Previously owned Ferraris

My Ferrari Story!

My First Ferrari

I started doing track days in my 348, got addicted and wanted to race, so I brought a 308GT4 - RWC308, in the middle 1995. I competed in the last few races of 1995 in the Ferrari Maranello Challenge. I competed in the whole 1996 season of the Ferrari Maranello Challenge, I was never at the front, due to the car being not as competitive as the rest, but it was always very enjoyable, and spurred me on to get a better car.

In the meantime I brought a 328GTB, which had 2,000 miles on the clock, it was the last right hand drive GTB imported into this country, registration number A1 GTB. I kept this for 3 years, during which time I successfully competed in numerous Autoglym Concours Championships, Master Car Club Concours, and of course, the Ferrari Owners’ Club Concours. We had many class wins in all three competitions, and we got to the Grand Final of the Autoglym Championship at the NEC, Birmingham, in 1998.

In 1997 I sold the 308GT4 to a good friend and fellow FOC member, Gordon Hackshaw, who has still got it to this day. With the proceeds, I was able to buy a 348 Challenge Car, which I raced in the Ferrari Maranello Challenge and Auto Italia Series for a complete season. Again, I was never at the front, but always in the middle of the pack, thoroughly enjoying myself. Never having too many problems with the car and not much damage, but always supporting a big smile!

In 1998 I did 3 races in the 348 Challenge Car, in the 1st race we had a major problem with the gearbox (EXPENSIVE!) and in the 3rd race the engine blew up at Brands Hatch (VERY EXPENSIVE!!). I had the car repaired, raced it at Snetterton after that and was made an offer by Paul Spackman, from London, to buy it, and he has since raced it in the Ferrari Maranello Challenge. He crashed it at Donington this year, causing extensive damage, I’m not sure if it is being repaired or non-economic to repair.

Just prior to selling the 348 Challenge, I brought a left hand drive, 348GTB – RAY 813, road-car from Germany. We modified it, roll cage, seats etc., to race in Production Class of the Auto Italia Championship, which is for all Italian Cars, which I won in 1998.

In 2000 we competed in the Autoglym Concours with RAY348 (348GTS), and won our Class at Bromley Pageant, which got us through to the final, this time with a different car, at the NEC, Birmingham, where we got a Class Win, but unfortunately not Car of the Show, which is the ultimate.

The Year 2000 also saw the departure of the 328GTB and the arrival of a right hand drive, 1987, 355 Challenge Car, which was brought from Ian Hetherington, via Martin Shaw Specialised Cars. The car was also road-registered by Martin Shaw and it is 1 of only 9 right hand drive 355 Challenge Cars. The car has done 3,000 miles and only competed in 4 races. I had the paintwork – stone-chips etc, part re-painted by Haslams of Manchester, and major service and extra ‘goodies’ which I wanted fitted, by R&D Automotive of Manchester. The car has not yet been raced by me, because to be honest, it is in too nice a condition and I don’t want to damage it. We have been to track days at Brands Hatch, Bedford Autodrome, Silverstone, Le Mans and Spa Ferrari days in April 2001.

The 348GTS has had extensive Concours preparation done over the winter of 2000, to the suspension and underside, as we are in the Champions Class at the Ferrari Owners’ Club Concours in July 2001 and it would be ever so, ever so nice, to win the Champions Class, and we can only dream about winning Car of the Show – but who knows! We can but give it our best shot. We are once again competing in the Autoglym Concours’, hopefully getting to the final at the NEC, Birmingham, and bettering last years Class win.

2001 arrived, and the 348GTS was in the best condition it had ever been. In June 2001 we entered the Bromley Pageant round of the Autoglym Concours and won our Class and Car of the Show – this gave us our entry to the final at the NEC, Birmingham, in November, where we again won our class.

July 2001 came, and with it the Ferrari Owners’ Club Concours, in which we were in the Champions Class, a class full of class winners from the year before, so competition was of a high standard! So to hear my name called out as winner of the class was something of a surprise – a wonderful surprise, only to be bettered by the sound of my name being called as winner of The Car of the Show – an achievement I have been trying to attain since first taking part in the Ferrari Owners’ Club Concours back in 1989 – it really was ‘a dream come true!’

Easter 2002 saw the arrival of the newest edition to the family, a beautiful Red 512TR, brought from Meridien Modena at Lyndhurst – Ferrari Main Dealer. It came with 8,000 miles on the clock in beautiful condition, with only 1 previous owner. Since then I have done 1,000 miles in it and it is fantastic – as you can see in the pictures.