Dick was a prolific letter writer and corresponded with fellow enthusiasts worldwide always ready to share
freely his vast knowledge. It was not about the money for Dick but was about the cars, the events, the
drivers, and the friendship of the current owners. We first met each other around 1981 at Pierre Bardinon`s
Mas De Clos track at Aubusson in France. We were attending a French Ferrari owners club gathering
organised by our other late great Ferrari friend Jess Pourret. The meeting was to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of Phil Hill winning the Formula One championship in 1961. Kate and I were attending with our
freshly restored 340MM as was of course Phil Hill. Following that event we frequently spent much time
together, my making Ferrari hunting trips to the States at least twice a year, and Dick coming to various
events throughout Europe. We even had a couple of holidays together based around West Palm Beach
visiting of course numerous Ferrari owners as far afield as New England.
The group photo shows one happy day when we were together with the mega enthusiastic, by then aged,
Jim Kimberly of the Kimberly Clark family. Affectionately known as " Gentleman Jim” and well known in the
States as a one-time big Ferrari race car owner and driver of numerous Ferrari including 375MM.
Dick was always full of great stories and was forever gleefully announcing in a loud voice, as we came upon
a particular car, " Gee that’s my old car!" .He had in fact owned numerous special cars such as 340MM,
375MM, 250TR, 500TRC, 250SWB, 196S Dino etc.
We once owned and restored together 500TRC 0686 MDTR (pictured). On that occasion I found the original
engine and Dick located the car in a remote part of Florida. it had been virtually lost and had been
presumed to have been destroyed!
Way back then Dick realised the importance of matching engines with their cars when others were happy to
fit any old engine to a historic racer, frequently V8 Chevrolet! Dick always noted in his little notebook,
nestled in his shirt top pocket, just where the cars and engines were and purchased the engines, if
separated from the cars, whenever he could.
In the sixties, the definitive Ferrari book which he co-authored with Fitzgerald was responsible for fuelling
my enthusiasm for 50s and 60s Ferraris. I got to know every car in the book way before I saw virtually any
of them and in fact still, 50 years on, frequently refer to that book.
We will really miss you Dick,
David & Kate Cottingham
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