ATS 2500 GTS

A couple of small corrections for you S/N chasers: I acquired 1001 and 2008 from Francesco Nicola Cima, who said he was one of the backers and took the cars when they closed. His name should precede mine. And 1001 was blue-green metallic with pumpkin leather interior, not grey and red. Somewhere I have a pic of the interior but damned if I can find it. The center section of the front bumper was missing; I suspect that when they re-did the front hood they never got around to re-shaping the bumper.

 

lgs;143056566]Thank you so much for posting all this interesting, unknown and wonder full pictures and information.

#148: Which on of the badges was on the Lola? How did you got it?

I had a SERENISSIMA Coupe without motor. Arno Flach found 1977 - after a hint of Rudy Pas - the car’s original SERENISSIMA engine in ALF FRANCIS garage in Wichita Kansas. This engine was installed in Lola GT Mk. 6 #LGT1. This car was the 1963 Le Mans participant and test car of the GT40 program. In Formigine, Alf Francis took this engine in 1968/9 out of my car and used it in his Lola. Arno arranged a deal and I bought the engine with some SERENISSIMA badges, ATS and SERENISSIMA photos, documents and other parts.

I do not think one of the badges came from the Lola. But the Lola had in this period a Serenissima badge and the Venice Flag on the car’s side.
They are just the same as ALF FRANCIS used for the "SERENISSIMA" cars in Formigine.

Some of my parts I bought from FRITZ BAUMANN, Uster/Switzerland. ALF FRANCIS built a Formula 1 COOPER - ATS in Uster for him. One or two years earlier ALF FRANCIS build a LOTUS 23 sports car with the ATS 3 liter engine and Colotti T32 gearbox also for FRITZ BAUMANN. ALF FRANCIS brought a lot of ATS engine parts and COLOTTI Transmission parts to FRITZ BAUMANN. The ATS engine blocks and cylinder heads are unfortunately gone. Some Colotti transmission parts are today available again.

From COOPER-ATS and ATS LOTUS 23 I will post some pictures in a few days.

A few years later I bought this LOTUS 23 SN #134, in need of a COLOTTI T32 gearbox for my SERENISSIMA. This gearbox was installed in the car from end 66.
At this time the LOTUS had a ALFA ROMEO GTA 1600 engine with dry sump AUTODELTA magnesium oil pan. This part came from AUTODELTA's COOPER ALFA FORMULA III (Driver JO SIFFERT). ALF FRANCIS was the team manager.

#148: How should Lola GT #LGT1 be called after Francis' modification? Serenissima Lola GT Mk.6 "AF"?

Good question! I think, Serenissima Lola GT Mk.6 "AF" is correct for this period.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks again! The "Alf Francis Scuderia" emblem is wonderful. Where did Francis used it? Only in the States or already in Italy?

After Stirling Moss' accident, Alf Francis was 62/3 without a job and left the Rob Walker Team. He settled in Modena and joinded GSD Gear Speed Development Colotti-Francis in Ubersetto near Maranello. At the same time he had different projects with ATS, Fritz Baumann, Vic Derrington, his own Scuderia, was dealing-wheeling and finally joined 1966/7 Serenissima Automobili s.r.l. in Formigine, until he left Italy in 1970/1 for Kansas Wichita, where he had an own workshop and died 1983.

Can anybody correct, confirm or add? Thanks!

 

ATS 2500 G.T./G.T.S. brochure
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

ATS 2500 G.T./G.T.S. brochure
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Found the pic of the interior of 1001 when in my hands, 1966 I think.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks for posting the scans of the brochures.

 

Post 141, 001 in primer: looks like Bill Decarr shop ? Great stuff here. Thank you for posting.

Philippe

 

purchased from ALF FRANCIS 17-02-78
#2001 / # 2002 ??
Motorsport Memorial -
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

purchased from ALF FRANCIS 17-02-78
#2001 / # 2002 ??
Motorsport Memorial -
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

purchased from ALF FRANCIS 17-02-78
#2001 / # 2002 ??
Motorsport Memorial -
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

purchased from ALF FRANCIS 17-02-78
#2001 / # 2002 ??
Motorsport Memorial -
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

ATS REGISTRY as of July 7, 2014
===============================================================================================================================================================
I have attempted to assemble a rough registry of the original cars from the factory and from the correct time period. I have used publicly available information (Thanks to FChat members!), my personal knowledge, and direct contact
with the owners and former owners of these cars.

Some notes;

1. ->There were probably 7 or 8 cars built to a state where they could be sold. I was in contact with Alf Francis in the early 80's, he was hired to help run the formula one effort. His recollection was that

they had more chassis than bodies, and there were likely about 12 chassis. However his memory was a little vague on the details.

2. ->The cars damaged in the transporter accident were not GT cars but Formula one cars. Here is a link to more info on that; [http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/EdM000N009.html]

3. ->One of the (2?) GT racers was involved in an accident at Reims on July 3, 1964. The car was very likely destroyed. Details of that accident are here; []Motorsport Memorial -

4. ->The factory distinction between GT and GTS had to do with several things NOT including displacement. Some cars were apparently bored out to 3.0 liters, but not neccessarily by the factory. The GT cars

were supposed to be steel bodied cars with radios, heaters, power windows, sound proofing, a fully-synchronized ZF transmission and (2)42DCN Weber carbs. The GTS, had none of that. No heater, no sychros, no

roll-up windows but (4)42DCN Weber carbs and an aluminum body. In practice however there are no two cars alike.

5. ->The chassis numbering used by the factory in six cars whose history goes back (somewhat) to the factory are 4 digit numbers; #1001 #2003 #2004 #2005 #2006 #2008. The complete number stamped on my car is

"-ATS-GTS 2500-2005-".If it had been bored out to 3.0 liters it presumably would read "-ATS-GTS 3000-2005-" I have not seen with my own eyes the chassis numbers as stamped on the other cars. The VIN given

for the car auctioned by Coys is 15/63. My guess is that this number was chosen by its builder to suggest the 15th chassis built in 1963 which would put the number safely higher than the factory output (and

thus not likely to conflict with other cars numbers) while also implying that it was built in 1963.

6. ->There is significant evidence that Giordenengo has aquired some ATS chassis and parts from the original production stocks. If true, then it would be folly to expect them not to build cars out of these

parts, as this is part of the business he is in. However, if they or others are misrepresenting the cars, that's another matter which should be exposed.


Any helpful additions, corrections and editorial suggestions to this list are welcome. I sincerely hope I have not stepped on anyones toes.

=================================================================================
ATS GT #1001

1963 Geneva Auto Show
1965 Francesco Nicola Cima Italy (claimed some connection to ATS factory...)
1966 Ed Niles Los Angeles, CA (blue-green metallic with pumpkin leather interior)
19?? Chuck Jones CA (installed Chevy V8)
1973 Paul Bernardo Santa Ana, CA
197? John Krimmell Evergreen, CO
1976 Steve Berry Littleton, CO (dark red metallic with pumpkin leather interior)
1978 Bill Peters Chama, NM
1983 Norbert McNamara Waterford, CA
1990 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
200? McCaw Collection
200? Bernard Carl DC - London
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GT? #2001 possible Targa Florio car?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GT? #2002 possible Targa Florio car?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GT #2003


1963 Paris Auto Show (color?)
19?? Thepenier's Paris, France
1983 Tom Price SoCal
19?? Paul Forbes Los Angeles,Ca
4/9/1993 Bruce Milner Ca.
4/2/2002 Paul Forbes Los Angeles,Ca
2002 Fantasy Junction Emeryville, Ca
2003 Thomas McGough Shoreview Minnesota
2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
2008 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GT #2004


1964 Alf Francis at ATS
196? Bruce McIntosh England, (McLaren)
196? Carl Rosner South Croyden, England,
1977 Brian Classic Cheshire, UK
1979 Jack Mooring Lancaster, CA
1985 Norbert McNamara Waterford, CA
1988 Pebble Beach
1989 Modesto Concours (scca) a win!
2005 Richard Powers Costa Rica
2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
2010 unknown (sold at RM London auction)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GTS #2005

1964 Bill Mitchell (VP GM Styling)
19?? unknown (Detroit area insurance exec ?)
1977 Steve Berry Littleton, CO
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GTS #2006

1965 Tom Meade Westwood,CA (given to him by Carlo Chiti at the ATS factory, Alf Francis present.)
1976 Kurt Mocher Monza Motors, Houston,TX (in exchange for work done for Tom equiv. to 8k +|-)
1979 Bill Peters Chama, NM
? Oliver Kuttner Virginia
1/21/1994 Bruce Milner CA
2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
2004 Concorso Italiano
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GTS #2008

1965 Francesco Nicola Cima Italy (claimed some connection to ATS factory...)
1966 Ed Niles Los Angeles , CA
196? Jerry Rosenstock Hollywood, CA
1974 Nickolas Begovich Fullerton, CA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATS GTS #15/63 (VIN not in series with other cars)

19?? no info prior to Dr Gerstl
1987 Dr Karl Gerstl Graz, Austria
1987 Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomii
2007 Gaisbergrennen Salzburg
2012 unknown (Sold at Coys Old Timers auction)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================================

 

To answer some of the recent questions, I do think that more chassis were built than bodies, but I have a pic of a bare chassis and another pic of a body, so there you go. I will post some pix of 1001 in the colors in which I owned it, to put to rest that question. Also some at the factory showing a yellow car and the primered body. Finally, some pix of two F1 engines (4-cam); I wonder what became of them?
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ed,
About #1001:

#1 When I first saw pictures of the ATS in the Sept 64 Road & Track article I was totally in love with the car, and especially the rear view of the car at the Geneva Show (1963).
Later, when the car became a reality for me I was disappointed that the tailamps shown in that picture were not to be found. However, I remember looking inside the rear fender
and seeing traces of the tailamp cut-out there. There were also traces where the darts were welded inside the hood, and alternate holes for the wiper location under the cowling.
Or was it all a dream???

#2 If you look at the Geneva pictures (top row) you can see that the rear view mirror is mounted on the dashboard, but on all subsequent pictures, when the car was in the USA,
the mirror is mounted in the normal place above the windshield. This is odd, but what makes it more odd is that the exact opposite thing occurred on my other ATS #2005. All early
pictures show the mirror above the windshield, but when I bought it the mirror was on the dash.
What gives?

#3 When I had #1001 it was painted dark red metallic, and had caramel (pumpkin?) colored upholstery, the dash was black.

#4 Did #1001 appear at Geneva in 1963 AND 1964 ? Or any other shows in Europe?

On the top row left to right:
1 at Geneva from R&T
2 at Geneva from R&T
3 at the factory?
4 when I owned both #1001 #2005
5 This is a commercial photo taken when Norbert MacNamara owned it taken by Winston Goodfellow. There was a set of these for sale
on his web site at one time.
6 This is how the car looks now. Owned by Bernard Carl.


Steve
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

No 3 is in front of Carrozzeria Allemano, Torino

 

Serenissima. Le Mans 1966.

 

Gianni Diena, Aldo Silingardi

 

Lotus 41B with ATS engine at Les Rangiers hillclimb 1969 in Switzerland.
©Jean-Pierre Bainier.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Facsimile - AR-Zeitung Nr. 37 / 1969 vom 28.Aug.1969 - Seite 9*(1969)*|*Zwischengas

DNA or DNS? Any additional information?

 

Lotus ATS - TNF's Archive - The AUTOSPORT Forums
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Facsimile - AR-Zeitung Nr. 18 / 1966 vom 14.Apr.1966 - Seite 11*(1966)*|*Zwischengas

Facsimile - AR-Zeitung Nr. 20 / 1966 vom 28.Apr.1966 - Seite 43*(1966)*|*Zwischengas

It's a shortened Cooper F1 chassis (ex Jochen Rindt) modified early 1966 from Alf Francis for Fritz Baumann in Uster/CH, with a 2500 ATS engine enlarged to 3000 ccm, four Weber 46 IDFs and a Colotti T32 gearbox.