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The Villa Trips, built by Wolfgang's mother, and now the site of the von
Trips Museum.
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In 1973 Wolfgang's mother established a foundation, the "Graflich Berghe von Trips'sche Sportstiftung
zu Berg Hemmersbach" and in 1975 it was made official by the responsible minister.
The aim of the founda-tion was the formation and maintenance of a museum of motorsports.
Eventually the museum must be extended to be a museum of motor racing in general. Reinold
Louis became chairman of the foundation in 1991. With the help of sponsors it became possible
to obtain the TCA Formula Junior (see "The Work-shop"). Many pieces of art were bought or created
such as videotapes, books, scale-models and other inter-esting items relevant to racing. The
original location quickly became to small and many of the museum pieces had to be stored in
cellars or elsewhere.
The Museum in the Villa Trips
This is a large table top display of the entire castle grounds, as
seen in the library of the Villa Trips.
At top center is the castle, with the outbuildings, at the center
right is the Villa Trips.
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With a bit of luck, it became possible to accommodate the museum in the Villa Trips.
The opening was on May 23rd, 2000 (the day on which von Trips would have reached his
72th anniversary). Christoph Louis, the managing director of the museum is a man who
speaks about his work, the foundation and the museum with great passion.
The main theme of the museum is, of course, Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips. The collections
of his fam-ily and those given by his friends document his career from racing motorist -that
began as a hobby- until he became Formula 1 driver with the Ferrari team.
The Workshop
On the ground floor, behind the little kitchen, is the workshop, in which the
visitor can admire the TCA (for Trips Colotti Autounion or Trips Colotti Automobilist)
Formula Junior designed by von Trips and built by Ferrari mechanics. Of the seven built,
TCA #0001 was a test-car, which was never delivered. TCA #0002, which is displayed in the shop,
was equipped with Colotti's five-gearbox and a 1000cc DKW motor with 80 hp, side-tanks of 65
liters each, Amadori wheels and very special bodywork, that could be dismantled in four parts,
designed by Umberto Fantuzzi. The frame was built by Neri and the total weight was 375 kilos,
representing the rules in those days. The price, ex-works was between $3,500 and $3,800. The
TCA's were handmade in a workshop like the one in the museum. The TCA in the museum is the only
one in the world and it was restored in America. Once and a while it is entered in a historical
event, where it is often re-ferred to as a Ferrari. The remains of the other TCA in the right
front corner remind the visitor to the terri-ble accident at Monza in which a test-driver of
the Scuderia Colonia died. Among some tools there is also a de Tomaso Formula Junior, bought
in America in 1960 and used by Scuderia Colonia for training.
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