Ron Roycroft's Ferrari

[stubuchanan]

Looks like it should be Sitges-Terramar south of Barcelona, even older than Montlhery. It didn't ever get much use, not helped by the prize money for the first meeting not being paid out, because the building contractors impounded the gate takings to cover unpaid cost over-runs.
The Spanish must have known a bit about concrete-work, just like Montlhery - 90 plus year old track looks good, and it certainly didn't get any maintenance, most of its life it seems to have been closed and chained up. Didn't get there on the big OE, but drove the Bedford camper around Montjuich in Barcelona when it was being set up for Motor-bike races in 1970. A great circuit.

Stu

[Kwaussie]

Correct again Stu!
Here is an exciting link to a few laps in 2012

http://www.redbull.es/cs/Satellite/es_ES/Video/Red-Bull-Terramar-021243206207374

[Kwaussie]

Correct again Stu!
Here is a great link from 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-gCq2xpFzE

edit: sorry I forgot that it is in Spanish buth you will get the idea.

[Kwaussie]

For some reason I cannot pick up my files of the 375F1 with NZ built body to attach here.
So it has to be one more of Sitges, this time of concrete work on one of the bankings note the ladders!

[GeebeeNZ]

When I bought my Mallock Sports car from Ron it had a nicely upholstered very small alloy seat in it. I asked Ron what the seat was out of. He said it came from the Ferrari and was the regulation passenger seat. Terry has confirmed that he went for a ride in the centre seat sports car and confirms it had a little seat in it. Other than that I have not been able to confirm or deny its heritage. I have sold the Mallock but kept the little seat in the hope that it has some history.
Graeme Banks

[GeebeeNZ]

[video=youtube_share;irUFsFTBS-k]http://youtu.be/irUFsFTBS-k[/video]

I have this clip from Mairehau showing that the car didn't leave the line and had to be pushed back. apologies for the poor quality of the copy

[stubuchanan]

Quality of film be damned, it's a piece of history. It shows exactly what happened at Mairehau 1956. A scary place, though, with the road only wide enough for 2 cars (They used to line up the cars 2/1/2/1... for grid starts). This race was a handicap and some of the front runners had been going for about 15 minutes when Roycroft was due to start, and some of them zip through while they are pushing/pulling the Ferrari.

Stu

[petgro]

Hello all,

I am a dutch ferarri historian who is researching Ferrari 357 F1 #2 (the Roycroft ferrari)
I finally got hold of: "Up to speed" last week and found out that beyond all races I knew Roycroft ran with this car it was also entered in a hillclimb event: in South Canterbury in 1958 (result 4th OA).
Does anyone have more info (time / pictures) of this event.
I am also looking for detailed results (qualifying times / laps ran / total race time etc.) of all other entries:
4-2-1956 6th CWF Hamilton Trophy, Mairehau - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft Rtd - rear axle
12-1-1957 4th NZ G.P., Ardmore 19 Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft Rtd 63 laps driver exhausting
25-1-1957 6th Lady Wigram Trophy, Wigram - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 3rd 70 laps -
2-2-1957 5th Dunedin Road Race, Dunedin - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft Rtd 15 laps transmission
16-2-1957 9th NZ Champioship Road Race, Ryal Bush - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 4th - -
23-2-1957 2nd South Island Champ Road Race, Mairehau - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft DNA - -
11-1-1958 5th New Zealand G.P., Ardmore - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 3rd 1h53:44.6 75 laps
18-1-1958 1st Levin International, Levin - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 5th 10 laps -
25-1-1958 7th Lady Wigram Trophy, Wigram - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 8th - -
1-2-1958 6th Dunedin Road Race, Dunedin - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft Rtd 2 laps gearbox
8-2-1958 1st Teretonga International, Teretonga - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 5th - -
1-3-1958 Ardmore 50, Ardmore - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 2nd - -
10-1-1959 6th New Zealand G.P., Ardmore - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft DNQ - -
9-1-1960 7th New Zealand G.P., Ardmore - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 12th 63 laps -
23-1-1960 9th Lady Wigram Trophy, Wigram - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft 10th 64 laps -
30-1-1960 7th Dunedin Road Race, Dunedin - Ron Roycroft A.J. Roycroft Rtd 3 laps -
Can anybody please help.

Peter

[Milan Fistonic]

Here is some information to be going on with.

[petgro]

Thanks,
Great help.
Whats the source?
Peter

[Roger Dowding]

haven't followed this thread, but knew that the " Roycroft's - Father and Son " had one.. My Uncle Eddie Dowding, knew both A J and Ron well in the 1940's 50's .. Ed said to me recently [ he is 98 ] that " A J was a better driver than Ron "
.. must ask Terry one day - he was at Chelsea Walsh on the weekend the Bugatti-Jaguar also in Blue so have added a pic too !!
The thread mentions removing the Sports Car body and creating a Single Seater, which was painted Blue, the French National racing colour back when that was important !!.
Presume this is the same car. have my Scott Thomson book, but not able to get to it at the moment - separated by 200km and a storage unit, that is another story.

Here at Ardmore Reunion in 1989 ..

The Bug-Jag from behind at Chelsea yesterday,did not get another shot of it - am sure others did like ERC or BMC BOY

[Trevor Sheffield]

Thanks,
Great help.
Whats the source?
Peter

Greetings Peter,

The information has been directly copied without acknowledgement, from a publication now out of print but available here:-

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net

I can assure that the information is from a reliable source and is accurate. If I can help you with content in digital form, please advise and I will let you have my email address via a personal message.

I wish you well with your project.

Trevor.

[nigel watts]

[ERC]

Bug-Jag - wife's photo...

[CENTER]

[/CENTER]

[GeebeeNZ]

Still have that little alloy leather covered seat believed to have come from the sports car body. Don't know what to do with it but it remains my part of that fantastic cars history. Graeme Banks

[Kwaussie]

Just find the Scaglietti centre seat body Graeme and you have the basis for a very good reproduction!
I am a bit of a Ferrari nut so if you ever want to part with it let me know via pm Thanks

[khyndart in CA]

Some photos of Ron Roycroft and his Ferrari at Ardmore in 1957.

"The most likely contender was Ron Roycroft, in a 4½-litre V12 Ferrari, originally a 1952 sports car, but considerably modified and fitted with a single-seat body." (Sergent.com.au ) (Photo from Eoin Young's book "Classic Racers" )

Ron was sensational at the start and led for 10 laps before the heat and fuel fumes almost caused him to pass out and was fortunate to have First Aid attendants for immediate assistance. (sergent.com.au photo )

Another view of Ron Roycroft at Ardmore in 1957. Note all those safety drums compared to todays standards !
(sergent.com.au photo )

Photo from Eoin Young's book "Classic Racers"



(Ken H)

[petgro]

Does anyone know the exact dates of its history after roycroft stopped racing the car.
Car to Nunn - engine in power boat - chassis given. To Ferris de Joux.
Back to Gavin Bain - restored - engine reunited.
Entered in races after that.
Sold to pefetti (i)???
Now where abouts??

[khyndart in CA]

I did find this quote at Ultimatecarpage.com ;
"#375-2, the car Froilan Gonzalez used to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1951 and Ascari, the German Grand Prix, was sold to Louis Rosier in 1952. He raced it in Formula Libre events and won the Albi GP in 1953 & 53. Converted to a single seat sports car in 1953, it was taken to South America where Rosier came 7th, in the Buenos Aires 1000km, co driving with Maurice Trintigant In 1955, the car was sold to Ron Roycroft, in New Zealand. Roycroft rebuilt the car with a close copy of the Indianapolis 375 body.Roycroft raced the car with varying success in NZ until 1960. After languishing for some years, the engine was sold to Ernie Nunn, in Australia, for a hydroplane, and the chassis was used by local coachbuilder, Ferris De Joux, to build a fibreglass bodied, Jaguar powered, GT car. In 1968, local, Gavin Bain, bought the GT, eventually recovered the original engine, and the car was rebuilt in it’s 1955 Roycroft configuration. Raced in various historic events in NZ & Australia, it was sold to Giorgio Perfetti, in Switzerland, in 1992."

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/comments/120/Ferrari-375-F1.html

As this magnificent Ferrari looks today. - Driver: Fernando Alonso



(Ken H )

[petgro]

This wonderfull site gives an insight in the 375 engine:

http://www.grandprixengines.co.uk/1st_Pressure-Charged_Era_(1PC)_Part_2.pdf