlos is selling part of his collection that includes a couple of Brabhams, a Bugatti Offenhauser Midget and a Ferrari Corvette (ex Froilan)?" and then he add "you cannot sell the Ferrari as the car from froilan because the papers are not in the car".

    As a barn digger, i was more excited about the archaeological task than the car itself. And so i began to find out, making calls, sending my mother (she is in Buenos Aires and im in Germany) to the national library, contacting old mechanics, journalists and drivers of this car.

    Its fair to say that the relation between Argentina and Ferrari started in 1949, when Gral Peron bought a couple of cars, most of them easy to recognize due to its blue color with yellow bonnet. But by the end of the 50s, there were up to 5 Ferraris (1 in Argentina and 4 in Uruguay) racing together in a serie called "Fuerza Libre". Its also fair to say that Argentina and Uruguay were really rich countries in that time.

    According to Froilan´s book, he shipped from Genova a Ferrari Chassis to race in Fuerza Libre. This car was, Froilan´s words, originally a 4L F1 that was shortened 20cm and became a 500 in 52/52 and a 625 in 54/55. Regarding the engine, is not clear that was fitted in Maranello or in Argentina. Most of the Ferraris in South America were racing with Corvette engine, but Froilan´s had a Chevy V8 engine with Wayne´s heads. The first pictures of the car appear in a magazine in 1957 and in races in 1958, which is easy to see that the car has a really noticeable Ferrari shape. In the magazine, the article says that the car is the chassis number 0482, but this is yet to be certified as there's a 0482 registered too and im not here to argue about this. Here Here some pics of 57/58.



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  2. huayra

    huayra Rookie

    Nov 13, 2014
    31
    Bad Bodendorf, Germany
    Full Name:
    Jose Manuel Balbiani
    For 59/60 the body is replaced and the exhausts, instead of going low on the side, they were laid over the rear axle. You guys can see in this picture 3 Ferraris in the same shot. Froilan Gonzalez, Carlos Danvila (UY) and "Bocha" Gonzalez (UY) in the back with a 375.

    Gonzalez won the championship in Fuerza Libre and in 1960, retired.

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  3. huayra

    huayra Rookie

    Nov 13, 2014
    31
    Bad Bodendorf, Germany
    Full Name:
    Jose Manuel Balbiani
  4. huayra

    huayra Rookie

    Nov 13, 2014
    31
    Bad Bodendorf, Germany
    Full Name:
    Jose Manuel Balbiani
  5. huayra

    huayra Rookie

    Nov 13, 2014
    31
    Bad Bodendorf, Germany
    Full Name:
    Jose Manuel Balbiani

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