Festival of Britain Trophy Race

Goodwood, 14 May 1951

Notes on the cars:

1. Ferrari 375 Thin Wall Special [125-C-02] (Reg Parnell): Vandervell acquired a Tipo 125 for 1950 and entered it at the International Trophy for Ascari to drive. This car is now in the Donington Collection and is stamped 125-C-02 indicating it is one of the three 'GP49' cars but it was rebodied before the International Trophy so identifying whether it was Ascari's or Villoresi's regular car has not been possible.
2. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1609] (Giuseppe Farina): Maserati records show this car going to Nino Farina on 14 Nov 1949. Driven by Farina in 1950 Argentine Temporada, at Albi 1950 and in 1951 non-championship F1 races. From Farina to the Schlumpf brothers and now in the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse. The car apparently wears the chassis plate 1602 (another Farina-owned 4CLT).
3. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1601] (Emmanuel de Graffenried): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 7 Mar 1949 in Maserati records) and driven by Emmanuel de Graffenried. Continued as de Graffenried's well-used car through 1950 and 1951. Probably one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Plate-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Ottorino Volonterio in F2 in 1953. Sold with the sister car (probably 1598) by de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work then sold again via Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
4. ERA C Type [R8C] (Brian Shawe-Taylor): Built in 1938 using mechanical parts from R8B and raced by Earl Howe 1938 and until a crash in the 1939 International Trophy. Then to Reg Parnell for 1946, Cuth Harrison from 1947 to 1951, Brian Shawe-Taylor 1951 and 1952; then a chain of other owners until acquired in 1977 by Bruce Spollon. Rebuilt to correct C-type specs and raced from 1981 to 2003.
5. Talbot T26C [110 011] (Duncan Hamilton): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 011' was Johnny Claes car in 1948-50 and then sold to Duncan Hamilton (and Fotheringham-Parker) and raced 1951-53. Stored in France until 1955 when Hamilton sold it to Allan Freeman in New Zealand who raced it through to 1961. It was bought by Joe Hepworth in 1963 and returned to England; then via other UK and French owners until sold to Bernie Ecclestone 1996. Retained 2002.
6. Delage 15S8 [WMG102] (Tony Rolt): Numbered '5' by Alan Burnard in his histories as a continuation of the works numbering but also logically 'WMG 102'. The second 1937 White Mouse Garages ifs car, using parts from ex-works 1926/27 GP 2,3 and 4 on a new chassis. Possibly not completed until acquired by Reg Parnell during the war. Driven in 1946 sprints by his nephew Roy Parnell, then by Dick Habershon in club events 1947-49 and Rob Walker (driver Tony Rolt) 1949. Fitted with E-Type ERA engine and campaigned by Walker as the ERA-Delage 1951-53, usual driver Rolt but also Peter Walker, Eric Thompson, Roy Salvadori and, in occasional sprints, Rob Walker himself. Alan Burnand in sprints 1954-56 then in historic racing with Joe Goodhew, Ray Potter, Patrick Lindsay, Anthony Mayman and, since 1993, Bruce Spollon.
7. Talbot T26C-DA [110 052] (Johnny Claes): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 012' and raced for the works by Giraud-Cabantous, Sommer and, in Argentina, Gonzalez. To Claes for 1951 and then Ecurie Belgique (Claes and Pilette) 1952. Some differences of opinion over its ownership in the 1950s but then via UK and German owners until 1987. Next seen with Peter Mullin (USA) in 2001. Raced by Mullin at 2007 Monterey Historics.
8. ERA B Type [R5B] (Philip Fotheringham-Parker): Bira's second car, acquired in 1936 and named 'Remus' . Raced for White Mouse Stable in 1936 but used only as a back-up car 1937. Via Tony Rolt from 1938 to 1945, Ian Connell in 1946, Peter Bell (driver John Bolster) 1947-49 and others until bought by the Lindsay family in 1958. Raced by Hon Patrick Lindsay in historic events 1959-85 and, since his death, by son Ludovic Lindsay 1986-2000. Retained by the family in 2007.
9. ERA B Type [R10B] (Graham Whitehead): Peter Whitehead's regular B Type from 1936 to 1952 (also driven by Peter Walker and Graham Whitehead). Then via other UK and US owners to Nick Mason who raced and demonstrated it for more than 20 years from 1980. With Paddins Dowling by 2006. Retained 2007.
10. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1593] (David Murray): Shown in Maserati records as Alberto Ascari's early 1948 car. To Reg Parnell 1949 for Fred Ashmore then raced in 1950 by David Hampshire and others as part of Scuderia Ambrosiana. Then David Murray's car for 1951. Crashed in practice at the Nürburgring for the 1951 German GP and not seen again.
11. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] (David Hampshire): Maserati records list this as Reg Parnell's car dated 14 Sep 1948. Raced by Parnell from 1949 to 1951, under the Scuderia Ambrosiana banner in 1950 and 1951, also by Hampshire in 1951. Sold or leased to Bobby Baird mid-1951 and then sometime after 1952 sold to Count Johnny Lurani. Lurani sold it in 1955 to Pat Hoare in New Zealand where it raced until the mid-1960s and then spent many years in the Queenstown Motor Museum. It was sold in 1982 and returned to Europe in 1989. Sold at auction a number of times in the late 1980s and 1990s. Owned by Max Lustenberger (Switzerland) from 1999. Retained 2004.
12. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1607] ("B Bira"): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 14 Nov 1949 in Maserati records) and raced by Bira up to Geneva 1950. Car fitted with a 4450cc OSCA V12 engine for Bira for the 1951 season. The OSCA was taken to Australia in 1955 by Bira as a spare car to his 250F and sold there to Alf Harvey who raced it from 1955 to 1959. The car then went to the UK for historic racing and was bought by Tom Wheatcroft in 1971. Subsequently in the Donington Museum.
13. ERA A Type [R4A] (Bob Gerard): Pat Fairfield's customer A Type then via Norman Wilson to reg Parnell in 1942 and Bob Gerard as a hillclimb car in 1945 to Rhodesian owners in the 1950s. Returned to the UK in the mid-1960s and raced in historic events with 2-litre engine by Peter Brewer 1954-65 and Sir John Venables-Llewellyn 1967-93. Via another UK owner to Jöst Wildbolz (Switzerland) in 1999. Retained 2007.
14. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1598] (Harry Schell): Maserati records show this car going to 'B. Bira' 23 Sep 1948. Bira raced 1948 British GP, 1949 Argentine Temporada and 1949 European season. Retained 1950 being used as Platé team car from Pescara. Raced by Harry Schell for Enrico Platé in 1951 then becoming one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Platé-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Giovanni de Riu in F2 in 1953. Then sold via de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work and then acquired by Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
15. Alta GP [No 3] (Joe Kelly): The third GP Alta, 'GP3', was built for Joe Kelly and raced until 1951. Then extensively modified by Kelly as his 'IRA' special. This car was later acquired by Ray Fielding and fitted with a Jaguar engine. (Sources: Directory of Historic Racing Cars, Jenkinson; Powered by Jaguar 2nd Ed 2005, Nye)
16. ERA B Type [R1B] (Claud Hamilton): The first B Type, raced by Dick Seaman in 1935 and then via Jock Manby-Colegrave and bandleader Billy Cotton to Cuth Harrison in 1948 as as spare for R8C. Later via Claud Hamilton and David Good in hillclimbs in the 1950s until going into historic racing in 1957. Raced by Patrick Marsh and later his widow Sally from 1964 to 1997, usually driven from 1987 by Duncan Ricketts. Via further US and German owners; owned by Michael Gans (US) in 2007.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.