15 replies to this topic

[TerryS]

For interest, see attached ad including great historical description.

 

No price shown as POA. I expect it would be several million dollars.

 

Racecarsdirect.com - 1954 Ferrari Tipo 625 Monoposto

 

[Rob Miller]

It is interesting that the description includes a mention of Juan Manuel Fangio driving for Maserati and Mercedes-Benz, but ignores the much more relevant Jose-Froilan Gonzalez's win in the 1954 British Grand Prix.

[E1pix]

Shocked and dismayed you’d post my twelfth-favorite personal car without permission.

[Tim Murray]

It wasn’t ‘the only Ferrari monoposto ever raced by the legendary Marquis Alfonso de Portago’. Also, perhaps understandably, no mention of Charles de Tornaco’s fatal accident in the car at the 1953 Modena GP.

[Steve123]

In the early 1960s, a man named Ian Sievwright (apologies if my spelling is not accurate) raced a front engined  Ferrari (a 500 or 625?) in british club racing Formula Libre races. I remember that on one occasion he went off and nearly ended in the lake at Oulton Park.

Does anybody know anything about the previous and subsequent history of that car?

[Doug Nye]

Ian Sievright's car was chassis '0540' - a rebuild of the ex-Ecurie Francorchamps 2-litre Ferrari 500 '0208' in which Jacques Swaters won the Berlin GP and Baron Charles de Tornaco lost his life in a testing crash at Monaco.  After its rebuild as a 2 1/2-litre Ferrari 625 it became 'Fon' de Portago's private F1 entry,  as crashed by the Marquis at Silverstone.  

 

It was subsequently purchased by Donald Healey who later sold it to Sievright.  I think it then went to Pierre Bardinon for his Mas du Clos collection. In the early '80s he sold it to French collector Jacques Setton - then from him to Uwe Meissner’s Modena Motorsports  - to Pierre Fandel of Bitburg, Germany, 1994-96 - to Carlos Monteverde 1996-98 - back to David Vine in England- then December 2000 to a German collector in Cologne who retained it for a long time. April 2022 judged by Ferrari Classiche (assuming they knew what they were looking it...  ) now evidently for sale.  

 

It looks awfully shiny.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 28 February 2024 - 10:44.

[ensign14]

Might turn up and offer a fiver for it, and hope nobody else turns up.  Worked for Roman Abramovich.

[F1Frog]

Might turn up and offer a fiver for it, and hope nobody else turns up. Worked for Roman Abramovich.

I’ll offer a tenner then.

[Tim Murray]

… and Baron Charles de Tornaco lost his life in a testing crash at Monaco.

Modena, not Monaco, I believe.

[dgs]

Ian Sievright's car was chassis '0540' - a rebuild of the ex-Ecurie Francorchamps 2-litre Ferrari 500 '0208' in which Jacques Swaters won the Berlin GP and Baron Charles de Tornaco lost his life in a testing crash at Monaco.  After its rebuild as a 2 1/2-litre Ferrari 625 it became 'Fon' de Portago's private F1 entry,  as crashed by the Marquis at Silverstone.  

 

It was subsequently purchased by Donald Healey who later sold it to Sievright.  I think it then went to Pierre Bardinon for his Mas du Clos collection. In the early '80s he sold it to French collector Jacques Setton - then from him to Uwe Meissner’s Modena Motorsports  - to Pierre Fandel of Bitburg, Germany, 1994-96 - to Carlos Monteverde 1996-98 - back to David Vine in England- then December 2000 to a German collector in Cologne who retained it for a long time. April 2022 judged by Ferrari Classiche (assuming they knew what they were looking it...  ) now evidently for sale.  

 

It looks awfully shiny.

 

DCN

I have a photocopy advert taken from a US magazine - Reads  'Donald Healey Personal Collection - Grand Prix Ferrari 1954 Formula 1 - Winner of Monaco GP, 1955- Rebuilt throughout and modified to run on 1960 Formula fuel, with alternative rear and ratios and extra wheels. Painted Italian Racing Red $5250 US dollars.  The car was not the wining Ferrari at 1955 Monaco Grand Prix.

Also for sale was his Mercedes-Benz Type 540K with Supercharger (Road car) offered for sale at $4750 US dollars

Unfortunately the add is not dated  but as stated would run on 1960 Formula fuel would I think be around that year.  

[Michael Ferner]

Ian Sievright's car was chassis '0540' - a rebuild of the ex-Ecurie Francorchamps 2-litre Ferrari 500 '0208' in which Jacques Swaters won the Berlin GP and Baron Charles de Tornaco lost his life in a testing crash at Monaco.  After its rebuild as a 2 1/2-litre Ferrari 625 it became 'Fon' de Portago's private F1 entry,  as crashed by the Marquis at Silverstone.  

 

It was subsequently purchased by Donald Healey who later sold it to Sievright.  I think it then went to Pierre Bardinon for his Mas du Clos collection. In the early '80s he sold it to French collector Jacques Setton - then from him to Uwe Meissner’s Modena Motorsports  - to Pierre Fandel of Bitburg, Germany, 1994-96 - to Carlos Monteverde 1996-98 - back to David Vine in England- then December 2000 to a German collector in Cologne who retained it for a long time. April 2022 judged by Ferrari Classiche (assuming they knew what they were looking it...  ) now evidently for sale.  

 

It looks awfully shiny.

 

DCN

 

The man after which the building in which I live is named... Galerie Pierre - small world! 

[B Squared]

It looks awfully shiny.


DCN

I highly recommend that you never visit Penske Restorations or the Penske racing museum. I have found over the years that you can choose whatever patina you want on cars that you own.

[dgs]

In the early 1960s, a man named Ian Sievwright (apologies if my spelling is not accurate) raced a front engined  Ferrari (a 500 or 625?) in british club racing Formula Libre races. I remember that on one occasion he went off and nearly ended in the lake at Oulton Park.

Does anybody know anything about the previous and subsequent history of that car?

Ian Sievwright competed at Shelsley Walsh at a number of events 1961 to 1965, as well as Prescott at least once. Also at Shelsley Walsh meeting 25-08-1962, the car was driven by Tony Marsh who came 7th  in class.

[bradbury west]

It was subsequently purchased by Donald Healey who later sold it to Sievright.  

It looks awfully shiny.

 

DCN

 Which now explains my sense of confusion  after seeing it advertised in Autosport in period at The Cape Works.

Going by the apparent number of times I recall the car entered in programmes in period, as part of my own separate marque research, Sievright was quite active with the car. 

Roger Lund.

[Roger Clark]

Can anybody help me understand the early history of this car?

 

in 1955, Ferrari produced new versions of the 625 with revised bodies, the 553/555 engine, coil spring front suspension and a 5-speed gearbox. I don’t know whether they were new or modified cars. We can see in the racecarsdirect photos that this car has the first three but we obviously can’t tell anything about the gearbox. 
 

in The Racing Car Review covering 1955, Denis Jenkinson described the changes then said that De Portago had the prototype of these cars with longer wheel base and 4-speed gearbox. De Portago only raced the car in a few early season non-championship races then crashed at Silverstone and didn’t race again that year. I don’t think I have seen a picture of him in the car. 
 

is DSJ’s statement consistent with it being the ex-Francorchamps car and when was it modified to 1955 spec?

[Macca]

The pictures of the gearchange in the sale advert show 4 speeds plus reverse (with a lock-out cover) in the gate.

Paul M