16 replies to this topic

[BRG]

In the recent Countdown thread on RCF, I posted this piece about the Ferrari 308 GT/M Group B rally car.

 

Today's entry was new to me, although you knowledgeable lot were probably already aware of it.

 

Earlier in this Countdown, we saw the Ferrari 308 GTB rally car.  The success of this, along with the new Group B rules, prompted Ferrari to ask Michelotto to develop the 308 into a Gp B contender.  This was named the 308 GT/M a lightweight model with modified bodywork and a more powerful V8.  Three were built and one was entered in the 1984 Rally Autodromo di Monza (calling it the 308 IMSA for some reason) where it did quite well.  But Ferrari had seen the writing on the wall which read 'Audi Quattro'.  They realised that without 4WD, this car would never going to be competitive and binned the project. However it was the basis for further developments that eventually resulted in the legendary Ferrari F40.

 

Somehow Jean Blaton, a Belgian gentleman Ferrari racer, who competed as 'Beurlys', persuaded them to sell him chassis 001.  He is said to have used it for some small events in Belgium. I believe this picture shows #001 in action.  The yellow and black striping suggests Belgian colours and I think it says 'Jean Beurlys' and 'Ecurie Franchorchamps' on the door (?).  But I doubt this is a rally in Belgium?  It looks more like Italy judging from the 'strade bianchi' gravel road. I cannot identify the event as the definition of the photo isn't good enough to read the rally plate. You can make out that the event sponsor is Kayak, an Italian sports eyewear maker.  Any ideas??

 

 

Only could find this picture, which also doesn’t look like a Belgian scenery. 

Although the basic circumstances are recorded, two questions remain open.

 

Firstly, how did a gentleman driver like "Beurlys" (Jean Blaton) manage to persuade Ferrari to release one of the only three examples of the GT/M to him?  Although he had raced Ferraris in sportscar racing for some years, he was never AFAIK an official Ferrari driver.  So why did the Scuderia let him buy the car?

 

Secondly, all I could discover was that Beurlys did some rallies in Belgium in the car.  I cannot find any results for these  and the two pictures seem unlikely to be in Belgium.  It looks more like a rally in Italy?  The car was also raced in IMSA, I believe.

 

The Burlys car appeared at Goodwood FoS some years back.

 

Are there any Ferrari experts amongst us who could cast a little more light on this shadowy sideline in Ferrari history?

[marksixman]

Although not a rally driver, but I bet David Piper could tell us.

 

He was another who could conjure anything out of Ferrari's hat ! 

 

DCN - can you help ?

[Beri]

Well BRG, you had me scour the net as well when you posted that 308 in the Countdown Thread. What I could dig up was the following:
 
On your questions, I have found this source. I'm quoting:
 

Even though the design study had been carried out in complete secrecy, the existence of the 308 GT/M eventually reached the outside world. Not long afterwards, Ferrari received a purchase offer for the prototype from one of his most loyal customers – Belgian racing driver Jean “Beurlys” Blaton.
 
since 1957 and was on good terms with the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. Using this good relation to his advantage, he was able to talk Enzo into selling him the car for an undisclosed amount. Blaton then took the car back to Belgium, and sporadically campaigned it in local rally events.

 
On the first picture; nowhere it states in the mentioned source that it drove exclusively in Belgium. So a possibility on the car being driven somewhere around the Mediterranean is a very likely possibility. Albeit there are many gravel roads available in Belgium as well. Certainly in the Eastern part of the country. But the white gravel puts it in the likeliness of being limestone, which is unusual in Belgium. And with a roadside post, visible in white with the reflector patch on the black part, that is very much similar to the ones used in Italy at that time, I suspect this picture is taken in Italy.
 
On the second picture; albeit said that the East Belgian part of the country, mostly towards the German border, do have sceneries like the one pictured in the second picture when temperatures are hot, I do not suspect this being Belgium. Also because there is a waste bin visible on that second picture that is referred to as a Kliko in Dutch. During the 80s, when this car was driven and likely this photo taken, the Kliko was just about 10 years on the market and very few countries had full infrastructure available to service these kinds of waste bins. But The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium most certainly had this in place. But more importantly; so did parts of Italy. Count in the fact that the stickering on the inside of the windscreen in the right hand lower corner, likely identification papers at the rally in question, is identical on both pictures as well as the starting number and I do dare to put a wager that these photos are taken at the same event. And as said; I think it is in Italy.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Tony Worswick has a Ferrari rally car which he had had from virually new. He was out in it a Rave Retro. 

[BRG]

Tony Worswick has a Ferrari rally car which he had had from virually new. He was out in it a Rave Retro. 

There were a number of Group 4 Ferrari 308s prepared for rallying.  Michelotti did some of the work on these, but it was not really an official Ferrari 'works' effort. However, they did sufficiently well for Ferrari to decide to take the plunge when the new Group B rules were imminent and commission Michelotti to develop a proper Group B rally car based on the 308, which is the car in question.   Just three of these 308 GT/Ms were built.  One did the Monza Rally in the hands of Lancia works driver Pinto, one went to Beurlys (as above) and was used for some rallies and racing, the third went straight into the museum.

[Arjan de Roos]

This car is the Ferrari 308 GT/M with the M for Michelotto. At first two chassis had been built (around 1984). One for Beurlys, a long time Ferrari racer (Ecurie Franchorchamps) as well as loyal customer. One for Raffaele Pinto, who competed his GTM in the Rally di Monza before registering for road use. basically the first one was a prototype and the Pinto car the first production Group B car Ferrari wanted to develop.

A third car was made in 1987 for Dutch Ferrari collector Henk Koel. Both Koel and Beurlys raced their GTM's frequently in club events in the Benelux and outside.

 

The car is maybe best not called a Ferrari, but a Michelotto as they did most development (OK with Ferrari engineers). Having developed the 308 GTB rally cars Michelotto was the external race/rally department for Ferrari. The work done in the GTM was basis for the Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione that culminated in the 288 LM project (F40).

 

Chassis 001 was sold of to the US in the nineties. Beurlys always had special club race cars. Like the 348 TF (F for Franchorchamps) or F40 LM Barchetta. Yeah some were more customer than other customers!

[Beri]

There were a number of Group 4 Ferrari 308s prepared for rallying.  Michelotti did some of the work on these, but it was not really an official Ferrari 'works' effort. However, they did sufficiently well for Ferrari to decide to take the plunge when the new Group B rules were imminent and commission Michelotti to develop a proper Group B rally car based on the 308, which is the car in question.   Just three of these 308 GT/Ms were built.  One did the Monza Rally in the hands of Lancia works driver Pinto, one went to Beurlys (as above) and was used for some rallies and racing, the third went straight into the museum.

Like Arjan says; Chassis 001 is the car in question in this thread. Chassis 002 was the Pinto car and the 003 was the one for Koel.

That last chassis is still in a Dutch collection and not in a museum like BRG said. The Pinto chassis was converted to legal street use and has been in private (Italian) hands ever since. It rarely makes a public appearance.

Pictured below are both the chassis of Beurlys and the one of Koel during a Ferrari Club event at Zandvoort. The cars drove there as both men were/are honorary members of the Ferrari Club Netherlands and those cars represent a special story. Since, chassis 001 has indeed moved to the States and the 003 chassis has been sold on by Koel, but remains within the borders of The Netherlands.

[Myhinpaa]

The photos of 308 GT/M "001" is from 2004 San Marino Rallylegend, it was driven by Philippe Olczyk (!) with "Gérard" as co/driver.

 

 

 

US sales advert, possibly 2009ish: https://ferraris-onl...i-308-gt-m-001/

 

Thread on Ferrarichat: https://www.ferraric...r.508186/page-4

[Beri]

The more I look at the pictures the more I feel embarrassed. There is a huge website address on the top of the windscreen which I have totally overlooked. Despite me being right on Italy, I was very much under the impression it were pictures from the 80s or perhaps 90s. Need to add the fact that the spectators dont look too fashionable which caught me off guard as well. They very much could have been spectators in the 80s being dressed like that 

[GLaird]

Don't apologise, we all learned something from this thread, thank you,

[Ian G]

There was a British TV series where they pitted a rally prepared Ferrari against another Car(can't think what it was but someone on here will know) around a circuit.

Standout was the rear mud flaps on the Ferrari,great looking car. 

[BRG]

The TNF crew come up with the answers as usual!!  

 

This car is the Ferrari 308 GT/M with the M for Michelotto. At first two chassis had been built (around 1984). One for Beurlys, a long time Ferrari racer (Ecurie Franchorchamps) as well as loyal customer. One for Raffaele Pinto, who competed his GTM in the Rally di Monza before registering for road use. basically the first one was a prototype and the Pinto car the first production Group B car Ferrari wanted to develop.

A third car was made in 1987 for Dutch Ferrari collector Henk Koel. Both Koel and Beurlys raced their GTM's frequently in club events in the Benelux and outside.

 

The car is maybe best not called a Ferrari, but a Michelotto as they did most development (OK with Ferrari engineers). Having developed the 308 GTB rally cars Michelotto was the external race/rally department for Ferrari. The work done in the GTM was basis for the Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione that culminated in the 288 LM project (F40).

 

As I understood it, Ferrari commissioned Michelotto (given their expertise from preparing the 308GTB rally cars) to develop a Group B rally car for them.  Hence the 308 GT/M name, but it was an official Ferrari initiative, which they abandoned as soon as they saw that Group B was going towards 4WD and the 308 GT/M would not be competitive.  So the third chassis was not completed at the time.  I was under the impression that the Pinto entry in the Monza event was an official factory one, but perhaps not.  Pinto had driven the 308 GTBs quite a bit in rallies.  Do we know for sure that he bought chassis #002?

 

As for Beurlys, the various records I found talked of him doing 'some local events' which I took to be rallies in Belgium, but it looks like it meant some small race meetings.  Beurlys had largely retired from top level events before 1980 but maybe wanted a 'toy' for his later years.  He must have been very well in at Maranello to get them to part with the car.

The photos of 308 GT/M "001" is from 2004 San Marino Rallylegend, it was driven by Philippe Olczyk (!) with "Gérard" as co/driver.

 

 

Oh, well done, Myhinpaa!  That is the answer I have been looking for with little success!  Such a relief to know at last.  I thought Italy, but San Marino is almost the same thing - I should have thought of the Rallylegend events, particularly had I come across that picture. 

 

Many thanks, I know that TNF wouldn't let me down!

 

The more I look at the pictures the more I feel embarrassed. There is a huge website address on the top of the windscreen which I have totally overlooked. Despite me being right on Italy, I was very much under the impression it were pictures from the 80s or perhaps 90s. Need to add the fact that the spectators dont look too fashionable which caught me off guard as well. They very much could have been spectators in the 80s being dressed like that 

You and me as well!.  We were both on the right  track but assumed it was Beurlys himself, not a much later owner/driver.

[Arjan de Roos]

Now it was a bit tongue in cheek, it is of course a Ferrari. Yet Michelotto influence was strong. Particularly with the engine. The body was designed by Boniolo (Padova too).

With the 288 GTO Evoluzione most of the work was doen in Padova as Ferrari design and research had no capacity.

 

The Pinto car is often referred as such but was purchased by someone from Veneto who drove the car on the road after registration. 

[Myhinpaa]

The more I look at the pictures the more I feel embarrassed. There is a huge website address on the top of the windscreen which I have totally overlooked. Despite me being right on Italy, I was very much under the impression it were pictures from the 80s or perhaps 90s. Need to add the fact that the spectators dont look too fashionable which caught me off guard as well. They very much could have been spectators in the 80s being dressed like that 

 

Assumption and confirmation bias are deceitful traps that's very easy to fall into, happens to us all! 

 

Photos or records of any rallies that Jean "Beurlys" Blaton did with this car would be of great interest.

[Arjan de Roos]

Some pics of #003, with one or two of #001:

 

https://www.ferrari-...343-308-gtm-003

[Beri]

Some pics of #003, with one or two of #001:

 

https://www.ferrari-...343-308-gtm-003

 

That article is gold on those pictures! Thank you Arjan. Picture 48 to 52 that is. Cant easily translate the whole article right now. But to non Dutch speaking people; it is worth the hassle to run it through Google Lens and translate it.

[petgro]

English version was published in Ferrari Owners Club UK magazine: vol 20 no. 3 > issue 79 Autumn 1988.