Page 130 - Bespoke Issue

team have built some of the most historic engines and vehicles that exist or have existed: including post and pre war Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari Grand Prix engines. With his vast pool of experience, he and his small team have created some very bespoke cars and engines.
As I arrive, no one is around so I walk through the back door as the shutters are closed due to the weather. To my amazement I experience an “Aladdin’s Cave”, in front of me are some fantastic and rare cars not usually seen in such close proximity to each other. A vista of historic Ferraris and racing Alfa Romeos, Jaguar D-Types and not one but two of my all time favourite marques, a light metallic (think 70s) green and a black De Tomaso Mangusta.
Then I see them, not one but two, low slung single seater 60s racing red Ferraris. A brace of 156 “Sharknose” Ferraris. Nestled side by side in the low light of the workshop these two iconic cars are simply stunning. A Chris Rea moment, a boyhood fantasy realised. A few weeks before Phil Hill’s son Derek was here to hear the engines being red up in anger for the rst time and also for the publication of the book by Doug Nye on Derek’s father Phil and beautifully illustrated by his father’s fantastic photographs, taking 14 years to come to fruition:
It is still a raging tempest outside and I know better than to ask to have the cars pulled outside for photography, especially as the bare metal is not coated and would very quickly rust. Instead Daniel
introduces me to Mike Mark and we sit down to discuss the “Sharknose” Grand Prix project.
Historically, the 156 F1 is an incredibly important machine. in 1959, Ferrari asked then technical director Carlo Chiti to dream up a solution to race in the 1960 F2 Championship and then in the 1961 F1 Championship under the new downsized 1.5 litre engine rules. Which actually meant in Enzos mind to win not just compete.
Chiti’s answer was a revolution for the Scuderia: a single seater with the engine behind the driver, in order to “push” the car. It was a simple and clever design with a tubular chassis clothed in aluminum panels.
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