18 replies to this topic

[teegeefla]

After looking through the usual sources (barchetta.cc, racingsportscars.com) I have had no luck finding out some details of the Ferrari Mondial 500 chassis #0454.  The car wad driven successfully in 1954-55 by Bob Said, and in 1956 the car was driven by Tony Palmer-Morewood in SCCA races all around the USA.  Masten Gregory drove it in Venezuela in November 1956 and then the car apparently disappeared until the mid sixties.  Does anyone have info/photos of the car from 1957 to 1962 or so?  I believe at some point it was converted to use a Chevy engine, and was driven in events in Florida and other tracks in the Southern US.  It was also called the Birmingham Special at some stage of the late fifties/early sixties.  Any help is appreciated.

[68targa]

William Oosthoek mentions this chassis in his Sports Car Racing in the South - Texas to Florida 1957-58 (Dalton Watson). 

 

1958 -  Austin Young - Ferrari Mondial/Chevy. 

11-12 Jan 1958 Orange Bowl Sports car races, Opa Locka, Florida - Race 6 classified 11th race #73

8-9 March 1958 Boca Raton, Florida - Race 3 - DNF

He is also shown as racing at Dunnellon, Floriuda 26-27 April but no result shown.

He mentions that Austin Young sold this chassis to Richard Finkel sometime in 1958

[Tim Murray]

The car was mentioned in a couple of earlier threads:

Ferrari Chevrolet

Buck Fulp

This post includes most of the info provided:

Anson Johnson was from Jamaica, New York. His Ferrari/Chevy started life as a 500TRC, chassis 0686. Externally the Chevy engine looked like a perfect fit, with only a small hoodbulge needed to cover the V8.

The Bob Ward Ferrari/Chevy was the former Masten Gregory Ferrari Mondial, chassis 0454. During its life [before Ward] it was also owned by Austin Young of West Palm Beach and Tommy Charles of Birmingham, AL.
all research Willem Oosthoek.

[68targa]

Oosthoek has a rather blurred photo of Finkel in  the car in March 1959 painted yellow.   In 1960 he lists it owned/raced by Bob Simons at Oklahoma City.

[Doug Nye]

Try searching the magnificent Revs Digital Library perhaps?

 

 

RDL Copyright image

 

DCN

[teegeefla]

Doug-

 

The Revs Library is an incredible resource and I did see this photo from Sebring but it precedes the time frame I am researching. Great photo to be sure...

 

HistoricMustang's post from the Ferrari Chevrolet thread supposedly had a photo of the car when owned by Bob Ward in the augustainternationalraceway.com site but that site (and photo) no longer exist.  Does anyone know a way to resurrect that photo?  HistoricMustang is no longer on this Forum.

 

There also is mention of Ferrari expert David Selelstad who identified the car during its involvement with Bob Ward.  Anyone know how to contact him?

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

Tom

 

Try searching the magnificent Revs Digital Library perhaps?

 

 

RDL Copyright image

 

DCN

[pilota]

After Morewood ;

1958 - Austin Young - Boca Raton - dnf; Dunnellon Fla - dnf

Sometime between 1958 and 1961 a Chevy engine was fitted

Richard Finkel

1961 Bob Simons - Green Valley TX

1964 Bob Ward - USRRC Augusta GA

1962 & 63 - Tony Charles of Birmingham AL (presumably where it got the nick-name "Birmingham Special"

1990 Bill Strange - Fort Worth, Fla

199x Sold to UK

Incomplete but it's the best I can offer.

Nathan

[teegeefla]

Nathan-excellent information that fills in a lot of blanks.  thank you.

 

After Morewood ;

1958 - Austin Young - Boca Raton - dnf; Dunnellon Fla - dnf

Sometime between 1958 and 1961 a Chevy engine was fitted

Richard Finkel

1961 Bob Simons - Green Valley TX

1964 Bob Ward - USRRC Augusta GA

1962 & 63 - Tony Charles of Birmingham AL (presumably where it got the nick-name "Birmingham Special"

1990 Bill Strange - Fort Worth, Fla

199x Sold to UK

Incomplete but it's the best I can offer.

Nathan

[Doug Nye]

Teegeefla - I have sent you a private message...hope it assists.

 

DCN

[jtremlett]

There is a book (which I don't have, so cannot comment on) called Bowtie Ferraris by Randy Cook that covers the various Chevrolet-engined Ferraris, presumably including this one.  Some information here: Bowtie Ferraris: History of Racing Ferraris Using Chevy V8s – Engine Swap Depot and a review here Bowtie Ferraris Reviewed by Michael T. Lynch (velocetoday.com)

[Henk Vasmel]

There is a book (which I don't have, so cannot comment on) called Bowtie Ferraris by Randy Cook that covers the various Chevrolet-engined Ferraris, presumably including this one.  Some information here: Bowtie Ferraris: History of Racing Ferraris Using Chevy V8s – Engine Swap Depot and a review here Bowtie Ferraris Reviewed by Michael T. Lynch (velocetoday.com)

There is a successor to that book too. Called Blue Oval et al Ferraris. Although intended to cover only non-Chevrolet engined cars, there is also an addendum there for new information that was missed in Bowtie Ferraris.

I just checked that book and it does not contain info on 0454MD. Bowtie Ferraris is still on my "must buy one day" list.

[Rupertlt1]

William Infantino had a 1950 Ferrari MM-Chevrolet which he crashed fatally at the Holland Hill Climb, NY, held on Vermont Street, 24 August 1958.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 March 2022 - 20:05.

[helioseism2]

I have the Bowtie Ferrari book. There are 2 pages on this car. I can scan and send them to you if you want.

[Rupertlt1]

I have the Bowtie Ferrari book. There are 2 pages on this car. I can scan and send them to you if you want.

 

Many thanks. I've sent you a PM.

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 March 2022 - 20:40.

[teegeefla]

I have the Bowtie Ferrari book. There are 2 pages on this car. I can scan and send them to you if you want.

I have also sent you a PM.  Thanks.

 

Tom

[teegeefla]

Thanks to Willem Oosthoek, author of numerous racing history books, I have some further info on 0454 in its early-sixties races. According to Willem's book Sports Car Racing in the South: Texas to Florida 1961-62 the car had an interesting life. When owned by Bob Simons of Norman, OK the car was #62 and finished 5th overall in the 1961 Polar Grand Prix at Green Valley Raceway in Texas, then also raced at Mansfield, LA that year (3rd in class) and then once again at Green Valley in 1962 where it finished 7th overall.

It was then sold to Tommy Charles from Birmingham, who drove it at Hammond, LA in July 1962 as car #61 and finished 3rd overall, followed that month by a race at an SCCA divisional event at Sebring as car #162 and in August 1962 it competed at Pensacola as car #4.

An interesting sidebar item: during Simons ownership, the car was part of a race sequence in the 1962 film "State Fair."

So I am asking if anyone has this book of Willem's, as there are 3 photos of 0454 in it. Simons at the February 1961 Polar Grand Prix at Green Valley as car #62, then Tommy Charles at Sebring July 62 with car #162 and finally at Pensacola in 1962 as car #4. If someone has access to this book (which is out of my price range) could you scan these photos and either post them or PM me? Thanks.

[Henk Vasmel]

I checked the book, which is in my collection. If no-one else does, I could try to scan the pictures.

They are on pages 42, 297 and 302. Plus on page 370 another picture of what very much looks like this car. Possibly 1963. Race: Halls, July 21. Driven by John Sayer of Birmingham, AL, who bought the car from Tommy Charles. Start number (83).

In my database I have one entry for John Sayers (with extra S), American Challenge Cup, Daytona 15-Feb-1964 in a car just described as Ferrari Mondial. Start number (91), Result: 20th. 

[teegeefla]

Henk-

 

I encourage you to post the four photo scans from the Oosthoek book.  I have been unable to do this.  The photos plus captions add information to fill in gaps in the car's ownership plus they show the evolution of the car through various owners.  Tom

[Henk Vasmel]

The four pictures from the Oosthoek book. Sorry for part of the quality. The book is heavy (=good quality) and quite a bit larger than my scanner