Portofino
Well-known member
@ Mapish Rosso Chiaro Bertone . Few more creature comforts like AC and leccy windows as well as a lovely carburettor V8 . Additionally not many none car guys and even supposedly “car guys “ know this = They were and still are the only road going cars Ferrari made with even chassis numbers .Even numbers reserved for the race cars , odds the road ( punter ) cars .
Original built for the Le Mans GT series to race there hence the even no s . In 1974 the factory took them to Le Mans .
They wiped the floor in practice during the week ( in the then GT class not prototype ) , and qualifying on the Friday .
Race was due to start as normal 12 noon Sat with Ferrari cars with a front 4 place grid lock out .
Homologation rules were hotly disputed by the French , Ligier , Renault, Matra etc ….rumour has it De Gaul got involved .
The arguments went on until the early hr of Sat Am .
The French claimed Ferrari didn’t sell the 400 ( iirc ? ) road going versions to meet the homologation rules .
Ferrari were counting numbers manufactured and “ delivered “ but thinking dealers not customers .
Luigi Cininatti the N American importer ( franchise) taking about 1/2 of the 200 from 1973 launch to June 74 , but Enzo couldn’t back up with paperwork on the Friday night that they actually delivered to customers not just dealers .
Buy morning the French officialdom ( with Paris watching) re designated the Bertone GT 4 s to the “ proto tipo “ group .
Kicked them out of the GT class , leaving French cars at the front of the grid !
Enzo was fuming , not noted for a calm guy . The car’s being raced in the wrong class didn’t do well and that was the end of that Enzo and team stormed off Sunday vowing never to return to Le Mans .He didn’t in his lifetime!
I think there was a 30 y absence well after his death before they returned.
Coincidentally a Austrian guy rocked up in Marenello with a bag of cash from his wealthy industrialists farther , called Niki Lauda begging for a test in the F1 car . Enzo and the factory threw themselves wholly into F1 after quitting Le Mans The rest as they say is history- Later in 75 he went on to win the F1 series in the 312 b ….another even numbered car like the Bertone GT s
Actually the following yr back @ Le Mans Cincinnati ( USA importer ) entered a privateer Ferrari GT team , by this time they had met the French interpretation version of the homologation numbers sold .
The 70 s wedge Bertone styling wasn’t greatly received at the Paris launch in autumn of 73 , the oil crisis etc .
By 76 they re bodied the chassis and restyled it with Pininfarina launching the 308 . Initially in fibreglass ( for weight saving ) and a 10 cm shorter chassis deleting the 2+2 . The Pininfarina modal made with odd chassis numbers donating a road going punter cash cow car . The shorter chassis makes them a lesser handling car btw .
Production of the even numbers GT s continued until 1980 .
Sorry for the TD ……but the GT 4 is little understood.
@ Kawasake
Yes by “ modern “ standards the old twin shocks are heavy . My 247 is I think 89 kg . 1977 .
Compared to a later 1999 Bultaco ( turned into Sherco by 2000 ) mono at 68 kg .
So riding the twin shock iam giving away nye on 20 kgs .
It a horses for courses thing and I try to enter twin shock more classic events on the Monty ….whereby the risk of pushing it , picking it up is minimal.
You know awkward step slippy mud climbs whereby you come off 3/4 way up ( ran out of traction due to the weight + lack of skill ) and slide on your arse with the bike following to the bottom.
It’s a bit like golf you just have to pick the right club …..but you can only take one bike to an event so I chose Twinshock friendly with the Monty .
This “ Bully “ is a Graham Jarvis 2000 SSDT* winner , @ 68 kg is a doddle to ride .26 yrs old .
* Scottish Six Day Trial ——- go Google it folks .
Original built for the Le Mans GT series to race there hence the even no s . In 1974 the factory took them to Le Mans .
They wiped the floor in practice during the week ( in the then GT class not prototype ) , and qualifying on the Friday .
Race was due to start as normal 12 noon Sat with Ferrari cars with a front 4 place grid lock out .
Homologation rules were hotly disputed by the French , Ligier , Renault, Matra etc ….rumour has it De Gaul got involved .
The arguments went on until the early hr of Sat Am .
The French claimed Ferrari didn’t sell the 400 ( iirc ? ) road going versions to meet the homologation rules .
Ferrari were counting numbers manufactured and “ delivered “ but thinking dealers not customers .
Luigi Cininatti the N American importer ( franchise) taking about 1/2 of the 200 from 1973 launch to June 74 , but Enzo couldn’t back up with paperwork on the Friday night that they actually delivered to customers not just dealers .
Buy morning the French officialdom ( with Paris watching) re designated the Bertone GT 4 s to the “ proto tipo “ group .
Kicked them out of the GT class , leaving French cars at the front of the grid !
Enzo was fuming , not noted for a calm guy . The car’s being raced in the wrong class didn’t do well and that was the end of that Enzo and team stormed off Sunday vowing never to return to Le Mans .He didn’t in his lifetime!
I think there was a 30 y absence well after his death before they returned.
Coincidentally a Austrian guy rocked up in Marenello with a bag of cash from his wealthy industrialists farther , called Niki Lauda begging for a test in the F1 car . Enzo and the factory threw themselves wholly into F1 after quitting Le Mans The rest as they say is history- Later in 75 he went on to win the F1 series in the 312 b ….another even numbered car like the Bertone GT s
Actually the following yr back @ Le Mans Cincinnati ( USA importer ) entered a privateer Ferrari GT team , by this time they had met the French interpretation version of the homologation numbers sold .
The 70 s wedge Bertone styling wasn’t greatly received at the Paris launch in autumn of 73 , the oil crisis etc .
By 76 they re bodied the chassis and restyled it with Pininfarina launching the 308 . Initially in fibreglass ( for weight saving ) and a 10 cm shorter chassis deleting the 2+2 . The Pininfarina modal made with odd chassis numbers donating a road going punter cash cow car . The shorter chassis makes them a lesser handling car btw .
Production of the even numbers GT s continued until 1980 .
Sorry for the TD ……but the GT 4 is little understood.
@ Kawasake
Yes by “ modern “ standards the old twin shocks are heavy . My 247 is I think 89 kg . 1977 .
Compared to a later 1999 Bultaco ( turned into Sherco by 2000 ) mono at 68 kg .
So riding the twin shock iam giving away nye on 20 kgs .
It a horses for courses thing and I try to enter twin shock more classic events on the Monty ….whereby the risk of pushing it , picking it up is minimal.
You know awkward step slippy mud climbs whereby you come off 3/4 way up ( ran out of traction due to the weight + lack of skill ) and slide on your arse with the bike following to the bottom.
It’s a bit like golf you just have to pick the right club …..but you can only take one bike to an event so I chose Twinshock friendly with the Monty .
This “ Bully “ is a Graham Jarvis 2000 SSDT* winner , @ 68 kg is a doddle to ride .26 yrs old .
* Scottish Six Day Trial ——- go Google it folks .
