At the Silverstone Museum last Friday it was interesting to see this - the second of the two Ferrari 330GTs which John Surtees had during his F1 Drivers World Championship-winning career with the team.
This is the one he was given as a bonus for his title-winning 1964 season - and such an evocative sight in its ageing paint finish...
The car (for the terminally boring) is Ferrari 330GT 2+2 chassis '6981GT', now back in British ownership I understand after years relatively untended in the US. Its discriminating owner is preserving it in its Rosso Scura livery, areas from which the original paint has long since vanished having the exposed edges protectively varnished - for me, a nice touch.
John's preceding 330GT 2+2 had been chassis '5455GT', I believe. That was the one which Mr Ferrari presented to him in reaction to having John arrive at Maranello in his BMW 507 V8. "Unacceptable!", The Old Man had gasped, "You must drive a Ferrari", and hey presto he was issued with the 330GT. John used to laugh about what happened next... "I thought how very nice for The Old Man to have given me that Ferrari. Under my contract they paid me quarterly - and when I got the next instalment I found they'd taken the cost of the car out of it!...".
Silverstone's little Museum... well, I'm a fan. Often changing exhibits, consistently well worth a visit.
Ooh yes - BRM P15 V16 - another evocative survivor, the first original 1948-49 body buck, made by George Gray who was later commissioned to make the Vanwall GP car bodies - currently in the Silverstone Museum foyer as a taster for its BRM Collection display.
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DCN
PS - Apologies - I've just been told that the 330GT is only being displayed at Silverstone until the end of this month - so if you want to see it there, hurry.
Edited by Doug Nye, 17 March 2025 - 09:36.
