[DeTomaso] NPC - Ferrari 50th Anniversary

Tom Shinrock tmshinro at aol.com
Fri Aug 2 17:26:54 EDT 2013


I just got back from attending the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari Club of America international meet being held at Road America all weekend.  Thought I'd post some of my experiences.

Being from the midwest, you just don't get to see a lot of Ferraris together.  I counted 111 cars in the concours and guesstimated that there were 3 to 4 times that many parked in the paddock area.  Although this kind of gathering is just a typical Saturday afternoon at the mall for you west coasters, it's pretty rare around here.

The concours was held on the main straight of the race track at the start/finish line, which also afforded my the first opportunity to actually walk on the track.   There were many, many fine examples of completely restored cars ranging from the 1950s to the present.  It was kind of fun following the judges around and getting to see the owners having to start the car and demonstrate that everything works (lights, turn signals, brake lights, driving lights, clock, windows, etc). 

I got to watch the owner of a perfect 512bb remove the cover in the front trunk so the judge could see his battery, which is very similar to the sunken batteries in Pantera only centered.   The lay down front radiator is again similar to the Pantera but is HUGE.   It is probably half again as wide as a P car and had 3 electric fans all in a row to pull air through it.

Apparently late model Ferraris don't come with spare tires because the owner of a car being judged (don't remember the model) said it was an option that he paid for.   The spare was one of those skinny donut tires on a very classy alloy painted rim.   The spare had printed on it not to exceed 95 mph.  The spare is carried in the front trunk and is secured by 3 leather straps (at 2, 6 and 10 o'clock) and the owner told the judges that he had the fitted luggage but he had to leave it at home because it won't fit with the spare tire in the trunk.

At the award ceremony, the presenter was telling why holding concours was important because it encourages owners to strive to maintain their cars just as they had left the factory.   He said the standard upon which the cars are judged is that every part on the car (including the paint) was a factory part.  I kind of smiled as I heard that knowing that the Pantera community is, shall we say, a little more lax on that philosophy.

Like I said, the cars were stunning....but really surprised me was when the cars were driven by the award stand to pick up there plaque almost a third of the classic cars (which are the ones I admire the most)  were all oil burners.  As they revved away from the stand, they left a smoke screen behind them that would embarrass me if my car smoked like that.   I don't know if it is because the engines are way too expensive to overhaul, or if the preference is to not "break the case" and keep them original or if they don't get driven enough.

Spectators had to pay $20 to get in but if you drove a Ferrari you got in for free.   Almost everyone asks me if my Pantera is a Ferrari so I wonder if I drove my Pantera if they would have mistaken it for a Ferrari (it is red after all)  and let me in without having to pay.  

All in all it was a once in a lifetime experience for me and was thoroughly enjoyable.   

Tom
5186



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