VIN: the Maranello Concessionaires / Dick Protheroe Ferrari 275 P / 330 P chassis 0818
History of chassis 0818
Chassis 0818 was one of four new Ferrari P cars built for the 1964 season. Three of these were reserved for works use while 0818 was sold to Colonel Ronnie Hoare. Hoare owned the UK Ferrari importer, Maranello Concessionaires, based at 87 Wellesley Road, Chiswick, London.
In addition to this new batch of P cars, Ferrari also uprated their four 1963 chassis to run the latest 275 and 330 engines.
0818 was the most prolifically raced P car of all in 1964. It initially appeared alongside the works cars for the three International Prototype Trophy events that Ferrari decided to contest: Sebring, the Nurburgring and Le Mans.
At the Sebring 12 Hours, Graham Hill / Jo Bonnier qualified second, but having led at various stages, they retired with gearbox failure.
For the Nurburgring 1000km, 0818’s usual red and pale blue livery was switched to red with a white stripe. A 275 engine was fitted instead of the 330 motor used for every other outing.
Graham Hill / Innes Ireland started from fifth. Ireland was leading when his fuel tank split and the car ran out of petrol a quarter of a mile from the pits. Team-mate Hill took a gallon can to refuel, but the car was disqualified some laps later as refuelling had to be done in the pits.
With the 330 engine and red / blue livery re-instated for Le Mans, Hill / Bonnier qualified fifth. They took a well-deserved second place finish behind Scuderia drivers, Guichet / Vaccarella.
At the non-championship Brands Hatch Guards Trophy in August, Graham Hill was up against a field of super-lightweight Sports cars and came home in fourth.
Thereafter, a hat-trick of wins followed at circuits around Europe.
Hill started third at the Goodwood Tourist Trophy and took a famous win against stiff opposition.
He was then joined by Bonnier for the Paris 1000km at Montlhery. In decidedly unpleasant conditions, they started from pole and made it back-to-back World Sportscar Championship wins.
0818’s last outing of the year was at the non-championship Monza Trofeo Bettoja which was a support event for that weekend’s European Touring Car Championship finale. Works driver, Ludovico Scarfiotti, took the wheel for the one hour preliminary and three hour finale. He won both.
For 1965, chassis 0818 generally played second fiddle to Maranello Concessionaires’ latest P car: a 365 P2 (chassis 0826).
0818 made three appearances all of which were at World Championship level.
Jo Bonnier / David Piper qualified fourth for the Monza 1000km but retired with a fuel leak.
At the Spa 500km, Mike Parkes started from pole but finished a distant ninth after multiple stops to address a faulty fuel pump.
0818’s final outing of 1965 was at the Reims 12 Hours where Graham Hill / Jo Bonnier qualified second but retired with gearbox trouble.
For 1966, Maranello Concessionaires dramatically reduced their racing programme and 0818 was sold to ex-RAF Officer, Dick Protheroe.
Protheroe was a Jaguar dealer and amateur racing driver from Leicestershire. His previous mounts included an XK120, C-type and a series of Lightweight E-types.
For 1966, Protheroe wanted to move up to a large rear-engine Sports car. He purchased 0818 from Colonel Ronnie Hoare and had it sent to Carrozzeria Sports Cars run by Piero Drogo in Modena.
Drogo reconfigured 0818 with the latest style of bodywork. The finished car was dispatched to England in the spring of 1966.
Protheroe’s first outing with 0818 was to be the Oulton Park Tourist Trophy on April 29th. The 140 lap TT was round two of the British Sportscar Championship, but Protheroe never made it to the grid.
During unofficial practice the evening before the race, Dick Protheroe crashed at Druids corner and was fatally injured.
In June of 1967, Protheroe’s widow, Rosemary, sold the engine and gearbox from 0818 to David Piper. The other parts to include the chassis were sold in July 1967 to Egon Hofer.
Notable History
330 P Spyder
Red & pale blue noseband
Maranello Concessionaires, Chiswick, London
21/03/1964 WSC Sebring 12 Hours (G. Hill / J. Bonnier) DNF (#24)
275 P Spyder
Red & white stripe
31/05/1964 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (G. Hill / I. Ireland) DSQ (#142)
330 P Spyder
Red & pale blue
22/06/1964 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (G. Hill / J. Bonnier) 2nd oa, 2nd P3.0+ class (#14)
03/08/1964 IND Brands Hatch Guards Trophy (G. Hill) 4th oa, 3rd SP2.0+ class (#10)
28/08/1964 WSC Goodwood Tourist Trophy (G. Hill) 1st oa, 1st SR/P1.6+ class (#3)
11/10/1964 WSC Paris 1000km, Montlhery (G. Hill / J. Bonnier) 1st oa, 1st P3.0+ class (#2)
25/10/1964 IND Trofeo Bettoja, Monza (L. Scarfiotti) 1st oa, 1st P class (#50)
25/04/1965 WSC Monza 1000km (J. Bonnier / D. Piper) DNF (#67)
16/05/1965 WSC Spa 500km (M. Parkes) 9th oa, 5th P2.0+ class (#1)
04/07/1965 WSC Reims 12 Hours (G. Hill / J. Bonnier) DNF (#1)
Sold to Dick Protheroe, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England
Rebodied as a Drogo Spyder
Red
29/04/1966 BSC Oulton Park Tourist Trophy (D. Protheroe) DNS (#44)
Damaged in Dick Protheroe’s fatal practice accident at Oulton Park
06/1967 engine and gearbox sold to David Piper, Surrey
07/1967 chassis, suspension and other parts sold to Egon Hofer, Austria
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
