8 replies to this topic

[tonicco]

Trigered by a reference made by Eoin Young on his Amon bio: “Pat Hoare, who enjoyed a special, if mysterious, relationship with Enzo Ferrari and was supplied with bespoke single-seaters", I've googled around without any success and I also seached over TNF, having only found the following, which only added to my curiosity:

in this thread: http://forums.atlasf...are AND Ferrari

Doug Nye wrote "New Zealander Pat Hoare in his 4-cylinder Ferrari 'bitsa' assembled for him at Mr Ferrari's express order. Hoare had remarkable pull with The Old Man, the reason for which I have never really fathomed out. The best story I have heard is that Hoare was an officer with the New Zealand forces moving up through the leg of Italy during WW2 and he was able to call off an imminent artillery barrage against what turned out to be the Ferrari home and machine tool works at Maranello just before the trigger was pulled. Allowing for wartime mists and good old fashioned b-------t this could have been based upon some kindness allowed Mr Ferrari during the late-war occupation of Maranello and Modena. Certainly Hoare was fully up to speed upon OMF's pre-war record and if he was indeed with the Kiwi forces in wartime Italy he would have recognised all the names involved. Incidentally - this car survives (as Dave McK says) in the Dutch National Motor Museum today, and it wears the only known original Lancia-Ferrari D50-type tail cowl...as seen in this pic, Pat Hoare's special having been cobbled together for him by Ferrari's blokes, from immediately available bits."

Also, in this thread: http://forums.atlasf...are AND Ferrari

D-Type wrote "I've often wondered whether new Zealander Pat Hoare who owned the V12 engined Dino 246 and Colonel ronnie hoare of Maranello Concessionnaires were related.
In addition to the fairly unusual surname, it was almost unheard of for Ferrari to sell a single seater after about 1953".

Later, Vicuna added "We don't know the exact details of the Enzo/Pat Hoare relationship and nor do we know precisely how a driver in far flung Kiwiland managed to get hold of the sort of machinery he did. Other than speculation and theories, I've never been able to find anyone that can add specific and factual detail to the questions."

So, the question remains, why the special relation?

Hoping for some (further) TNF help...

[D-Type]

My post was pure speculation and I have nothing I can add. Sorry.

[tonicco]

Thanks, D-Type,

I must confess that I did not have much hope to get some light shed over this small (insignificant?) issue, but if there was a place worth giving it a try, it was at TNF.

[Don Capps]

One must be patient since even on TNF some things take a bit of time and circumstances in order to provide some idea of a possible reply.... We not necessarily a hesitant people, but some questions require more thought than others.

This is one that has given more than a few reason to pause for some thought over the years. I readily admit to leaning in the direction of sacks of money being involved, but that is perhaps too simplistic in this day and age when guile, cunning, and misdirection are the expectations and scandal always a factor.....

[Vicuna]

A book on NZ motor racing was being prepared a couple of years ago by Ms Sandy Myhre.

I mentioned to her in the early stages 'Perhaps you'll solve the Pat Hoare mystery'

I believe Pats wife has died so I suspect the mystery may have gone too

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Vicuna
I mentioned to her in the early stages 'Perhaps you'll solve the Pat Hoare mystery'

She didn't - but then it's not really that sort of book

BTW, if any of our NZ-based TNFers know the Ransley family in Christchurch, they might be worth an approach. One of the brothers was PMH's racing mechanic for at least some of the Ferrari period.

[Patrick Fletcher]

Originally posted by Don Capps
One must be patient since even on TNF some things take a bit of time and circumstances in order to provide some idea of a possible reply.... We not necessarily a hesitant people, but some questions require more thought than others....

So true Don, I have spoken to and visited many people who have many stories but little substance on the Enzo Ferrari / Pat Hoare relationship. In time I believe the true story may surface but someone somewhere will dream up a better version and the myth will continue.
As David correctly advises the Ransley family in CHC New Zealand were connected - Ernie Ransley was Pat Hoare's mechanic for many years but even he was not sure of how the first car was procurred when I spent a few hours with him in the early 1980s. His comments were in true Ernie style "when we got it going strong it wouldnt stop - and when we got it to stop it would not run at all well" from all of what he said it was not a great car.
The connection with Col. Ronnie Hoare's Maranelo Concessionaires is worthy, but misplaced.
The connection which I belive may hold the key is George Horne the then Ferrari conessionnaire for New Zealand. He may also have been the main man for Australia during the mid-fifties but that I cannot confirm. ......... was it simply all to do with future sales in this part of the world? plus a fair bit of leg work by Capt. PM Hoare 440 Papanui Road Christchurch NZ

[Vicuna]

George Horne - father of Steve Horne of Truesports and later Tasman Motorsport fame - is still alive and kicking.

I've met him but can't say I know him but someone might be able to get him to recall his wealth of facts.

[Patrick Fletcher]

Just to add a bit of spice to the Ferrari/Hoare myth, Pat Hoare was the GM, CEO or whatever they called them in the 50's of the International Harvester Company in NZ - one story that came from two sources was that a fair number of farm implements were exchanged for the second car - It begs the question - any old combines still around Modena?