The 2017 Chantilly Concours d’Elegance will celebrate Ferrari’s 70th anniversary with a retrospective retracing Maranello’s history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A selection of 30 Ferraris that have taken part in the race will be displayed 10 September at Domaine de Chantilly in Chantilly, France.
Honoring Ferrari’s history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a logical step for Peter Auto, as the Italian marque has racked up 407 entries in 56 events in the Sarthe since 1949, taking nine overall victories and 21 class wins.The Ferrari entries will compete in a variety of classes at the Concours d’Etat at the 2017 Chantilly event. Examples include:
Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (0728TR) – In 1958, this car with aerodynamic bodywork designed by Pinin Farina and made by Scaglietti broke the D-Type Jaguar’s domination of the Le Mans race. The 250 TR in the hands of Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill gave the Scuderia its third victory in the Sarthe.
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta ‘Breadvan’ (2819GT) – Giotto Bizzarrini and Carlo Chiti were fired by Ferrari so they joined up with Count Giovanni Volpi in 1962. The pair set themselves the challenge of beating the Scuderia with a short-chassis 250 GT (2nd in the Tour de France Auto in 1961). The result of their handiwork was this machine nicknamed the “Breadvan” that retired in the fourth hour (transmission failure) after making a good start to the race.
Ferrari 250 GTO (4293GT) – Ferrari put on a brilliant display at Le Mans in 1963 as his cars filled the first six places in the 24-Hours race. But it was all thanks to private teams like the Équipe Nationale Belge which brought this 250 GTO home in second position overall with victory in the Grand Touring category. This car also won the Spa 500 Km with Willy Mairesse at the wheel.
Ferrari 330 P4 (0858) – The P4 often considered as the most beautiful racing car in the history of motorsport competed in the “Race of the Century” in 1967. The outcome of the memorable battle between Ford and Ferrari was victory for the American giant and the Scuderia was defeated. Mike Parkes and Ludovico Scarfiotti brought this car home in second place.
Ferrari 512 S Berlinetta (1016) – This car was one of the stars of Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans shot in the summer of 1970. It looked marvelous in its long-tail version and it also stood out because of the bubble in the roof to accommodate the tall Mike Parkes. In the race the Englishman collided with two other Ferraris in Maison Blanche.
Ferrari 312 PB (0892) – After the withdrawal of the Prancing Horse the previous year the long-awaited duel between Ferrari and Matra took place in 1973. The 312 PB made its Le Mans debut a year after its construction. Driven by Carlos Pace and Arturo Merzario this car led the race after six hours, but was overtaken by the Pescarolo-Larrousse Matra and finished second.
For further information, visit ChantillyArtsetElegance.com.
[Source: Peter Auto]
