12h Sebring, Arthur Swanson / Robert Ennis Austrian GP Sports Car race, Zeltweg, 1st OA, Jochen Rindt Austrian GP Sports Car race, Zeltweg, 1st OA, Jochen Rindt Austrian GP Sports Car race, Zeltweg, 1st OA, Jochen Rindt Austrian GP Sports Car race, Zeltweg, 1st OA, Jochen Rindt 1000km Monza, 13th OA 7th IC, Arthur Swanson / Robert Ennis |
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Finally RM’s upcoming Maranello auction on 18th May, 2008 got its star lot, after the Dino 246 S was withdrawn. It is Ferrari 250 LM s/n 5845, one of the most original 250 LMs in existence and of course it comes with the full Ferrari Classiche package.
The proven authenticity of 5845 is even more important because there are lots of more or less dubios 250 LMs floating around. It may be not the 250 LM with the most successful race history but it survived all the years in remarkably good and original condition.
Sold new to Gottfried Koechert in May 1964, heir of a famous Austrian jeweller dynasty, 5845 was raced by Koechert in Austrian and Swiss hillclimbs before it was handed out to the young and more than promising talent Jochen Rindt for the GP of Austria on 22nd May, 1965. Due to the bumpy track the FIA did not allow the ÖAMTC to organize a F1 race in 1965 as in 1964 and so this GP was held as a 100-lap sportscar race only. Jochen Rindt won this race while Mike Parkes was only second in a Ferrari 365 P. Frank Gardner managed to secure the fastest lap time of 1:10,49 but in the end he came home on third place with his Lotus 30.
Other competitors were: Chris Amon | 4th OA | in a ISO Grifo | Sidney Charpilloz | 5th OA | in a ELVA-BMW | Innes Ireland | 6th OA | in a AC Cobra | Bob Bondurant | 7th OA | in a ISO Grifo |
What a race ! As a side note it has to be said that this win was highly promoted in all European magazines though Rindt was only able to win due to the fact that he was the only one without any pit stop.
You can find the full history of 5845 » here
In the past the 250 LM always stood in the shadow of the limelight of its famous predecessor – the 250 GTO. It’s time now to realize that the 250 LM is the much more radical and special car. Some even claim that it is more beautifully designed but this surely is in the eye of the beholder.
The 250 LM definitely deserves to be regarded as one of the greatest milestones in Ferrari history and I am sure it will show in the result next Sunday.
Prove me right.
Bjoern Schmidt |