Ferrari Owners’ Club UK Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Report from Associate Editor Keith Bluemel:
The Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain celebrated their 50th Anniversary, along with Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary, with their National Event featuring the EFG Concours, at Danesfield House on the western outskirts of the picturesque Thames-side town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire. The national event has historically been held on a Sunday, but the decision was made to feature it on a Saturday, July 8, this year so that it could run later into the evening with no pressing work commitments the following day. The idea seemed to hit the right note with club members, as over 1000 applied for tickets, with some 400 of them also booking to include the barbecue and evening entertainment.
There was not only an increase in numbers of cars entered in the EFG Concours compared to recent years, but also many more special display cars, and a large number of members arriving in their Ferraris, such that the Ferrari only display and parking areas were filled to capacity. The lawns to the rear of Danesfield House are triple tiered, with the upper tier dedicated to the Lockton Stage together with vendor booths, Champagne bar, food and drink outlets, expansive tabled seating area, and probably most importantly a range of the display cars. The stage was used for live musical entertainment through the day, viewing of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix at lunchtime, the prize giving in the early evening and evening entertainment. The mid tier of the lawn was used for most concours classes, with the remainder on an annexe lawn, whilst there were further display cars in an area to the far right at this level. The lower level of the lawn featured a general Ferrari parking/display area.
As if that wasn’t enough, the main entrance courtyard to the hotel featured an array of Challenge series cars, from the first in the series, the 348, to the latest 488 example. Just outside this courtyard was a further display of competition Ferraris, these being examples of the models run in the club’s own Pirelli sponsored championship series. Nearby there was a further Ferrari parking/display area, and there was also a static display Ferrari SF15-T F1 car, courtesy of H. R. Owen. Pirelli had a display of their new coloured sidewall P Zero tires on view, and they gave away British Grand Prix hospitality prizes in a draw on the Saturday evening.
Amongst the display cars there was a pair of 365 GTB4/Cs, chassis #s 15681 and 16425, the unique 250 GT SWB “Breadvan”, chassis # 2819 GT, with another more modern unique pair, the ex-Gianni Agnelli Testarossa Spider, chassis # 62897, and the only RHD 550 Barchetta Zagato, chassis # 124138. There were also another two 250 GT SWB Berlinettas, one being the second Rob Walker/Stirling Moss car, chassis # 2735 GT, and the other chassis # 3367 GT, together with the earliest Ferrari in the UK, a 166 Inter Touring Coupe, chassis # 017 S. There was also a wide selection of modern supercars, including both a LaFerrari, chassis # 206841, and a LaFerrari Aperta, chassis # 221758.
Late afternoon was concours awards time, with the Best of Class and other awards presented to entrants on the main stage, and where the Best of Show award went to a 250 GT TdF Berlinetta, chassis # 0763 GT, in the professional restorers class. After the presentation of the concours awards there was an aerobatic display to lead attendees into the evening’s entertainment and al fresco barbecue on a beautiful summer’s evening.
Images from Keith Bluemel.
