VIN: the Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari 330 LMB chassis 4725 SA
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HISTORY OF CHASSIS 4725 SA
Chassis 4725 SA was one of four cars built to 330 LMB specification by Ferrari, three of which were raced during the 1963 season.
Of these, one was retained for works use. Another was supplied to Ferrari’s US distributor, Luigi Chinetti, for his North American Racing Team (NART). The last went to Ferrari’s British agent, Colonel Ronnie Hoare, who ran Maranello Concessionaires.
The 330 LMB destined for Maranello Concessionaires, chassis 4725 SA was the only 330 LMB completed with a Tipo 574/539 chassis and also the only example configured in right-hand drive. The completed car was dispatched from the factory on June 5th 1963 and arrived in the UK a couple of days later where it was registered 499 FX.
As the 330 LMB had been conceived primarily to compete in the Prototype class at the 1963 Le Mans, the trio destined for competition use were all on hand at the big event. Chassis 4725 SA was allocated to Jack Sears and Mike Salmon who qualified eleventh behind the other pair of LMBs, a trio of DP Aston Martins and Maserati’s big banger Tipo 151/2.
At the four hour mark, Sears / Salmon had dropped to 14th, but thereafter they rose steadily up the leaderboard and by early Sunday were the only 330 LMB contenders still in the race.
Soon after 4am on Sunday morning, 4725 SA had moved up to sixth to give Ferrari a clean sweep of the top half dozen positions. Sears and Salmon were then promoted to fifth when the 250 P of Surtees / Mairesse caught fire.
Despite a lengthy pit stop towards the end of the morning, Sears / Salmon ultimately held on to claim fifth overall and first in the over three-litre Prototype category.
Having returned to Maranello for a post-race refresh, chassis 4725 SA made its was back to England where it would contest one more race in period: the 50 lap Brands Hatch Guards Trophy for GT and Sports cars on August 6th.
However, the 330 LMB did not arrive from Italy until the morning of the race which meant Lorenzo Bandini, who was on loan to the British equipe, was forced to practice in Maranello Concessionaires’ 250 GTO and then start from the back of the 25 car grid in a machine he had not driven before.
Nevertheless, despite an early spin on the way down from Druids, Bandini had risen to tenth position by the halfway mark. He eventually crossed the line in eighth position to win the over three-litre Sports class.
Chassis 4725 SA did not race again in period. It was instead sold via Franco-Britannic Autos in Paris to the first of several French owners. The fourth of these, Baron Elie de Rothschild, acquired the car in 1967 and had it repainted white.
In 1968, chassis 4725 SA joined the noted collection of Pierre Bardinon with whom it remained until 1989 when the car was acquired by Japanese collector Takeo Kato.
Notable History
Maranello Concessionaires
16/06/1963 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (J. Sears / M. Salmon) 5th oa, 1st P3.0+ class (#12)
06/08/1963 IND Brands Hatch Guards Trophy (L. Bandini) 8th oa, 1st SP3.0+ class (#6)
1964 sold to the first of several French owners
1967 sold to Baron Elie de Rothschild and re-painted white
1968 sold Pierre Bardinon, Aubusson,
1989 sold to Takeo Kato, Tokyo
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
