The current owner comments on Ferrari 250 LM Chassis 5909
I had dreamed of having an LM since 1965 after seeing Australian driver Spencer Martin drive the Scuderia Veloce car (chassis 6321) to win every race they entered. Spencer went on to be Australian Champion Driver twice (1966-7) and competed very successfully against the international World Champion drivers in the Tasman Series. The Scuderia Veloce car was purchased by Ralph Lauren and he never sells anything, so that car was never going to be available.
Then Steven Read was persuaded to part with 5909 after over 20 years of loving ownership. It has a wonderful competition history. In 1964 it was entered by Luigi Chinetti in the Nurburgring 1000, Le Mans and the Reims 12 Hour race and driven by Jochen Rindt, John Surtees, Lorenzo Bandini and David Piper, and then in the Bahamas and USA by Bob Grossman.
I am truly grateful to Steven who, after two decades of historic racing and concours showing (second in class at Pebble Beach and first in class at Hampton Court), passed stewardship of such an important car to me. Since having the car, I have shown it at the Sydney Harbour Concours (Best in Show Trophy), raced it at the Phillip Island Classic Historic meeting and demonstrated it at the Adelaide Festival of Motorsport.
The 250 LM was built as a race car and whilst it is good to show it at concours as that allows many people to appreciate it as a work of art, when you take it onto a race circuit it talks to you. It says “ Ahhh, this is what I was born for; you just do the steering and I know how to do the rest, let’s go!”. I drive it at race speed although now that is a bit slower than it was 20 years ago. I only use about 7000 revs, but both the car and I try hard and enjoy it. Most races I do are only 20 to 30 minutes so the heat is not a problem and the sound from the exhaust is just fantastic.
It was great to see Spencer Martin do a few laps at Phillip Island in it as well. Next will be the Noosa Beach Concours in mid-July and a few other historic races in Australia.
My other racing Ferrari is a 196 SP which to me is a VERY important Ferrari. It was THE first rear-engined Ferrari model and THE first to have a V6 motor. It must have taken a very brave engineer to suggest to Mr Ferrari to go rear engine and V6. The 250 LM was, of course, a development of the 196 and it then won Le Mans with a V12 in the back, the last Ferrari to win that race for nearly 60 years.
Click here to read about 5909 when owned by Sonny Bono…
Details, details
Andrew Matusiewicz says
As always, some lovely detailed photographs Vince. Any chance you’ll one day provide Veloce Today with the story of your own car? I hope so!
Vince Johnson says
Got to finish it first, Andrew!