1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider

The four-cylinder motor designed by engineer Aurelio Lampredi became the mainstay of Ferrari's very successful 1952 and 1953 World Drivers' Championships in Formula Two competition. It was not long before the engine was transposed to sports car racing, powering the 500 Mondial and 750 Monza models to many victories. The engine was particularly successful on shorter winding circuits, where the lightweight, high-revving powerplant often outperformed the V-12 competition.

When Lampredi left Ferrari in 1955, a new engineering team led by Vittorio Jano was tasked with enhancing and developing the engine even further. The most visual of these changes was the new cylinder block wearing red paint, leading to the Testa Rossa name that would become legendary, especially through the red-head V-12 sports racing prototype.

Most of the 500 TR models wore Scaglietti bodies and were raced by Ferrari's top privateer clients. A few examples were upgraded to 2.5-liter configuration and wore coachwork by Touring for use as Scuderia Ferrari Works cars. Early accolades were 1st and 3rd at the 1956 Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix at Monza, followed by over 30 class and overall victories across Europe and North America during the 1956 season.

To comply with FIA's latest Appendix C regulations, the 500 TR was updated for the 1957 season, and the model was duly renamed the 500 TRC. It rested three inches lower to the ground than its predecessor and the previous De Dion rear was replaced by a live rear axle. A conventional engine-mounted four-speed gearbox was installed and numerous updates were made to the engine. It received a lighter flywheel, stronger connecting rods and crankshaft assembly, and a pair of Weber 40 DCOA/3 carburetors. Output rose to 190 horsepower which gave it a potential top speed of around 153 mph

The 500 TRC was developed exclusively for privateer racing clients who were very successful, with class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Nürburgring 1000 KM.

The 500 TRC was the last four-cylinder model that Ferrari produced and just 19 examples were built.

This particular example was created near the end of production and is the second-to-last car built. In April of 1957, it was loaned by the factory to François Picard, who repainted the car French blue and raced it under the banner of his Ecurie Los Amigos. It scored three class victories through early June, including 5th overall at the Portuguese Grand Prix. At the 24 Hours of LeMans, driving duties were entrusted to Richie Ginther, and despite showing early promise, it was forced to retire due to a water pump failure.

Near the close of 1957, the car was sold through Luigi Chinetti to Mike Garber of Hamden, Connecticut. At the time, the 500 TRC wore its Le Man's blue livery. Driving duties were handled by the team's Swiss-born driver Gaston 'Gus' Andrey. The car's first outting under new ownership was at the Nassau Bahamas Speed Week in December 1957. Andrey failed to finish the Tourist Trophy event but placed 2nd in class in the Governor's Trophy prelim race and 5th in class in the Nassau Trophy race. Mike Garber entered the 500 TRC in the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring where it was driven by Andrey, Bill Loyd, and Dan Gurney. It ran well until the 125th lap when it suffered a rear axle bearing failure.

After Sebring, the car was given a two-tone paint scheme of white over a red lower body, a red stripe, and Swiss emblems on each side. Andrey raced the car in several races through 1959, earning him the SCCA E-Modified championships in 1958 and 1959. It was an overall winner in April 1958 at Lime Rock and had a class victory at the 1958 President's Cup at Marlboro, Maryland. Additionally, it won its class at Bridgehampton in June 1958, Virginia International Raceway in October 1958, Thompson in May 1959, and Lime Rock in July 1959.

After the 1959 season, the car was offered for sale, and over the next two decades, it passed through a documented chain of owners across the United States.

Henry Hironaka was driving the 500 TRC in a racing school in the early 1960s when its original 2-liter engine (number 0706 MDTR) dropped a valve and was removed from the car. For a time, it was powered by a Ford 289 V-8 motor. This was later removed and a new 2-liter engine (number 0582 LM) was installed. In May 1980 Stanley Nowak found the original 0706 MDTR engine crated within Luigi Chinetti's warehouse. It was then sold to Derek Lees in Birmingham, England, who installed it in the restoration of a 500 TR, chassis number 0640 MDTR. This car (0706 MDTR) was reunited with its numbers-matching engine after the car was acquired by Oscar Davis in 2014. (The spare engine, number 0582 LM - remains with the car).

Count Hubertus von Dönhoff of Germany acquired the car in 1984 and over the following decade, he entered it twice at the Mille Miglia Storica and three times at the AvD-Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. By 1955, it returned to the United States and was displayed at the 1995 Cavallino Classic, winning the Coppa per Quattro Cilindri for the best four-cylinder Ferrari.

In September 1998, the car was sold to Roger Willbanks, Sr. of Colorado who displayed it in 2001 at the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, the 2003 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, and the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

In 2006, the 500 TRC was sold to a New York-based collector who displayed it in 2007 at the Reading Concours d'Elegance, where it won the Scaglietti Award. Oscar Davis acquired it in 2014 and reunited it with its numbers-matching engine.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022