Ulster Trophy

Dundrod, 2 Jun 1951

All cars are 1.5-litre s/c F1 or 4.5-litre F1^† unless noted.

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. 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.
3. ERA B Type [R14B] (Bob Gerard): Johnny Wakefield 1938-39 and then Bob Gerard's main ERA from 1946 to 1953. Then via Jimmy Stuart to Donald Day in 1959. Apart from a short period, Day has owned it ever since. Recent drivers include Ted Rollason, Goff Tidball and Paul Richardson. Retained 2007.
4. Talbot T26C [110 009] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 009' was Raymond Sommer's 1949 car and then passed to Yves Giraud-Cabantous for 1950. Driven by Giraud-Cabantous and Pierre Meyrat 1951 and next seen with Louis Girardot 1953-56 and then possibly via Serge Pozzoli to Fritz Schlumpf 1957. In Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse 2001, possibly numbered 110002.
5. 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.
6. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1598] (Louis Chiron): 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.
7. Delage 15S8 [WMG102] (Peter Walker): 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Talbot T26C-DA [110 054] (Philippe Étancelin): Built for 1950 and raced for the works by Etancelin and Rosier, then Etancelin as a private entry 1951-54. To Terry Hall (US) 1955-57 (also driven by Ernie McAfee and Ignazio Lozano) before conversion to sportscar 1957 and then via a chain of US owners to Peter Giddings who had restored and rebodied by Steve Griswold. Raced by Giddings 1978-96 (and possibly later).
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. ERA B Type [R9B] (Ernie Wilkinson): A customer car for Denis Scribbans and then Bob Ansell up to 1949. Guest drivers included Brian Shawe-Taylor, who then bought the car and raced it 1950-51. Then via Irish and UK owners, entering historic racing in 1955. Raced by the Mann brothers from 1976 to 1993, then to Switzerland for four years, back to Peter Mann and then to Rainer Ott (Germany) in 2005. Retained 2007.
14. 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)
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. Talbot T26C-DA [110 053] (Louis Rosier): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 003' and raced for the works by Martin, Chaboud and Giraud-Cabantous in 1950 then by Rosier as a private entry in 1951. Driven by Trintignant for Ecurie Rosier in 1952, then Giraud-Cabantous 1952-53. Owned by Marceau Hauret 1955 and Houdayer (Paris) 1981. Raced from 1987-2000 by François d'Huart (Belgium) as '100105'.
18. RRA (Geoff Richardson): Built by Geoff Richardson using mechanical parts of an ex-works Riley raced before the war by Percy Maclure, in a new Richardson-built frame. Raced initially with the engine from the White Riley, and sometimes therefore called the ERA-Riley. Richardson continued to race the car, mainly in small English events, until 1955, replacing the engine with a 2.5 Riley in 1954 and a 2.0 Alta in 1955. The car was then dismantled but reassembled by Keith Knight, still with Alta engine, in 1965. Retained by Knight into this century.
19. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] (Reg Parnell): 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. Maserati 6CM [1547] (Noel Hillis): Delivered 24 Jun 1937 to Austin Dobson, who raced it during 1937, before passing to the young David Hampshire for 1939. Post-war continued to be campaigned by Hampshire in 1946 before passing via HW Motors to Alister Baring in 1947. Then successively to Joe Kelly and to Noel Hillis in Ireland. Via American and British owners to Steffan Schollwoeck who campaigned it with much success in historic racing until 2007, when it passed to Will Balz (Germany).

Formula 1 events 1948-1953

The results published here were compiled by David McKinney and Adam Ferrington from a range of sources including Autocourse, Motor Sport and Autosport, as well as the F1 Register's A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 5 covering 1950 and 1951. Individual car identities were then meticulously checked against their enormous libraries of books and photographs, notably Talbot-Lago de Course by Pierre Abeillon, Les Gordini by Robert Jarraud, Gordini – Un Sorcier, Une Equipe by Christian Huet and The History of English Racing Automobiles by David Weguelin.

David has also contributed extensively from his notes on car identities compiled over 40 years of research, Michael Müller has contributed immaculately researched histories of all the 1948-1950 Ferrari 125s, and Doug Nye, both through his books and his personal assistance on HWM, has also been of great help.

Please note that since David's sad death in 2014, Adam and Allen have agreed that these pages will remain unaltered from now on, as a lasting testimony to David's expertise.