1957 Ferrari 500 TRC

The 500 TR, meaning Testa Rossa after their red-topped cylinder heads, was introduced in 1956 as a replacement for the 500 Mondial. These machines were designed and built for customers with only a few being entered by the factory in races.

As was the case with many early Ferrari's, the bodywork was handled by custom coachbuilders. Three examples were bodied by Touring, their designs being easily distinguished by their large front wheel arches.

Gioacchino Colombo started out being the primary builder of Ferrari's engines in the late 1940's and a major contributor to the success of Ferrari. Aurelio Lampredi became his assistant in 1947. Lampredi soon became convinced that a large engine that was naturally aspirated would have better fuel economy and provide more power. Colombo was of the belief that a smaller engine compiled with a supercharger would produce better results. Ferrari tested Lambredi's idea and proved it to be successful. Lampredi was promoted to chief design engineer and Colombo returned to Alfa Romeo. The Lampredi engines were used in the ladder part of the 1950's.

Ferrari's V-12 engines dominated the Formula 2 class in 1949. Enzo also realized the benefits of using a smaller engine, such as less fuel consumption and a decrease in weight. He instructed Lampredi to design a four-cylinder engine that could potentially replace the Colombo-designed V12. This project was given a low priority until the regulations for the World Championship changes switched to those of Formula 2.

In 1952 a Lampredi-developed 2-liter, alloy engine was introduced and fitted in a 500 F2. The vehicle driven by Ascari captured the World Championship and again the following year. Lampredi also developed a 2.5-liter version of the four-cylinder engine.

The body of the 500 TR was designed by Scaglietti and the engine was a 2.5-liter Lampredi engine. In 1956 it debuted at the Monza Supercortemagiore where it was driven by Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. When the checkered flag dropped, it was the 500 TR that had made it to the finish line first.

The design and capability of the 2.5-liter engine were further explored with continual improvements that increased the car's potential. It was to be entered in Le Mans but rulers were changed and Ferrari was forced to comply with new 'Appendix C' regulations for sports cars. The rules included a windshield and a passenger door. In 1957, Ferrari complied by introducing the 500 TRC, a 500 TR with a slightly modified body. Only 19 of the 500 TRC were ever created.

The 500 TRC first raced at Avandaro, Mexico where it dominated the track and easily won first place. That race was followed by eight other victories including Laguna Seca. The four-cylinder engine was capable of producing 190 horsepower and was capable of carrying the 1500 pound TRC to a top speed of just over 160 mph.

This car proved its abilities as a four-cylinder machine and often challenged competitors with larger, more powerful engines. Its agility and durability were legendary and with a limited number of the TRC models produced, their exclusivity is forever guaranteed.

by Dan Vaughan

Spider
Chassis number: 0690 MDTR

Just a total of 19 of the potent Ferrari 500 TRC would be ever produced. Each and every one would be built to satisfy new regulations but would prove to be more than a mere temporary measure. But, while many would go on to great success there would be one that would go on to great infamy.

Aurelio Lampredi would succeed in building a four-cylinder engine that produced good amounts of power and torque. Prepared in response to the reduction to 2.0-liters in the Formula One World Championship, Lampredi's four-cylinder engine would absolutely dominate between 1952 and 1953. This same engine would also serve as a good powerplant for sportscars as well.

By 1956, Ferrari already had the 500 Mondial at their disposal. Vittorio Jano and other engineers were now working at Ferrari following Lampredi's departure. Jano would concentrate on utilizing the four-cylinder engine which the factory had in good supply. The engine would come in different displacements, especially for use in sportscar racing. Two-liters all the way up to 3.4-liters would be used.

However, concentrating on building cars specifically for customers, a 2.0-liter version would be used. Because of the cylinder heads being colored red the name 'Testa Rossa' would be aptly applied to the car's design.

Ferrari had its engine, but it would need to make some changes to the chassis to ensure the car could be as competitive as possible. Because of the smaller engine, the car needed to shed some pounds and be created with good handling qualities to be able to maintain a decent average speed.

Jano and his engineers would stick with a tubular steel frame. However, the rear suspension would feature a solid rear axle instead of the complicated and heavy De Dion design used on many previous examples. But while Jano and his team would make a number of revisions to the chassis, including mounting the engine lower in the chassis to help give the car a low center of gravity, he would still decide to make use of large, finned drum brakes instead of the competitive disc brakes.

When tweaking of the engine was completed, the four-cylinder engine and twin Weber carburetors would end up pushing horsepower to greater than 180bhp. Coupled to a four or five-speed gearbox, the new engine was able to deliver formidable power to the wheels.

Having gone through the process of shedding unnecessary weight and improving the car's handling qualities it was important to wrap the chassis in the most aerodynamically efficient body possible. Carrozzeria Scaglietti would make sure it was one of the most beautiful as well.

Scaglietti had already penned and built one of the most elegantly beautiful body designs in the world when it fashioned the 500 Mondial. However, the changes to the chassis would enable the designers of the carrozzeria to evolve the chassis design into an even more beautiful sportscar.

The 500 TR would be quite successful right from the very beginning. However, it would be rather late to the party. New regulations, referred to as CSI Appendix 'C', would come into play for 1957. These new regulations demanded a full-size passenger seat, two doors and a full windscreen and wiper.

The new regulations would cause Ferrari to have to make some changes, but nothing necessarily drastic. The 500 TR could actually fit the bill. Some changes just had to be made. Known as the 500 TRC, the 'C' standing for the new regulation changes, would feature the changes required in the regulations. But while such rule changes have a tendency to destroy beautiful designs, these new regulations would help to fashion one of the most desirable of 1950s Ferrari sportscars.

Chassis 0690 MDTR would be one of the 17 500 TRCs built by the factory and made available for customers. Shipped to Scaglietti in April of 1957, the chassis would be completed in its entirety in May and would be the 12th in the series.

Completed in early May, 0690 MDTR wouldn't be long waiting for its first competitive outing. Entered in the Coppa Consuma hill climb, and driven by Siro Sbraci, the car would go on to finish 8th overall and 6th within its class.

Just a week later, 0690 MDTR would take part in the Mille Miglia painted in an overall red livery with a blue stripe. Entered in the race with number 453 and under Idriz sponsorship, Sbraci would go on to an incredible 12th place overall finish and 3rd in class! Having had his fun with the car, Sbraci would return the car to the factory to prepare it for sale.

A wealthy cigar-maker from Havana, Cuba by the name of Armando Garcia Cifuentes would end up purchasing the Ferrari and would have the vehicle shipped to the island nation in order to take part in the Cuban Grand Prix held in February of 1958.

The Cuban Grand Prix would take place amidst a lot of national turmoil. Cuban rebels would be involved in a number of attacks throughout the country at the time. The rebels would also look to any opportunity for the government to heed their demands. Therefore, the 1958 race would become infamous for the unfortunate mixture of sport and politics.

The race would become infamous for being the event in which Juan Manuel Fangio would be taken prisoner and held for ransom. The event would take place right after the Argentinean had set the fastest lap in qualifying in a Maserati 300S. But while it would be the kidnapping of Fangio for which the race would be remembered, the event would become infamous as a result of 0690 MDTR.

The Ferrari would be entered under the team name Scuderia Cuba and would feature a yellow livery with a black stripe. Chaguito Gonzalez was actually scheduled to drive the car but Cifuentes would refuse to give him the reigns. Then, on the third lap of the race, and right near the American embassy, Cifuentes would crash the 500 TRC into the crowd. More than 40 would be seriously injured and seven would perish. Cifuentes would emerge severely injured, but would end up surviving the ordeal. As a result of the crash and the resulting deaths, the race would be cancelled. Interestingly, more than a few would believe the crash would be the result of sabotage.

The infamous 500 TRC would be seized by the Cuban police and would remain in their possession until the mid-1980s. Over that time, the Scaglietti bodywork would deteriorate and would be discarded. What remained of the car would be sold to Colin Crabbe who had the car exported to the United Kingdom where it would begin a restoration process.

An investigation would commence. The car would be thoroughly examined and, despite its years spent deteriorating, it would be realized the rolling chassis still featured much of its original components. It was missing its bodywork and engine but there was still a highly original chassis to serve as a foundation. After some further investigation referencing the numbers stamped throughout the chassis it would be confirmed just what car Crabbe had on his hands.

The detail work was able to progress but there was concern over the engine. The original had been removed and was certainly lost somewhere in Cuba. The likelihood of finding the original engine was all but impossible. Therefore, a suitable engine needed to be found for the car. Toni Franco in Maranello would build and install an early outside-plug V12. This would be mated to a 250 GT four-speed synchromesh gearbox.

Needed parts would be ordered and purchased directly from original manufacturers. Great detail and care would be taken in the entire process. John von-Neumann's old chassis, 0672 MDTR, would serve as a template from which all dimensions and contours could be created, taken and applied to the new body panels. One interesting departure from original would be the use of a clear Plexiglas carburetor cover fitted to the bonnet.

When the restoration was finally completed, the Ferrari would be invited to the 2nd Annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. The invitation would be first received in 1994 but another would come in 1997. Chassis 0690 MDTR would take part in a number of events from Coys Historic Race Festival and the European Concours d'Elegance at Schwetzingen, Germany.

In 2007, 0690 MDTR would be part of a very special moment when it was loaned to the Orvieto Car Club in Northern Spain. It would be at one of their events that 0690 MDTR would be reunited with Cifuentes for the first time in nearly 50 years.

At the time of the reunion, the car would not bear its infamous yellow and black livery. However, in the years following, the car would be refinished and, sure enough, it would be refinished in those evocative colors.

While bearing the same colors of that fateful day in 1958, 0690 MDTR serves not as a reminder of death and injury but of an age of innocence when sport united the masses and the love of speed and the roar of engines served as the only sounds of fury and warfare.

Presented at the 2013 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction, 0690 MDTR would draw estimates ranging from between $1,500,000 and $2,300,000. However, because of its provenance and unique history, the bidding would be spirited and would easily surpass expectations. The final sale price would end up being $3,080,000.

Sources:

'Lot No. 151: 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC', (http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1957-ferrari-500-trc-3/#tab2). Gooding & Company. http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1957-ferrari-500-trc-3/#tab2. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

'1957 Ferrari 500 TRC News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8765/Ferrari-500-TRC.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8765/Ferrari-500-TRC.aspx. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

'1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13648/Ferrari-500-Mondial.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13648/Ferrari-500-Mondial.aspx. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

by Jeremy McMullen

Spider
Chassis number: 0670 MDTR
Engine number: 0670 MDTR

After a disagreement in 1940, Enzo Ferrari left Alfa Romeo. Having sold the rights of his Scuderia Ferrari team to Alfa, Enzo was unable to place his name on a car for four years. With engineers Massimino and Bellentani, Ferrari started a company called Auto Avio Construzione. They produced a model called the 815, of which only two were ever produced. They both were powered by a 1.5-liter eight-cylinder engine and were entered in the 1950 Mille Miglia. One of the cars had been sold to Alberto Ascari and the other to Marquesa Lottario di Rangoni. Both cars performed exceptionally well at the Mille Miglia before being forced to retire prematurely.

World War II slowed the racing efforts for Enzo Ferrari; in 1945 he hired Gioacchino Colombo, a brilliant engineer who Ferrari had worked with at Alfa. Colombo began working on a 1.5-liter twelve-cylinder engine which proved difficult due to a shortage of materials in the post-WWII era. Despite this, the engine was ready for testing by 1946. The resulting vehicles wore the name Ferrari.

In 1947 Aurelio Lampredi was brought in to assist Columbo with engine building. Lampredi soon became convinced that a large engine that was naturally aspirated would have better fuel economy and provide more power. Colombo was of the belief that a smaller engine compiled with a supercharger would produce better results. Ferrari tested Lambredi's idea and proved it to be successful. Lampredi was promoted to chief design engineer and Colombo returned to Alfa Romeo.

Ever since the inception of the Ferrari cars, they proved to be highly competitive and quickly amassed many victories. To improve cash-flow, Ferrari eventually began building road-going cars. The designs and mechanics of many of his vehicles were unmatched, produced by some of the greatest coachbuilders and engineers of all time.

Aurelio Lampredi left Ferrari in 1955 and Vittorio Jano was brought in to take his place. Assisting him was Alberto Massimino, Luigi Bellentani and Adrea Fraschetti. They began working on a two-liter sports car which was dubbed the 500 TR. The 'TR' stood for 'Testa Rossa' mean 'red head'. Since the cylinder heads of the engine were read, the name was appropriate. The four-cylinder engine type 500 TR was debuted in 1956 and became replacements for the 500 Mondial. The first batch of cars were bodied by Carrozzeria Touring. This would be the last time Touring was commissioned by Ferrari to build bodies for his cars. Scaglietti and Pinin Farina were later tasked with providing bodies; in total, 17 examples were created. They carried chassis numbers designated Type 518 and engines Type 131.

The cars were successfully campaigned by privateers around the world. New regulations by the FIA meant the racers were soon obsolete. The Appendix C for modified sports cars read that changes were to be implemented for the 1957 season. The new rules stated that the windscreen had to be symmetrical over the axis of the car, a soft-top was required, and the fuel capacity was to be 120 liters. The width was set to 100 centimeters while the height had to be at least 15 centimeters.

Ferrari set to work in making his cars legal for competition. After many late nights, the 500 TRC was introduced and was in compliance with the new FIA regulations. The 'C' on the TRC represented the compliance of the Appendix C regulations.

The gearbox, transmission, and engine were identical to the 500 TR. Most of the changes had been done to the bodies, though the De Dion rear suspension was replaced with a rigid axle and coil springs. The chassis had been reworked, resulting in increased rigidity. The engine had been lowered by moving the tubular frame members further apart. The 500 TRC was given chassis Type 518 C and engine Type 131 C.

Scaglietti was commissioned to produce bodies for the vehicles. In total, 19 were produced with most receiving two-tone paint jobs instead of the typical Ferrari red. There were actually 17 500 TRC's and two 625 TRCs. After just one year, the 500 TRC's were replaced by the new 250 Test Rossa which were powered by three-liter twelve-cylinder engines.

The 500 TRC cars proved their abilities as a four-cylinder machine and often challenged competitors with larger, more powerful engines. This was also the final time Ferrari would outfit their sports cars with a four-cylinder engine.

Ferrari 500 TRC with chassis number 0670MDTR has coachwork by Scaglietti and is powered by a four-cylinder double overhead cam engine. Dual Weber 40 DCO/A3 twin-choke downdraft carburetors, a 9.75:1 compression and roller tappet followers helps the 121 cubic-inch engine produce 190 horsepower. A four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels. The body is suspended in place by an independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs. The rear suspension is comprised of a live rear axle, coil springs, and single trailing arms. Braking power is by hydraulic four-wheel drum brakes.

It is the 6th car produced in the series of 19. It was sold on April 4th, 1957 to Bernardo Cammarata, the first of five owners (to date). It was raced on May 11th, 1958 at the Targa Florio by Cammarata and co-driver Domenico Tramontana. It finished seventh in its class and tenth overall. A year later it returned to Targa Florio where it finished 2nd in class and eighth overall. A third visit in 1962 to Targa Florio resulted in a DNS.

In June of 1963, it was raced at Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb where it finished third overall. A second visit in 1964 earned it a first-place overall and first in class.

Its fourth visit to Targa Florio in 1965, this time driven by Francesco Tagliavia and co-driver Silvestre Semilia, resulted in a DNF. Tagliavia raced the car in August of 1965 at the Trapani-Monte Erice Hillclimb where he finished seventh overall and second in class.

At the close of May in 1966, Francesco Tagliavia and co-driver DiLiberto raced the 500 TRC to a fourth-in-class finish at the Trofeo Automobilistico Internazional.

The car was later sold to its second owner, Cammarata. In 1966, Giulio Dubbini became the car's third owner and raced the car over twenty years in historic races. In 1998 it was sold to Corrado Cupellini who campaigned the car in the European Shell Ferrari Maserati Challenge. It was sold in 2003. The car underwent a restoration.

by Dan Vaughan

Spider
Chassis number: 0670 MDTR
Engine number: 0670 MDTR

The 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider with coachwork by Scaglietti finished in yellow and red was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, Ca. It was estimated to sell between $2,200,000-$2,500,000. Its chassis number is 0670 MDTR and engine number 0670 MDTR. It is the sixth of nineteen cars produced. 17 were 500 TRCs and two were 625 TRCs. On auction day the lot was sold for $2,282,500.

In 2008, this vehicle returned to Pebble Beach, CA - this time up for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction. This is the only factory-certified Ferrari TRC in existence and is a remarkable automobile. This time, it failed to find an interested buyer willing to satisfy its reserve. The lot was left unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Spider
Chassis number: 0702MDTR

The Ferrari 500 TR, short for 'Testa Rossa' and referencing the red-topped cylinder heads of this model, was introduced in 1956. This car, chassis number 0702MDTR, is one of seventeen 2-liter, 4-cylinder Ferrari 500 TRCs styled and built by Scaglietti in 1957. Carl-Johan Askolin of Helsinki raced this car throughout Scandinavia until 1960, when it was sold to William Cooper in America. The car has also enjoyed a very busy second career in historic races and celebrations.

Spider
Chassis number: 0698MDTR

The 2-Liter 500 TRC for 1957 was a gentlemen's racer. The 2-liter racer supported the major races in which the big displacement factory team cars ran. The 500 TRC raced at nearly all sports car events and hill climbs in Europe. This car is the 16th of 19 cars built. It was sold new by Luigi Chinnetti to Cuban businessman/racer Julio Batista Falla. This car raced in World Sports Championship events in Sweden, Venezuela, Cuba and at Sebring. It had a long successful SCCA career in the eastern USA. The car raced at the Nassau Trophy Race, Bahamas, three times.

Spider
Chassis number: 0662 MDTR

This Ferrari 500 TRC is the third of 19 examples built and was completed at the factory in February of 1957. This Scaglietti-bodied sports racer was finished in a two-one livery and soon after its completion, was sold to John von Neumann, Ferrari's official West Coast distributor. Von Neumann staged a series of publicity photos with California driver Richie Ginther beside the brand-new Ferrari, in hopes of stimulating sales. Around February or early March, the car was sold to Luigi Chinetti's main financial backer, George Arents. Soon after, it was entered in the Boca Raton races on March 10th where it was driven by David Cunningham where it won the E-Modified class. It then raced at the 3rd Annual Frostbite Races at Eagle Mountain Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 13th and 14th. On May 19th, Cunningham and Arents raced the 500 TRC at Cumberland but failed to finish due to mechanical troubles. Later, it was loaned to Southern California driver Bruce Kessler, who finished with a 3rd place result. On June 23, 1957, von Neumann entered the car in the SCCA Nationals at Road America. In the second heat, achieved a 3rd place finish.

Around January of 1958, the car was acquired by Pete Lovely for a 500 TR (chassis number 0650 MDTR plus $2000 cash). In March of 1958, Lovely drove the 500 TRC at the SCCA event at Shelton Airport in Washington but failed to finish the race. Soon after the race, it was old to Dr. Leon Frank Becker of Mercer Island, Washington. Becker's first outing with the car was at Deer Park Airport where he finished 2nd in the Formula Libre race and 4th in the Modified race. It was then entered in the Seafair Sports Car Trophy races at Shelton and finished 2nd in Class. Becker raced the car on two other occasions during the 1958, at California's Riverside Grand Prix in October and Laguna Seca SCCA races in November.

For the 1959 season, it finished 3rd overall and 1st in E-Modified at Shelton in March. On June 14th, it set the class-winning time at the Goldendale Hill Climb. In July, it campaigned mostly in SCCA events. It had a 9th at Buckley Field and 6th at Riverside before Becker returned the car to the Northwest and won the preliminary event at Westwood in Vancouver, British Columbia. After a 4th place finish at Shelton, Becker finished with a win at Deer Park and major victories at Westwood, placing 1st in the main event as well as the race for C- through E-Modified.

During the 1960 season, the car raced at Pomona and Riverside, California, although its best result was a 3rd place finish in the Northwest Sports Car News Grand Prix in Kent, Washington.

In May of 1962, the 500 TRC was transported over a mountain pass and due to freezing conditions and the coolant system contained no antifreeze, the block was frozen. Instead of repairing the problem, the engine was replaced with a Chevrolet small-block V8. Over the next few years that followed, the car saw little use and was stored at Dale Dyer's shop in Seattle, Washington. In 1968. It was sold to Contemporary Classics, a sports car dealership on Pike Street. In 1969, it was acquired by Phillip 'Wink' Davis. A while later, it was put into storage in Nederland, Colorado. In 1969, it was acquired by Thor Thorson for $5,800 plus his Alfa Romeo GTV.

The car was sent for a restoration and Mr. Thorson found a 750 Monza engine, which he then traded for a more appropriate 500 TR engine and gearbox that were sourced through Chinetti Motors. The work was completed in 1979 and a year later, it ran at Laguna Seca and was invited to take part in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it was displayed in Class L (Postwar European Open Cars). It raced in the 1981 Monterey historics before being sold to Gary Snell. It was eventually sold to Erb & Klin of Germany and displayed at Jo Vonlanthen's Racing Car Show in the Spreitenbach-Zürich Shopping Center. In 1983, 0662 MDTR returned to California where it was sold to Walt McCune's Modena Imports in West Hollywood. From there, the Ferrari joined the collection of Don Walker in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Sherman M. Wolf purchased the car in December of 1988 from George Shelley of Miami, Florida. Mr. Wolf commissioned David Cottingham's DK Engineering in the UK to perform a comprehensive restoration.

In 1994, Mr. Wolf discovered the matching numbers engine and following a complete rebuild, reunited it with his prized TRC.

Spider
Chassis number: 0706 MDTR
Engine number: 0706 MDTR

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 Dan Vaughan

Spider
Chassis number: 0670 MDTR
Engine number: 0670 MDTR

This Ferrari 500 TRC by Scaglietti is generally considered to be one of the most beautiful Ferrari sports racing cars ever built. It runs a 1,985cc inline DOHC four-cylinder engine with two Weber carburetors, producing 190 horsepower. This is the sixth of 17 500 TRCs produced and one of the last four-cylinder Ferrari sports racers. Built for racing, its first two owners, Sicilians Bernardo Cammarata and Francesco Tagliavia, campaigned the car relentlessly in period, with five Targa Florio entries and an outright victory at the Monte Pellegrino Hillclimb. Of the 16 period races on record, this 500 TRC finished all but two races. In its latter years, the 500 TRC raced at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, where it finished 12th, and in 2011, it was invited to the Ferrari 70th Anniversary Celebration in Maranello.