[Admiral Goodwrench]

I will take the opportunity to post the first thread in the Vintage section with a photo of my car at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded the 1st in Class M-2 (Competition Ferraris) and earned the Enzo Ferrari Trophy for the Best Ferrari in the field. After eight years of work on the major conservation/restoration project with significant help from David Carte we finished just in time to have the car trucked to Monterey for the big show. As Jay Leno said it is becoming a competition between billionaires so I am not certain what I was doing there, but the end result was mind blowing for me. When I bought the car over 48 years ago I had no idea that this would come to pass.

In any event here is the way 0556(0446)/MD looked at the 1st Gran Prix of Venezuela in November 1955 as a works car driven by Harry Schell and Eugenio Castelotti to fifth overall and a 1st in Class win. Photo is copyright by Richard Owens.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[212Export]

I will take the opportunity to post the first thread in the Vintage section with a photo of my car at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded the 1st in Class M-2 (Competition Ferraris) and earned the Enzo Ferrari Trophy for the Best Ferrari in the field. After eight years of work on the major conservation/restoration project with significant help from David Carte we finished just in time to have the car trucked to Monterey for the big show. As Jay Leno said it is becoming a competition between billionaires so I am not certain what I was doing there, but the end result was mind blowing for me. When I bought the car over 48 years ago I had no idea that this would come to pass.

In any event here is the way 0556(0446)/MD looked at the 1st Gran Prix of Venezuela in November 1955 as a works car driven by Harry Schell and Eugenio Castelotti to fifth overall and a 1st in Class win. Photo is copyright by Richard Owens.

Best regards,

Robert

Dear Robert

Many thanks for a picture of your stunning and wonderful car. A rare beauty indeed. I'm sure that you and your car have something to tell about 48 years of unbroken partnership !?
Also your car has a very interesting ownership history, after the mentioned Schell / Castelotti drive, owned and driven by well known playboy race driver Porfirio Rubirosa (the ex husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor) who tragically ended his life stuck in a 275 GTS by hitting a tree in Paris.

Would you mind to share some more pictures of your light blue french / italian beauty and tell us a little more about your experiences of owning and driving this phanatstic Mondial ?! Many thanks in advance !

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Dear 212Export,

Am getting ready for Cavallino right now. In the meantime you might want to visit:
http://www.highroadag.com/media/pdf/newsletters/lastradamaestra_october08.pdf

for an overview of the story.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[212Export]

Dear 212Export,

Am getting ready for Cavallino right now. In the meantime you might want to visit:
http://www.highroadag.com/media/pdf/newsletters/lastradamaestra_october08.pdf

for an overview of the story.

Best regards,

Robert

Dear Robert

Good luck for you and your blue beauty in sunny Florida.:thumbsup:

 

[212Export]

Dear Robert

I've just reread your 2 wonderful articles on the 500 Mondial Series II in my old Cavallino's No. 61+62. I did not know it was you who wrote them. In addition, the article you linked to our forum states that you by yourself have been an active racer "some" time ago. Its an honour for us to have such an experienced enthusiast "on our side" !

One of my dream car has been a 750 Monza. While driving one a couple of years ago in frog like position (I'm a little to tall I assume) I remember well Swiss journalist "Tanner's" description of the "squicking boiler room" gearbox.
Fantastic.

Robert, your Mondial and you would be a perfect visitor to our epic trip for enthusiasts over the passes here in Switzerland somewhere in May this year !!
If you would like to consider it ?!

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Dear 212Export,

Thank you for the kind comments on the articles I wrote over 18 years ago based on my research from 18 to 28 years ago. Unfortunately I have not taken the time to publish some corrections to errors which have come to light over the intervening years, perhaps some day...

The car left on a trailer today for the sunny south.

Regarding your experience in the 750 Monza, all of the 1955 750 Monzas and 500 Mondial Series 2 cars are identical except for the motor displacement. I am 6 feet 1 inch tall and the cockpit is not exactly roomy for me. However as you may have read, as well as the races, I did drive the car nearly 3000 miles from California to New York back in the sixties.

As to your invitation to drive the beautiful Swiss Alps this spring, I regret that it will not be possible as it is so expensive to move a car to Europe and back.

For more web reading this is a bit more complicated. First go to :
http://www.tomyang.net/cars/ferrari.html
then on the lower left section under Monthly Ferrari Restorations select the month of August 2008, then go to the upper left section entitled The Restoration Diary and select the entry for 8/17/08.

You may repeat this for the month of May 2008 and the date of 5/2/08.

Since Pebble Beach there are now over two dozen hits if you google "500 Mondial" and "Robert Phillips". Looks like my fifteen minutes of fame.

Best regards,

 

[212Export]

Regarding your Cavallino articles back then, its just natural that after all those years often many more knowledge comes into light regarding history. I enjoyed rereading your very interesting articles. I remember well a couple of years ago to use your 2 pictures of the tubular steel frame comparison (Series 1 straight in the back and Series 2 beautifully rounded) to find a way how the drivers seat could possibly be backadjusted for taller drivers..no way.

Have you ever written a report about you cross country drive with the Mondial ? That would be something to read!!

Again best wishes and good luck.

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Dear 212Export,

The car is on its way, I am packed and will fly to Palm Beach in the morning.

As I was cleaning out the e-mail basket and catching up on the forums I noticed a minor error earlier. Rubirosa in fact did mary many women (five to be exact) with Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton (two of the richest women in the world) among them. However Zsa Zsa and Rubi never married each other.

Intend to compete at Cavallino on Saturday and at the Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago (the Merriweather Post and later the Donald Trump mansion in Palm Beach). Will let you know the outcomes when I get back.

It will be a while before I get around to the cross country drive.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Dear 212Export,

I am still pinching myself. At the Saturday Cavallino Classic Concorso d'Eleganza we were awarded a silver bowl for First in Class - Platinum given the finest Ferraris in the class, La Coppa per Quattro Cilindri crystal vase for the outstanding four cylinder car (actually it was the only four cylinder car), and the huge Scuderia Ferrari Cup for the Outstanding Competition Ferrari. Then on Sunday at the elegant Mar-a-Lago Club we were awarded a silver plate for Excellence in Class, and a large silver tray for the Finest Competition Car.

We were awarded half the number of trophies that the superb Delahaye did in the background of the attached photo. Even so, we now need more room to place all these trophies along with the ones from Pebble Beach.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[212Export]

Dear Robert

My sincere congratulations to the win of all those trophys :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:!!!
(if you do not find enough space for them...send'em over here!)

The value of getting so many prices from the Cavallino classic is outstanding as I understand the level of competition there is almost if not AT the level of Pebble beach !? Its a wonderful "proof" for your outstanding work on your wonderful car.
Even more important the fact is that your car must be the almost only car with such splendid price pedigree who: 1. has been owned by the same owner for such a long time 2. Has been actually driven so often and so long and 3. be prepared and restored at least partially or even fully by its owner !

Congratulations again and with it my deep respect !

 

[212Export]

Robert, would you mind to share some pictures from the actual Cavallino competition with your car on it with us?

 

[212Export]

Robert, btw if you start thinking now about for the Villa d'Este bowl in April/Mai you be able to join our trip:thumbsup:

 

[Granucci]

Dear 212Export,

The car is on its way, I am packed and will fly to Palm Beach in the morning.

As I was cleaning out the e-mail basket and catching up on the forums I noticed a minor error earlier. Rubirosa in fact did mary many women (five to be exact) with Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton (two of the richest women in the world) among them. However Zsa Zsa and Rubi never married each other.

Intend to compete at Cavallino on Saturday and at the Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago (the Merriweather Post and later the Donald Trump mansion in Palm Beach). Will let you know the outcomes when I get back.

It will be a while before I get around to the cross country drive.

Best regards,

Robert

He was something else. I believe his marriage to Duke for, IIRC about two weeks, resulted in something like $56,000/hour as a divorce settlement.

rik

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

1. Thanks for the congratulations. Although I would very much like to attend, I will not be able to come to the Villa d'Este.

2. I did not take many photos but attached is one with a couple of my competitors in the background. I am wearing the funny sun hat. The man next to me is David Carte who was a major helper in the restoration/conservation project.

3. The next photo is of the prizes for the car from the Saturday Cavallino Concorso d'Eleganza.

4. Regarding marriages of Rubirosa, he was married to Doris Duke from Sept 1947 to October 1948. His marriage to Betty Hutton was 53 days December 1953 to Jan 1954. By most accounts his alimony from Duke was a lot of money and a French Riviera villa.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[212Export]

Dear Robert
Thank you for the photos. I will look forward to the next edition of the Cavallino magazine to have the full story covered.:thumbsup:

 

[212Export]

Dear Robert

I've received today the latest Cavallino with the extensive report on the Cavallino classics. Many picture of you and your car ! Phantastic ! Congratulations again. Very, very well done.:thumbsup:

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Hi guys,

Have just returned from the Ferrari Club of America National Meet in Elkhart Lake, WI. While there I had a very good time with two particular highlights.

Tom Schultz, author of the two definitive books on Road America, introduced me to Dick Wuestoff and Augie Pabst. They had raced 0714 MDTR with the 625 motor in the September 1959 Road America 500 running against my car 0556(0446)/MD driven by Robert Ready Davis and Jack Hergenroether. They finished 9th and my car DNF with seized differential. That misfortune enabled me to acquire the disabled car nine months later.

The second highlight for me was the opportunity to run a few laps at the track which for the car was a 50 year gap. I went out right after a big downpour had passed. The combination of a wet track, healthy motor, skinny tires, and old cold brakes made for a very fun drive. A little bit of fishtailing coming out of some of the turns tested the old reflexes but nothing dramatic ensued.

Our son Bryan has posted some of the video extract on youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnbAYXd1ic4

As they say keep the shiny side up, I did.

Best regards,

Robert

 

[JazzyO]

I've been following your son Bryan's stories and pics of the meet on the other forum. Wonderful, Robert, just fantastic so see this old lady in action.

Thanks for sharing - it is the stories that makes the car special.


Onno



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[Gcalo]

That car looks a heck of a lot better than Liz Taylor after 48 years!

Congrats.

It's beauty.

 

[Admiral Goodwrench]

Dear Gcalo,

The car is 54, I have had it for 49 years.

Thought you might like this shot for a size comparison with a 360.

Best regards,

Robert