36 replies to this topic

[JoBo]

Has anybody more infos about a W. Ruf from Switzerland who participated in the Spa GP 1956 with a Maserati? What other cars did he drive and where?

JoBo

[Bauble]

Has anybody more infos about a W. Ruf from Switzerland who participated in the Spa GP 1956 with a Maserati? What other cars did he drive and where?

JoBo

I do not think that W Ruf drove anything in the 1956 Belgium Grand Prix at Spa, are you referring to some other event at the circuit?

[Tim Murray]

Not the Belgian GP, but the Spa GP for sports racing cars:

http://wsrp.ic.cz/nonchamp1956.html#29

[CoulthardD]

He was entered in the "Production Car Grand Prix", presumably a support race. The race was won by Ninian Sanderson in the Ecurie Ecosse D-Type. Result HERE.

DC

(Beat me to it Tim!)

Edited by CoulthardD, 22 January 2011 - 20:20.

[D-Type]

He was entered in the "Production Car Grand Prix", presumably a support race. The race was won by Ninian Sanderson in the Ecurie Ecosse D-Type. Result HERE.

DC

(Beat me to it Tim!)

Not a support race. The Spa GP was on 13th May and the Belgian GP on 3rd June. The Monaco GP was also on 13th May which explains why none of the 'big guns' were there.

[Tim Murray]

(Beat me to it Tim!)

Sorry David - I know how frustrating that can be.

[JoBo]

Not the Belgian GP, but the Spa GP for sports racing cars:

http://wsrp.ic.cz/nonchamp1956.html#29

Ok, many thanks guys. But has anybody more infos about him? Other entries anywhere?

JoBo

[David McKinney]

I wonder if it might be a misprint (though I can't think whom for...)

[Tim Murray]

There's a W. Ruf mentioned in the 1952 Maloja hillclimb thread:

Also I have the report and stats, but, alas, when I was at the archive it seems that I was too much shivering by excitement to take a sharp picture. Shame on me

If you look at the result lits I posted you just can "imagine" him (D. Capelli, Fiat 2000) in fifth place in the 2 litre class (the category top right on the sheet). Alas I am not able to decypher anything in the times column, but here is the result of that class as far as I can recognize that:

1. Sommerhalder, MG
2. Wild, BMW (the Volpini bodied car)
3. Ruf, BMW
4. von Falkenhausen (D), BMW 328
5. Capelli, Fiat
6. the ever interesting Melvin Stickney (USA), BMW
7. Zoller, BMW
8. Grandjean, Lancia

Also they have a small passage on him in the report (see bottom right of the result page and top left on the next page of the report). Here the translation:

"The quick Sommerhalder (MG Kompressor) came to winner´s honours in the 2 litre class, but strongly attacked by the very good driving Wild on BMW, who came within 1.8 seconds close to him. Wild, who as far as we know has not taken part in races so far, drives the special Italian bodied lowline BMW of Schmid. Also Ruf (BMW) was able to position himself in front of Alpes winner von Falkenhausen (BMW), Diego Capelli (Fiat) and the Frankfurt-based American Stickney. For Capelli, who drove the Fiat 8V Zagato Roadster, that has been already shown in the "AR", we would have expected a better time, because in the corners he was driving really safely and quick."

So they say, that at some time the "Automobil Revue" did present the car publicly in a previous issue, but unfortunately they don´t tell in which.


Falling over Stickney´s name causes me to ask some other questions. What is known about him? My information in him is very poor, I think he was an US soldier and he appeared again at the Eifelrennen 1953, driving a Veritas (RS?) of unknown identity.

How common a name is Ruf?

[ERault]

There's a W. Ruf mentioned in the 1952 Maloja hillclimb thread:

How common a name is Ruf?

Well, there is of course famous Porsche tuner Alois Ruf (but he was a german). Back to "our" W. Ruf from Switzerland, I can add he raced a Ferrari 166 MM (0068 M) before the Maserati. I too would love to know more about that Maserati (presumably a 150 S or 200 SI ?)

[GIGLEUX]

Well, there is of course famous Porsche tuner Alois Ruf (but he was a german). Back to "our" W. Ruf from Switzerland, I can add he raced a Ferrari 166 MM (0068 M) before the Maserati. I too would love to know more about that Maserati (presumably a 150 S or 200 SI ?)

Werner Ruf, from Oftringen.

[CoulthardD]

That opens things up a bit. There is a Werner Ruf HERE, but apears to be German?

DC

[GIGLEUX]

That opens things up a bit. There is a Werner Ruf HERE, but apears to be German?

DC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oftringen

[Vitesse2]

Ruf was fifth in the over 1500cc sports car race supporting the 1954 Swiss GP, in a Ferrari 166MM (c/n 0068M according to Cimarosti). As Jean-Maurice says, he was described as from Oftringen: I have no definite evidence that it's the same chap, but there are two references in the Journal de Genève to a Werner Ruf who was an official of the Banque Populaire Suisse - he was appointed sous-directeur of the Berne branch in 1962 and a directeur-adjoint in 1968.

edit: or maybe he's not the banker. There is a Werner Ruf still living in Oftringen - he appears to be a retired garage owner, the garage now operating as Ofcar AG.

Edited by Vitesse2, 23 January 2011 - 14:30.

[rudi]

According to the recently published second edition of the book "Maserati 300S", Werner Ruf could have driven a Maserati 300S (#3056, the Robert Jenny car) or a 200S at the 1956 Spa Sports Car GP.

In fact Ruf drove there a Maserati A6GCS. This car was later driven by Maurice Caillet at the Chimay GP des Frontières and crashed in a terrible accident with Chris Threlfall's Tojeiro.

[JoBo]

According to the recently published second edition of the book "Maserati 300S", Werner Ruf could have driven a Maserati 300S (#3056, the Robert Jenny car) or a 200S at the 1956 Spa Sports Car GP.

In fact Ruf drove there a Maserati A6GCS. This car was later driven by Maurice Caillet at the Chimay GP des Frontières and crashed in a terrible accident with Chris Threlfall's Tojeiro.

 

Do you have a photo of Ruf with his car in the Spa event in 1956?

 

JoBo

[Rupertlt1]

Ref BMW who is this?

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 August 2019 - 17:00.

[Rupertlt1]

Ref #86 Ferrari who is this?

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 August 2019 - 17:54.

[JoBo]

Ref #86 Ferrari who is this?

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

 

 

Please open a seperate thread. This is about W. Ruf.

 

JoBo

[Rupertlt1]

Please open a seperate thread. This is about W. Ruf.

 

JoBo

 

JoBo,

Is #86 not Ruf?

Is not Ruf among the BMWs at Maloja?

Choose from #74, #104, #106, #109.

Sometimes you have to take an indirect route, by eliminating cars from the enquiry.

I'm trying to help.

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 August 2019 - 18:58.

[uechtel]

Ref BMW who is this?

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

 

#109 is indeed Werner Ruf, who came 3rd in the 2l sports car class, see also here

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

Seems his car had a little bit of contact in the meantime.

 

 

#106 I am not absolutely sure, but I think it would be Melvin Stickney, interestingly with a French license plate

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

#104 an easy one, German ex-BMW employee and creator of the AFM F2 cars, Alexander von Falkenhausen. Again here

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

#74 we jump in the production sports car class (so without any modifications to the cars), Walter Schafroth

 

And for BMW drivers, you missed #107 Otto Wild with the Volpini/Colli-bodied car

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

and #73 "Kobold" in the 328 Graber body Cabriolet

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

Also in the race, but without a picture, Willi Zoller with yet another BMW of unknown model

 

[Rupertlt1]

euchtel,

Many thanks for your learned intervention!

(we now have the registration number AG 9112, compatible with Oftringen.)

Any takers on the #86 Ferrari?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 August 2019 - 20:14.

[uechtel]

Ref #86 Ferrari who is this?

 

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

I think it is Hans von Tscharner in his 2.6 l Ferrari, winner of the production sports car class up to 3.0l. (Number #86 fits into the production sports car category, where he was the only Ferrari driver, in the competition sports car class there were also Piero Scotti and O. Wild with 4.1l models and Luigi Piotti with a 2.7l car.

 

(there were two drivers "O. Wild" in the event, the Ferrari driver from Muri and the BMW driver living at Arth.

[Rupertlt1]

euchtel,

Once again many thanks. Results:

 

Plus de 1600 ccm . : [another source says over 1500 ccm] 

1. Daetwyler W . P ., Zürich, Alfa Romeo , 10 t . 32 min . 37 , 9 sec . moyenne : 133 . 858 ; [#94, reg ZH 16419]

2. Musy Benoit, Fribourg, Maserati , 10 t . 32 min . 54 min . 2 sec . ; moyenne : 132 , 752 ; [#82, zweiliter]

3. Badaracco Ivo, Lugano, Jaguar , 10 t . 34 min . 17 sec . 5 ; moyenne : 127 , 378 ;

4. Jonneret Jacques, Geneve, Jaguar , 10 t . 34 min , 52 sec . 4 ; moyenne : 125 , 253 ;

5. Ruf Werner, Oftringen, Ferrari, 10 t . 34 min . 53 sec . 3 ; moyenne : 125 , 199 ;

6. Sommerhaider Erwin, Spiez, MG, 9 t. 33 min . 28 sec . 9 ; [M.G. TC s/c]

7. Cailet Maurice, Aubonne , BMW, 9 t . 35 min . 16 sec . 3 ;

Ducrey Willy, Geneve , Alfa Romeo, 8 t ;

Walter Heinrich, Aesch , BMW, 6 t . [Heini Walter?]

Tour le plus rapide : Daetwyler W . P ., Zürich , Alfa R ., 9 t . 3 min . 10 sec . 4 ; moyenne : 137,647.

La Liberté, 23 August 1954

 

#86 is running in company with the light-coloured #90 Jaguar C-Type - believed to be the car of Jacques Jonneret - registration GE 11413 - does this change anything?

(note these two cars finished less than a second apart)

A darker-coloured Jaguar C-Type ran #92.

 

I can't find a Ferrari winning any class? Are you looking at 1954? Looks like you are in 1952?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 August 2019 - 22:26.

[JoBo]

JoBo,

Is #86 not Ruf?

Is not Ruf among the BMWs at Maloja?

Choose from #74, #104, #106, #109.

Sometimes you have to take an indirect route, by eliminating cars from the enquiry.

I'm trying to help.

RGDS RLT

 

You are right, of course!

 

JoBo

[rudi]

Do you have a photo of Ruf with his car in the Spa event in 1956?

 

JoBo

 

Yes I have some. There is a photo with the car in the book "Freddy Rousselle" page 78 (van Bever).

[JoBo]

Yes I have some. There is a photo with the car in the book "Freddy Rousselle" page 78 (van Bever).

 

Can you post it here?

 

JoBo

[uechtel]

 

euchtel,

Once again many thanks. Results:

 

Plus de 1600 ccm . : [another source says over 1500 ccm] 

1. Daetwyler W . P ., Zürich, Alfa Romeo , 10 t . 32 min . 37 , 9 sec . moyenne : 133 . 858 ; [#94, reg ZH 16419]

2. Musy Benoit, Fribourg, Maserati , 10 t . 32 min . 54 min . 2 sec . ; moyenne : 132 , 752 ; [#82, zweiliter]

3. Badaracco Ivo, Lugano, Jaguar , 10 t . 34 min . 17 sec . 5 ; moyenne : 127 , 378 ;

4. Jonneret Jacques, Geneve, Jaguar , 10 t . 34 min , 52 sec . 4 ; moyenne : 125 , 253 ;

5. Ruf Werner, Oftringen, Ferrari, 10 t . 34 min . 53 sec . 3 ; moyenne : 125 , 199 ;

6. Sommerhaider Erwin, Spiez, MG, 9 t. 33 min . 28 sec . 9 ; [M.G. TC s/c]

7. Cailet Maurice, Aubonne , BMW, 9 t . 35 min . 16 sec . 3 ;

Ducrey Willy, Geneve , Alfa Romeo, 8 t ;

Walter Heinrich, Aesch , BMW, 6 t . [Heini Walter?]

Tour le plus rapide : Daetwyler W . P ., Zürich , Alfa R ., 9 t . 3 min . 10 sec . 4 ; moyenne : 137,647.

La Liberté, 23 August 1954

 

#86 is running in company with the light-coloured #90 Jaguar C-Type - believed to be the car of Jacques Jonneret - registration GE 11413 - does this change anything?

(note these two cars finished less than a second apart)

A darker-coloured Jaguar C-Type ran #92.

 

I can't find a Ferrari winning any class? Are you looking at 1954? Looks like you are in 1952?

 

RGDS RLT

 

 

I think you forgot to mention, that these are the result of the Bremgarten event in 1954 (otherwise with the Maloja discussion this could get into a wrong context).

 

And yes, indeed, Heinrich = "Heini" Walter. His car was not a mere "BMW", but rather a BMW-powered AFM which had been converted into a two-seater

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

[Rupertlt1]

Uechtel, The dates are clearly stated on the photographs at Revs. RGDS RLT

[Michael Ferner]

6. Sommerhaider Erwin, Spiez, MG, 9 t. 33 min . 28 sec . 9 ; [M.G. TC s/c]

That's Erwin Sommerhalder, known for racing a Formula One Maserati in the Swiss Championship later on.


[ducks back into his racing car pool to avoid mingling with the touring and sports car dabblers]

[rudi]

Can you post it here?

 

JoBo

Sorry no, the Van Bever photos are copyrighted.

[Henk Vasmel]

In Cimarosti's Grand Prix Suisse (mentioned before), Ruf is given as driving nr. 86. All numbers in that race are available, so, yes, it is positive that this is Werner Ruf from Oftringen

Edited by Henk Vasmel, 20 August 2019 - 18:20.

[Cavalier53]

Should this be of any interest to anybody:

 

Delseaux lists the results for the 13 may 56 Production car Grand Prix, 3rd race, class 1601-200 cc, as:

- 1st: Frere, Ferrari 173.458 kmh

- 2nd: Ruf, Maserati 107,782 mph(?: this is certainly a layout error representing Frere's speed in mph)

 

Von Frankenberg [Porsche] won class 1600 at 167.784 kmh, Sanderson [D-type] won over 2 litre at 178.561 kmh

 

Imagine such average velocities (incl. La Source and other corners) on what were then public roads - wow! Even a Dyna Panhard [picture showing the streamlined later 17  version, likely just 750 cc] managed 123.061 kmh in the first race.

[JoBo]

Sorry no, the Van Bever photos are copyrighted.

 

Then post the entire page in the book, please. Also you mentioned that you have "some". I assume these are not copyrighted?

Edited by JoBo, 20 August 2019 - 23:57.

[rudi]

Should this be of any interest to anybody:

 

Delseaux lists the results for the 13 may 56 Production car Grand Prix, 3rd race, class 1601-200 cc, as:

- 1st: Frere, Ferrari 173.458 kmh

- 2nd: Ruf, Maserati 107,782 mph(?: this is certainly a layout error representing Frere's speed in mph)

 

Von Frankenberg [Porsche] won class 1600 at 167.784 kmh, Sanderson [D-type] won over 2 litre at 178.561 kmh

 

Imagine such average velocities (incl. La Source and other corners) on what were then public roads - wow! Even a Dyna Panhard [picture showing the streamlined later 17  version, likely just 750 cc] managed 123.061 kmh in the first race.

Also strange: Ruf was as normal in the 1,6 to 2l class. Guyot also in a Maserati A6GCS was according to the same Delsaux 8th in the more than 2l class !

Interesting were the entries of a Pegaso driven by Antonio Creus and a spanish Jaguar D driven by Joaquin Palacio.

[rudi]

Then post the entire page in the book, please. Also you mentioned that you have "some". I assume these are not copyrighted?

[JoBo]

 

Many thanks.