Silverstone Classic - Ferrari Owners' Club

Postcard from the Silverstone Classic
Report and pics by Ed Brown

15.8.07

The 3rd Silverstone Classic took place from 27- 29 July, celebrating “25 years of Group C racing” along with the 30th anniversary of James Hunt’s victory in the British Grand Prix . With 22 races and 800+ competitors on the specially adapted 3.14 mile Historic Grand Prix Circuit, combined with over 2800 cars on display from 44 car clubs (including our own) in the infield, there was something of interest for everyone.

Racing celebrities abounded at this year's event, all of whom were happy to sign autographs and chat – like 5 time Le Mans winner Derek Bell (who raced a borrowed Porsche 962C), fellow Le Mans winners Andy Wallace (sharing with Justin Law in a Jaguar XJR12) and Jackie Oliver (in his regular historic mount a BMW 1800TI) along with 1992 Japanese Formula 3 champion Anthony Reid (March 74S) and his former British Touring car team-mate David Leslie in his newly rebuilt Lola MK1.

The National Straight was given over to the 200 + participants of the Silverstone Retro Run (a one-day classic car tour through the Chiltern countryside) whilst 25 years of Group C racing were celebrated with the presence of all 6 Jaguar XJR9’s, over 20 Porsche 956s and the sonorous rotary-engined Mazda 757. Expanded for this year was a vintage aircraft “fly in“ where the two radial-engined Troy Ohio-built Wacos attracted much attention.

After the recent heavy rain in Northamptonshire the automotive marketplace was understandably much depleted, whilst the adjacent art gallery showcased the talents of the UK’s foremost motoring artists with the most evocative being the action style of John Ketchell and his painting of Dan Gurney’s Shelby Cobra. Close by Bonhams held a Porsche only sale, where the highlight for me was the tractor (!), complemented by a display of two forthcoming sale lots at the Goodwood Revival: Lord March’s own Lola MK1 and the ex Hopkirk/ Fall/ Makinen works Mini Cooper “GRX5D”.

Most numerous marque on the infield was Porsche but as always there are plenty of cars that catch the eye both there and in the paddock:

OSCA G4500 – Ernesto, Ettore and Bindo Maserati left Maserati in ’47 after their consultancy contract ended, forming Officine Specializzate Costruzioni Automobili - Fratelli Maserati SpA.Their production concentrated on small capacity sportscars but in 1951 they produced a normally.phpirated 4.5 V12 F1 racer, which was driven without Grand Prix success by noted drivers B. Bira and Franco Rol. Josef Rettenmaier brought his example to this year’s Classic and for me it was the car of the event
BMW M1 – with only 456 examples of this Giugiaro designed car built between ’78 and ’81 it is to date BMW’s only mid engined supercar and is best known by many as the star of the Procar series
Steyr Allard - winner of the 1949 British Hillclimb championship. Air cooled, 140bhp and self-built by trials specialist and later drag racer Sydney Allard.
BMW 502 – Warwickshire BMW dealer and longtime racer Nick Whale shared the V8 powered “Baroque Angel” with ’79 F1 World Champion Alan Jones at the ’06 Goodwood Revival and it looked ready for more action!

The FOC GB had a 100 + car display over the weekend, with a representative cross section of tipi including 250GTE, 365GTC, 246 Dino, F40,348, 355, 360, 430, 550 and 612.

Much reported elsewhere the track action was fast and furious, the highlights of which were:

Simon Hadfield’s superb drive in Frank Sytner’s newly acquired Hesketh F1, having started on row 11 he almost caught Peter Dunn’s Grand Prix Masters winning March, losing out by just 0.7 secs at flag fall.
Lola boss Martin Birrane and vastly experienced racer Ron Cumming, who splashed throught the puddles and into the dark on the Saturday evening to win the World Sportscar Masters enduro.
Tony Smith who gave his 1960 Dino 246 F1 the only Ferrari victory of the weekend
Serial historic racers Gary Pearson and Barrie Williams who had a busy 3 days, but managed to pick up some significant silverware and in the latter’s case, a fitting celebration of his 50 yrs in motorsport.

In a crowded August the historic racing movement continues at unabated speed, making its second trip to Copenhagen for the Danish Historic Grand Prix and then to Nurburgring for the 35th Oldtimer meeting, before crossing the Atlantic to California and the Laguna Seca/ Monterey racetrack where Indy Roadsters will lead the racing. The intense Pebble Beach Concours will salute the products of Aston Martin, Cord and Duesenberg.

Will the ex Steve McQueen 250 Lusso become the most expensive example of the tipo ever sold? Or will we have to wait until November and RM’s London auction of part of the Bernie Ecclestone collection for the year's most expensive car sold under gavel.....?