Nürburgring, 10-12 August 2001

With well over 600 historic cars competing on the contemporary grand prix track in the Eifel mountains, together with a 400km Marathon on the historic Nordschleife and numerous parking lots occupied by the visiting marque clubs, the 29th run of the AvD Oldtimer Grand-Prix provided for a weekend packed with motor racing.

12 different race series
The first race of the ”FIA Cup for Historic GT Cars” brought Swiss Lukas Hüni on the grid in his delightful silver 250 GT LWB TdF Berlinetta Scaglietti. The model earned the ”TdF” (Tour de France) part of its model title through its victories in the gruelling French classic in the late fifties, as an honour bestowed by the organisers. The Swiss car broker recently acquired this car, chassis number 1141GT, for his own racing pleasure, so to speak. The second run of the ”FIA Cup for Historic GT Cars” saw Rogier Battelier in a Ferrari 275 GTB/C and David Piper in the well known BP-Green 250 LM, chassis number 8165.

The ”Racecars of the fifties” race had two Ferrari entries, Italian Corrado Cupellini drove his 500 TRC, chassis number 0670MDTR and Dutchman Paul Schouwenburg drove his 250 TR replica. The grid also included 11 various Maserati models and plenty of other makes. A further 9 Maserati competed in the Pre-1960 Historic Grand Prix Cars race.

The programme was completed a number of other interesting races where no Ferrari or Maserati competed. To name but a few highlights of this programme; FIA Championship for Thoroughbred GP-cars, FIA Challenge for Historic Touring Cars, International SuperSports Cup and Group C, Group 5 and IMSA racecars

Matadoren demonstration run
Star of the ”Matadoren demonstration run” was a very rare Ferrari 330 P, chassis number 0818, driven by Michael Hofer. For the first time in 34 years, this particular car was back on the track. The car was campaigned in 1964 by Maranello Concessionaires’ Colonel Ronald Hoare and was driven by Graham Hill and Joakim Bonnier. Highlights were winning the 1000km of Paris at Montlhery and the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. In 1966 the car was crashed fatally by Dick Protheroe at Oulton Park in England, and the wreck later bought from his widow by David Piper. The father of the driver in the demonstration run, Austrian Egon Hofer, acquired the chassis and some other parts of the car from David Piper in 1967, and has had it restored over the years. However, the story does not end there, as Englishman Mike Ostroumoff claimed to have bought chassis number 0818 from Tom Meade in Modena in 1973, which he rebuilt in England during the period up to 1981, and then raced before selling it to the USA. This car is currently in the Collezione Maranello Rosso in San Marino.

Also in the demonstration run there was a Ferrari 250 GT SWB driven by German Axel Schütte and a 500 Mondial, chassis number 0438MD, driven by Hans-Jürgen Phiesel from Germany. Two Maserati and the so-called ”Ferrari-Prototype von 1967” driven by Swiss Max Theiler completed the Ferrari share in this demonstration.

Bonhams & Brooks auction
This years’ auction tent was situated in the middle of the paddock, where the auction itself took place at Saturday 11th of August 2001 from 17:00 onwards. Among the 82 classic cars  for sale, there were two major Ferrari stars in this auction. The first being a 500 TRC ”Testa Rossa”, and the second a 1987 Formula 1 monoposto.
The 4 cylinder ”Testa Rossa” was build in 1956 for American John. V. Quakenbush. This dark red Scaglietti build 500 TRC, chassis number 0634MDTR, was being sold on behalf of a Japanese collector, who entered the car in this year’s Millia Miglia. The sale estimate was between 1 and 1.2 million Deutsch Mark, but it turned out to be the top sale on Saturday for DM 950.000.

The second Ferrari of particular interest was Gerhard Berger’s 1987 formula 1 monoposto. Enzo Ferrari himself gave this car to Gerhard Berger as a present, to thank the Austrian driver for winning the Japanese and Australian GP in this particular car, chassis number 097.
The current Motorsport Director of BMW sold the car to a collector, who subsequently sold it to the German collector that had put the Formula 1 car up for auction. Estimated to sell at around DM 480.000, bidding stopped at DM 450.000, before it reached its reserve.

Anniversary
Be sure to find time in your diary for next year, when the Oldtimer Grand-Prix will fill the Nürburgring and the famous Nordschleife with action, when the event will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Some Ferrari of particular interest in attendance

Click on the underlined chassisnumber for more information

Telaio

2423GT

5377GT

1141GT

2327GT

1349GT

1669GT

4515GT

8165

53755

5121GT

11987

18955

13969

16329

12375

12387

14625

14493

16689

1228

4161

4608

4724

7172

1342

1706

6930

7256

4840

7368

8100

76897

83235

84221

84404

88638

89370

89466

93464

87494

94243

106735

106945

107090

104163

105081

107135

Bonhams & Brooks Auction

Nürburgring
August 11, 2001

Lot

105

115

136A

147

148

162

168

* All figures include buyer’s premium

Lot

101

104

109

110

116

120

124

125

129

135

146

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

161

163

171

173

174

175

177

179