CMC M-261 1/18 Ferrari 250 LM #7 RHD 12h Reims 1964 Hill/Bonnier
Description
Limited edition of 1,500 pieces
This 250 LM was sold new to Maranello Concessionaires, Ferrari's representative in England. The car first competed in the 1964 Coppa Intereuropa at Monza with Roy Salvadori. Later, Jackie Stewart, Lucien Bianchi, and Innes Ireland also raced in it. In September 1965, the car was sold to Peter Clarke, who continued to drive it until 1968. It was also briefly owned by David Piper afterward.
The uniqueness of the 1964 Reims 12 Hours was its midnight start. Setting off in pitch-black night was made even more challenging by the Le Mans start procedure. The opening laps were characterized by a three-way battle between the two Ferrari drivers, Graham Hill and John Surtees, and Richie Ginther's Ford. For almost an hour, at average speeds well over 200 km/h, the three drivers regularly overtook each other before the Virage de Thillois.
At 6 a.m., long after the sun had risen, John Surtees led Graham Hill's teammate, Joakim Bonnier, by 56 seconds. By this time, all three factory GT40s and both Shelby Daytonas had retired. The lead fluctuated largely due to differing pit stop tactics. Just before 11 a.m., Surtees came in to refuel. This also meant changing the front brake pads. Although the NART mechanics worked quickly, the team lost two minutes. With new brake pads, Surtees seemed able to achieve the impossible. He made up a huge amount of time on Bonnier in a short space of time, at times being five seconds faster per lap than the Swede. When Bonnier came into the pits for his final refueling stop half an hour before the end of the race and handed the car back to Hill, Surtees took the lead. He had completed all the necessary stops and could have finished the race without stopping again. He had driven the Ferrari at, and at times beyond, its limits for over an hour, putting extreme demands on the car's mechanicals. During Surtees's final stop, a tire change was skipped due to time constraints, and this now came back to haunt him. With ten minutes to go, he pitted with a flat left front tire. When he returned to the track, he was 1.5 laps behind the race-winning Hill/Bonnier Ferrari.
Notice
Limited edition of 1,500 pieces
This 250 LM was sold new to Maranello Concessionaires, Ferrari's representative in England. The car first competed in the 1964 Coppa Intereuropa at Monza with Roy Salvadori. Later, Jackie Stewart, Lucien Bianchi, and Innes Ireland also raced in it. In September 1965, the car was sold to Peter Clarke, who continued to drive it until 1968. It was also briefly owned by David Piper afterward.
The uniqueness of the 1964 Reims 12 Hours was its midnight start. Setting off in pitch-black night was made even more challenging by the Le Mans start procedure. The opening laps were characterized by a three-way battle between the two Ferrari drivers, Graham Hill and John Surtees, and Richie Ginther's Ford. For almost an hour, at average speeds well over 200 km/h, the three drivers regularly overtook each other before the Virage de Thillois.
At 6 a.m., long after the sun had risen, John Surtees led Graham Hill's teammate, Joakim Bonnier, by 56 seconds. By this time, all three factory GT40s and both Shelby Daytonas had retired. The lead fluctuated largely due to differing pit stop tactics. Just before 11 a.m., Surtees came in to refuel. This also meant changing the front brake pads. Although the NART mechanics worked quickly, the team lost two minutes. With new brake pads, Surtees seemed able to achieve the impossible. He made up a huge amount of time on Bonnier in a short space of time, at times being five seconds faster per lap than the Swede. When Bonnier came into the pits for his final refueling stop half an hour before the end of the race and handed the car back to Hill, Surtees took the lead. He had completed all the necessary stops and could have finished the race without stopping again. He had driven the Ferrari at, and at times beyond, its limits for over an hour, putting extreme demands on the car's mechanicals. During Surtees's final stop, a tire change was skipped due to time constraints, and this now came back to haunt him. With ten minutes to go, he pitted with a flat left front tire. When he returned to the track, he was 1.5 laps behind the race-winning Hill/Bonnier Ferrari.
