More Old Photos

Very sad to know Phil isnt feeling well. I do hope those of you on here that mingle in those circles will pass on mine and everyones thoughts and best wishes...A great guy and equally great driver.
My little dedication to Phil wishing him a good recovery.,and a couple of extra of our beloved Breadvan.
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Because cars tended to strand in the sandbanks at Tertre Rouge/Le Mans Ferrari decided to install a shovel in the cockpit. Lessons learned. See below.
Marcel Massini
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nice pic - looks like a DAKAR - competitor.
what s/n is the car in the pic ?

 

Here are a few shots taken in the late 60s, showing the hydraulic mechanism to adjust the rear wing on the F1 car. 1960s high tech at its best! The lower photo shows the number "015" stamped into the reinforcing piece, possibly a chassis number.
Marcel Massini
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Here's a lovely shot of a 156 Spider Corsa. With a very young Mauro Forghieri discussing with the mechanics.
Marcel Massini
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Hi Marcel,

I hope that Hill will stay along time among us.

Very nice picture. I think it's the 1960 # 0008 prototype with the forged front wishbones.
Why do you call it a Spider Corsa ?

Regards,

Jan

 

Hi Jan
Because it is a 156 Spider Corsa. If you disagree, what would YOU call it?
Here is another shot.
Marcel Massini
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Great shots Marcel,

Spyder Corsa is most correct!

Check out the detail of that insane battery set up. I have never seen such a battery in a race car or any automobile of any type. Looks like a narrow aircraft type 12volt with a small six volt in a semi-parallel configuration. Anyone know about such a set up and why ?

Of interst to me is that the brake rotors are ventilated. Ferrari might have been using these on the GP cars but he held back until at least 1966 on his Prototypes before they recieved the same treatment. In their original configuration even the 250LMs had solid rotors when they where delivered new.

Cheers,

Bill

 

Bill

That's not a battery. That's a prototype hydrogen fuel cell. Unfortunately Ferrari lacked the funds to develop it. Or upon reflection maybe it's fortunate. I'm not sure a hybrid Ferrari would have the same je ne sais quios...

Best

 

Here's one especially for Napolis.
Marcel Massini
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Thanks my friend!

 

Guys this may be a good place to ask this. This item was posted on Atlas.

Is is true or urban myth? (Lombardi to Doug Nye)


MASERATIS MELTED DOWN: A SHATTERING EXAMPLE OF ITALIAN JUSTICE

By order of an Italian Court, two reconstructed Maserati sports-racing cars from the 1950s - an A6GCS and a 350S – have been delivered by the Police to a local scrapyard to be crushed into cubes for recycling.

No, this is not a joke.

It happened on March 22nd 2006 in obedience to a Court order made in Ferrara, Italy. Furthermore, in full execution of that order, the two cubes were then melted in a foundry furnace; just to be on the safe side and because, as we all know, fire is the safest way to deal with sin.

This story began six years ago with a police operation which was carried out simultaneously in 17 different locations, including restorers, body shops, and private garages and houses. The whole operation was launched after months of intelligence investigation, ’phone tapping, etc. (more or less the sort of effort which might have been better justified if cracking down on the Medellin Cartel).

Let me just add that – at least in this case – there was no fraud or malicious representation involved and that this Operation was not provoked by any automobile manufacturer.

In fact, it seems that Maserati – one of the 17 locations raided that morning – was particularly excited by the Police’s unexpected visit to inspect the activities of the Registro Maserati, located in Via Ciro Menotti 322, Modena.

It would be interesting to discuss this judicial initiative of six years ago and its possible consequences, but right now we can only add that no significant penal consequence has been produced (or probably will ever result) from these investigations. On the other hand, nobody will even know what the final cost will be for the Italian taxpayer, or whether any other criminal-policy priorities might have been better tackled with that kind of effort.

What is abundantly relevant is that the Italian Judges tend now to interpret the existing legal provisions for Brand Protection in the sense that a copy of a classic automobile could potentially be an infringement of that Code.

Therefore, while the replica business is booming world-wide, this activity – and I mean bona fide activity – can be persecuted in Italy even to the extent of confiscation – and destruction! - of the reproduced car.

This kind of reasoning leads to regarding such replicas in exactly the same manner as the law regards the thousand of Louis Vuitton fake purses sold daily by hordes of immigrants on all the squares and the beaches of the western world.

Returning to the events of March 22nd, I must add that a lack of formal communication of the order of the Court left it impossible for the cars’ owner to present any legal defence which might have prevent their destruction.

This is an unfortunate circumstance (leaving the door open for further litigation for damages against the Judicial Administration), but here I will concentrate upon the general issue.

Personally, I know no detail concerning the A6GCS involved in this case, but I do know of the 350S which had been reconstructed by Maurizio Grazzi of Ferrara.

I have no evidence to support his claim of originality for his chassis – apparently found in Modena – but I know that the aluminium body of that car had been correctly made by a well-known body specialist, Elis Garuti, of Rubiera. Of greater concern, Mr. Grazzi had patiently collected ORIGINAL major and minor components for this car with fastidious perseverance.

The ORIGINAL engine came from the Orsi firm (former owners of the Maserati company), the transaxle from the Parravano/Sorrell parts collection via David Cottingham in the UK. Suspensions, brakes, wheels, tanks, steering and several other components employed in the car’s re-assembly were all original.

We may still accept that an ensemble of original factory-made, in-period components does not create an original car.

Of course this I accept, but in any case the seizure would have been probably sufficient to enact the law.

While awaiting further investigation and verification, confiscation of the car would have been more than sufficient, perhaps making an order to entrust the car to a Museum, a University or to any other Public Institution as a “didactic copy”.

In fact, only three original Maserati 350S dry-sump sports-racing car engines were made by the Factory in period.

If I recall correctly, one was broken on the test bench while being run by Ermanno Cozza – now in charge of the Maserati archives (and he still shows the pain of this memory whenever he recalls that episode).

One of the other two original 350S engines is in the USA, installed in chassis number 3502 … and the third was in Grazzi’s now destroyed car.

Nice shot! One of the only two surviving genuine Maserati-made engines of this historic type has been obliterated by the machinations of the Italian legal system - the only one which had survived at all this side of the Ocean.

Using laws more apt to deal with tons of fake Chinese watches, the Judges have ensured there might be no further possibility of seeing a rare set of mechanical parts of high technical and historical significance.

Well done!

Let me add that the man in charge of the crushing machine not only refused to operate it but in fact left his workplace, leaving one of his young assistants to do the job. I guess he might be still asking if some common sense is left anywhere in ‘modern Italy’.

While this happens in Italy, at International level a car with supposed identity 3503 is offered for sale as the real thing, having presumably a Maserati 3500GT shortened chassis, in left-hand-drive form, and only vaguely resembling the original car.

I do not intend to add any further comment.

I can only be troubled by the opinion of Italian justice that enthusiasts, historians and car collectors world-wide might now form. I am afraid not a good one. And let me add that it is with a strong sense of bitterness that I am broadcasting this sad and foolish story.

Franco Lombardi

 

Especially for Jan Biekens, here are a few more pix:
Marcel Massini
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Post #681 does indeed appear to be the prototype of the 156/F1 with the 65 degree engine (I can't bring myself to call it a Spyder Corsa, because that implies there was a Berlinetta version!)

But post #683 is the 'interim' car produced in 1962 and debuted at the German GP by Bandini - the one without the 'shark nose', with various suspension changes and a lower seating position.



Paul M

 

I guess it must have been #3501. I have pics of it, but don't recall were I got them.

 

Exat!

 

I would call it a 156 F1, in what Ferrari literature are they talking about 156 Spider Corsa ?

 

I thought in the most "sharknoses" they used a 12 Volt wet-cell Baroclem 28 amp/hour battery, plus a Marelli 6 Volt to operate the starter engine.

 

This are truly spectacular photos which show a lot of technology and techniques. For a techno geek I love to see how the mechanics used a combination of fasteners, Adel clamps and even tape. The beauty of Ferrari mechanical creations for me is that they are so beautifully forged and machined, so elegant but always so ultimately human. While many revel at the Pininfarina body, I am always lost admiring the mechanicals...
Many thanks for such wonderful photos

 

So you like technology? How about these engines below: 12 and 8 cylinders.
Pieces of art, I think.
Marcel Massini
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Very sad, if true. Why not just destroy the replicated parts ...

I cannot say much here as I am too scared I will get sued, but my opinion of the Italian thought process is interesting ... and the way their legal system appears to operate supports it

Best to keep any car out of Italy Jim.
Pete

 

Once again, I must say,this is the best thread ever. The photos and the information are first rate!

Buildy