Galocha Cultural

sexta-feira, 13 de maio de 2022

A Grande Curva (A Grande Curva) - José Rosário

Coleção privada

OST - 40x60 - 2022

Vista da Praça Rui Barbosa em 1955 e 2022, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil

Curitiba - PR

Fotografia

Mercedes Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé" 1956, Alemanha

Mercedes Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé" 1956, Alemanha
Fotografia

Texto 1:
Reset the search engines and reset your memory – the record for the most expensive car ever sold is believed to have been smashed, without a Ferrari in sight.
Rumours from multiple Hagerty sources suggest that Mercedes-Benz, the company that brought us the first motor car – Karl Benz’s Patent-Motorwagen of 1886 – has sold one of its treasured Silver Arrows 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut coupé” racing cars for 135 million euros (£115 million; $142m).
If confirmed it would mean that the allure of one of the German marque’s most significant racing cars has powered it to nearly three times the value of the Ferrari 250 GTO that sold at Monterey in 2018, and more than twice the rumoured £52m ($70m) paid for another GTO in a private sale in 2018.
The secret sale is believed to have seen an auction house act on behalf of Mercedes-Benz. The auction house presented fewer than 10 carefully-selected car collectors who were not only wealthy enough to bid but would satisfy the strict criteria laid down by the German car manufacturer. The company wanted to ensure that any custodian of the Silver Arrows racing car would lavish it with the same care and attention as Mercedes, as well as continue to share the car at events and not sell it on to a third party.
Potential buyers are believed to have been hosted over lunch at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, with key collectors flying in on private jets on 6 May. The grand venue was closed that day for ‘an event’ and is due to open again on 15 May.
When approached by Hagerty, both Mercedes-Benz and the auction house, which Hagerty is choosing not to name, declined to comment on the rumours of the record-setting sale.
We believe the car is question is a Silver Arrow, one of the most significant racing machines in the history of the German brand. Bankrolled by the Third Reich prior to World War Two, Mercedes Silver Arrows dominated both Grand Prix racing and speed record attempts alongside their Auto Union compatriots. Following the war, in 1954 the team returned to what was now Formula 1 racing with the streamline-bodied W196. It was a sensation, winning 9 of the 12 races entered and propelling star driver Juan Manuel Fangio to World Drivers’ Championship wins in both 1954 and ’55.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz totally dominated the Sports Car World Championship in the 300 SLR (W196S) model including arguably the most famous road race win of all time: Stirling Moss’s Mille Miglia success with Dennis Jenkinson in the passenger seat in May 1955. One month later, with two 300 SLRs leading in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the team car of Pierre Levegh hit the back of Lance Macklin’s Austin-Healey as they entered the start/finish straight, propelling it into the crowd, killing 84 spectators and leading to Mercedes withdrawing from racing for the next three decades.
Mercedes also built two 1955 300 SLRs with hardtops, known as Uhlenhaut coupés, so called because they were named after Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of Mercedes’ Test Department who drove one as a company car.
At the time of publication, sources had told Hagerty that the coveted car sold for the record sum was chassis number 0008/55, the second of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupés built, and worthy of a record price.
“I haven’t heard of a direct sale such as you suggest. The reason for a high price would simply be that they are never sold,” said Karl Ludvigsen, one of the most respected automotive historians in the field and author of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix W196 : Spectacular Silver Arrows, 1954-1955.
“If a W196S 300 SLR went private it would be a huge sensation. The Mercedes-Benz cars in question are those of the so-called Silver Arrow era from 1954 to 1955, only Grand Prix cars and the 300 SLR sports cars. All the other Mercedes-Benz racing cars have been sold off in period and/or available to the open market, as far as I know.”
“The cars in that band have never been officially sold by Mercedes-Benz. Some have found private owners, like the W154 that ran at Indy after the war and stayed in the USA. It had been rescued from Eastern Europe by private parties. A similar rescue car was a 1937 W125. A W196 was controversially sold after it had been loaned by Mercedes-Benz to a museum.”
As Ludvigsen alludes, this rumoured record-breaking sale is very special but isn’t without precedent. In 2004, Daimler AG agreed to sell a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR W196S to Seattle-based collector Bruce McCaw on behalf of his company, Vintage Racing Motors, Inc for $12.5m, plus a rare six-wheeled Mercedes-Benz G4 that was owned by VRM. (Although this deal ended with VRM taking Daimler to court for breach of contract when the G4’s valuation was not as expected.) Then, in July 2013, Bonhams sold W196R chassis number 00006/54, the car that Fangio piloted to F1 glory in 1954 for a then-world record of £19.6m ($29.6m).
Rumours abound as to the identity of the buyer, with some suggesting it is a well-known figure from Britain’s automotive industry and a long-standing collector of specialist cars. With interest rates rising rapidly, this purchase could be seen as a wise investment for someone with the means.
If true, it will have brushed aside the £52m 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO that won the Tour de France the year after it was built and was particularly noteworthy as it was reportedly never crashed in its (then) 55-year lifespan.
The Ferrari was bought by David MacNeil, an American businessman and prominent Ferrari collector who founded WeatherTech, a vehicle accessories company. MacNeil reportedly bought the car from German racing driver Christian Glaesel, who had owned the 250 GTO for 15 years.
Texto 2:
Imagine a quantia de US$ 142 milhões (R$ 725.889.800 pela cotação atual). É o suficiente para comprar uma dúzia de Lamborghini Aventador Ultmae e ainda sobra dinheiro para a uma eventual Ferrari 250 GTO que aparecer em algum leilão. Ou então 11.579 unidades do Fiat Mobi, o carro mais barato do país, que custa R$ 62.690. Segundo rumores, este é o preço do Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut 1956 que foi vendido em um leilão.
Para ser claro, este valor não está confirmado e a Mercedes-Benz não fala a respeito. De acordo com o pessoal do Hagerty UK, citando diversas fontes, a fabricante teria vendido uma unidade do cupê 300 SLR Uhlenhaut. Para quem não conhece, apenas duas unidades foram produzidas depois que a Mercedes saiu do automobilismo em 1955, após um acidente nas 24 Horas de Le Mans que causou a morte de 83 espectadores. Recebeu o nome Uhlenhaut em homenagem à Rudolf Uhlenhaut, chefe do departamento de testes da empresa, que usava o cupê diariamente.
Ambos os cupês ficaram sob os cuidados da Mercedes durante todos estes anos e são considerados os carros mais valiosos do mundo. Claro, há uma diferença entre valiosos e caros, pois o último caso requer que sejam vendidos para que o seu valor seja confirmado. Aparentemente, foi o que aconteceu por volta do dia 6 de maio, quando um leilão exclusivo teria acontecido no museu da Mercedes-Benz em Stuttgart.
Além de ter dinheiro o suficiente para fazer esta compra, este grupo de elite entre os colecionadores supostamente teriam que atender uma lista de exigências estabelecidas pela Mercedes-Benz. Cuidar do cupê com extremo cuidado é óbvio, mas a fabricante quer ter certeza que o comprador não vai simplesmente revender o veículo depois para lucrar. Não se sabe se a venda realmente foi feita por um leilão, mas o fato é que um dos dois 300 SLR Uhlenhaut 1956 agora está em mãos privadas. Bom, supostamente.
Considerando o preço de mais de uma centena de milhões de dólares e a exclusividade do veículo, é possível que a verdade nunca seja divulgada por motivos de segurança. Se o cupê realmente foi vendido por US$ 142 milhões, seria dobro do recorde de US$ 70 milhões (R$ 357.098.000) pagos por uma Ferrari 250 GTO, vendida em 2018. A não ser que alguém decida confirmar este rumor, a Ferrari ainda pode se gabar de ter construído o carro mais caro do mundo.
Texto 3:
O Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, um dos carros mais icônicos da indústria, pode entrar para a história novamente. Circulam rumores de que uma unidade da versão Uhlenhaut Coupé foi arrematada por US$ 142 milhões em um leilão promovido pela própria Mercedes. O montante representa algo em torno de R$ 730 milhões.
Se a informação for confirmada, estamos falando da venda de um automóvel mais cara da história.
De acordo com fontes ouvidas pela Hagerty, a unidade foi negociada em um evento exclusivo realizado no Museu da Mercedes-Benz, em Stuttgart, Alemanha. O local está fechado até dia 14, conforme divulgado no site da atração.
A história do 300 SLR se confunde com a trajetória da Mercedes no automobilismo. O modelo foi um dos Flechas de Prata, como ficaram conhecidos os esportivos da marca alemã que dominaram diversas competições relevantes entre as décadas de 1930 e 1950.
O esportivo acompanhou o argentino Juan Manuel Fangio na conquista das temporadas 1954 e 1955 da Fórmula 1. Também ficou marcado pelo tempo recorde de 10 horas, 7 minutos e 48 segundos cravados na Mille Miglia de 1955, sob as rédeas do britânico Stirling Moss.
No entanto, o 300 SLR também ficou marcado por uma história trágica. Um acidente envolvendo o piloto Pierre Levegh culminou na morte de 84 espectadores das 24 Horas de Le Mans ainda em 1955. A fatalidade afastou a Mercedes do automobilismo por décadas.
Foram desenvolvidos apenas nove chassis do modelo, sob o código W196. Duas unidades do bólido foram convertidas em cupês de dois lugares em 1956. Daí vem a veriante Uhlenhaut Coupé, que carrega o nome de Rudolf Uhlenhaut, responsável pelos testes de veículos de passeio da marca da estrela na época.
O Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé tinha motor de 302 cv a 7.200 rpm. A velocidade máxima era de 180 km/h. Note que estamos falando de um esportivo desenvolvido há 66 anos.
Ainda segundo a Hagerty, a unidade leiloada foi adquirida por uma figura conhecida do mercado automotivo do Reino Unido. A publicação norte-americana afirmou que a Mercedes-Benz não confirmou, nem negou a transação.
Até então, o título de maior venda de um carro pertence a uma Ferrari 250 GTO arrematada em 2018 por US$ 70 milhões em um leilão na Califórnia, Estados Unidos. O valor corresponde atualmente a cerca de R$ 360 milhões.

Ferrari 340 MM Spider by Vignale 1953, Itália

Ferrari 340 MM Spider by Vignale 1953, Itália
Fotografia

The last of ten 340 MMs built by Ferrari on their way to winning the 1953 World Sportscar Championship.
A true even chassis number, purpose-built competition Ferrari.
Immensely powerful for its era with 300 h.p., equivalent to the 300 SLR and 250 TR.
One of only 4 surviving 340 MM Vignale Spiders.
Sold new to the famed American sportsman and sports car builder Sterling Edwards.
Campaigned to great success between 1953 and ’55 including overall victory at the 1954 Pebble Beach and Palm Springs Road Races.
Fully matching numbers engine, gearbox and rear axle with a spare engine currently installed.
Well documented provenance from new, including nearly 30 years in the noted Sherman Wolf collection and the last 10 years in a prominent American collection.
2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Phil Hill Cup award winner.
Highly eligible for virtually every historic racing, rally and concours event including the Mille Miglia, Monaco Historics, Le Mans Classic, Cavallino Classic, and the Colorado Grand.
The Rise of Lampredi’s Long-Block V-12:
As the 1949 Grand Prix season approached, Ferrari found itself challenged by a growing trend in the competition: the use of supercharged small-displacement engines. While these high-revving blown motors had proven to be successful, they required such constant maintenance and were so susceptible to failure that Enzo Ferrari was not convinced of the design’s viability in endurance events. Gioacchino Colombo, Maranello’s chief engineer, was in favour of following this trend, and suggested a supercharged version of his tried-and-true V-12.
But junior engineer Aurelio Lampredi had a different idea. He proposed taking advantage of the racing formula by using a naturally aspirated large-displacement engine, and he drew up plans for a completely different architecture that utilised a longer and taller block, single intake porting, and twin ignition. Initially displacing 3.3 litres, this engine found great success in Formula 1 racing, catalysing Colombo’s exit to Alfa Romeo, and Lampredi’s promotion to Chief Engineer of Ferrari at the ripe age of 30.
As history has shown, Enzo Ferrari was a strong proponent of the cross-pollination of different chassis, engines, and bodies, and he was considering a replacement for the 212 Export, the Colombo-powered competition-intended sports car that was primarily marketed to American privateers. The 3.3-litre Lampredi engine, now known as the long-block V-12 in comparison to Colombo’s short-block design, was dropped into chassis number 0030 MT, and the car was entered, with a similar sibling, at the 1950 Mille Miglia. Transmission failures resulted in early retirements for both cars, but the engine showed immense promise.
At the Paris Salon in October 1950, Ferrari introduced a 4.1-litre version, which was dubbed the 340 America. Equipped with twin-choke Weber 40 DCF3 carburettors and regular Marelli ST66 ignition distributors, the Lampredi engine could now develop circa 280 horsepower. The 340 America soon found success, winning the 1951 Mille Miglia, and it proved to be very competitive in SCCA races in the United States. Despite the 340 America’s potential, however, success at Le Mans remained elusive, and Ferrari sought to build a more powerful successor to defend a victory by a 250 Sport in the 1952 Mille Miglia.
To address these concerns, in early 1953 Maranello introduced the 340 MM, which soon proved to be a dominating force throughout the racing season. Modifications included increasing the wheelbase from 2,420 mm to 2,500 mm, and mounting wider wheels that now measured 6 inches in front and 7 inches at the rear (compared to the America’s respective 5.5- and 6-inch-wide dimensions). Mechanically, the Lampredi engine was updated with lighter conrods and triple Weber four-choke carburettors, discarding the America’s twin-choke units. The prior car’s distributors was now replaced by magneto, and in combination with improved compression and the removal of the exhaust mufflers the engine now developed approximately 30 horsepower more than the America’s (a power boost that was particularly evident when the revs exceeded 5,000 rpm). With a larger 177-litre fuel tank, compared to the America’s 140-litre tank, the MM was clearly specified to be fiercely competitive in endurance racing events.
Ten cars were initially built, seven of which were campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari for the FIA’s new Sports Car Manufacturers’ Championship. Wins at the Mille Miglia, the 24 Hours of Spa, the Nürburgring 1,000 KM, and the Giro di Sicilia were complemented by smaller victories at Silverstone, Montléry, and Seningallia, propelling Ferrari to victory in the 1953 Sports Car Championship.
The 4.1-litre Lampredi engine went on to show further potential at the Carrera Panamericana, and was soon developed into 4.5- and 4.9-litre configurations, the latter of which became the basis of the factory’s impressive win at Le Mans in 1954. But Ferrari’s 1953 championship season, powered by the lithe and attractive 340 MM, would be remembered as the engine’s first sustained period of success in sports car racing, making the 340 one of Maranello’s most cherished early sports-racers.
Chassis No. 0350 AM:
For the first 25 years of Ferrari’s life as a car manufacturer, they made a clear distinction for the true racing cars with their chassis numbers. Odd numbers were reserved for road going or GT cars while even numbers were assigned to Ferrari’s special purpose-built race cars. Even numbers were used on all Scuderia Ferrari sports racers as well as privateer race cars. It was almost exclusively these even numbered cars which were responsible for building the foundation of Ferrari’s legend on racetracks around the world in the early 1950s, achieving victory in the great races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mille Miglia, 12 Hours of Sebring, the Nurburgring 1,000 Km, and others. Further, as one would expect, even numbered cars are far rarer than the odd numbered cars, with only circa 480 even numbered race cars built, compared to over 8,000 odd numbered cars built in that same period.
It is among this elite class of Ferrari sports racers that 0350 AM was born.
Boasting initial ownership by one of America’s most renowned sportsmen of the 1950s, this 340 MM is undoubtedly the car that brought the Lampredi-powered Ferrari to the attention of the U.S. market. Chassis number 0350 AM is the last of ten examples built, and one of just four remaining 340 MM Vignale Spiders, a near identical sister car to the 1953 Mille Miglia winning example.
The Ferrari was ordered new through Luigi Chinetti by Sterling Edwards, the prominent California-based businessman, aviator, and sports car racer who went on to build his own European-influenced sports car, the Edwards America, and was a founding chairman of the Pebble Beach road races. Mr. Edwards arrived in Europe in September 1953 with his new bride to take delivery of the 340, and he must have been delighted with the car’s unique coachwork treatment. Generally following the form of prior Ferrari barchettas, the Vignale spider featured the coachbuilder’s characteristic triple oval portholes on the front fenders, triangular cooling vents on the rear fenders, a closed hood bulge with five heat-exhaust slots on each side, and outboard headlamps. The arresting coachwork was finished in a two-tone combination of dark blue and white, reportedly in honor of the buyer’s American nationality.
After driving his new Ferrari on a whirlwind honeymoon tour that closely approximated the route of the Mille Miglia, Edwards transported the car back to San Francisco and immediately began racing it in a slew of West Coast-based SCCA events. Success was instantaneous, as the 340 won in its debut appearance at the Stead Air Force Base in Reno, Nevada, in October 1953. Victories followed at the Palm Springs event in February 1954, and the 5th Annual Pebble Beach Road Races two months later. Photos from the Del Monte Trophy win went on to appear in numerous esteemed motoring books, and Edwards’ come-from-behind triumph over several American V-8 powered models included a record lap time that was never broken.
In June 1954 Edwards placed 2nd at the SCCA Nationals at Golden Gate Park, and two months later he was again victorious at the Seafair event in Seattle, Washington. In Edwards’ final race in 0350 AM at March Air Force Base in November 1954, the car finished 4th overall, concluding a remarkable run of dominating performances that launched him to third place in the 1954 SCCA National C-Class Modified driver standings, trailing only the 4.5 litre 375 MMs of Bill Spear and Jim Kimberly.
In 1955 Edwards sold the 340 MM to Jim Pauley, who vented the hood bulge for improved air intake before selling the car to the well-known Hollywood-based dealer and racing driver Ernie McAfee. Shortly thereafter the Ferrari was purchased from McAfee by Tom Bamford of nearby Woodland Hills, and he repainted the body in Rosso. Bamford went on to campaign the car in several races of his own, most notably finishing 2nd overall and 1st in class at the Los Angeles Sports Car Road Races at Hansen Dam in June 1955.
Life After Racing:
In 1958 Bamford sold the Ferrari to Sabu Dastagir, better known simply as Sabu, a onetime Indian child actor who is remembered for his lead roles in such well-regarded 1940s films as Elephant Boy, The Thief of Baghdad, and The Jungle Book. After Sabu died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1963 at the age of 39, the 340 MM was eventually sold by his estate in 1969 to the partnership of California residents Johnny Johnson and Ernest Mendicki, and the two men retained possession of the potent racecar until 1975, when they sold it to former NART driver Harley Cluxton, the famed proprietor of Grand Touring Cars in Arizona.
The Ferrari was purchased a year later by Donald Dethlefsen of Lake Forest, Illinois, and in 1979 he sold the car to Peter Agg, a collector in England. In 1980 the 340 was acquired from Agg by David Cottingham, the well-known Ferrari restorer in Watford, and his DK Engineering set about a full restoration that included refinishing the coachwork in the original factory color scheme of blue and white, re-sealing the hood bulge, and installing a purpose-built racing engine (while the original Lampredi V-12 was stored). Cottingham drove the spider in several vintage racing events, including the Autumn Sprints at Goodwood and the Club Ferrari France meeting at Mas du Clos in late 1981. A few months later the Ferrari became the cover car of the February 1982 issue of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine.
In 1984 Cottingham sold the 340 MM to Sherman Wolf of Amherst, New Hampshire, an electronics technician and collector who was a major force in the development of the personal pager. After repainting the Ferrari red, Wolf presented the car at four different FCA events, and he went on to retain possession until his passing 28 years later. Wolf also enjoyed the exhilarating spider during extensive vintage touring, including five consecutive appearances at the Mille Miglia Storica between 1986 and 1990, and four runs on the Colorado Grand between 1990 and 2000 (at various points both pop musician J. Geils and automotive journalist and driver Denise McCluggage reportedly served as co-pilots). In 1989 Wolf commissioned DK Engineering to return the coachwork to its beautiful blue over white cosmetic livery, and he also exhibited the car at the famous Ferrari Club of America International Concours in 1994, and at the 2000 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Acquired by the consignor in 2012, the Ferrari was treated to further sympathetic freshening in 2013 including a refinish in Rosso, and it was again presented at Pebble Beach in August 2015 where it won the Phil Hill Cup. Among many other appearances in the automotive press and well-regarded motoring books, the fascinating and significant spider was the subject of a full feature in the June/July 2021 issue of Cavallino magazine by the esteemed writers Alan Boe and Robert Devlin.
Chassis number 0350 AM is currently fitted with what is believed to be the original engine block from chassis 0032MT, a very important 1950 Scuderia Ferrari Works sports racer, and is notably accompanied by its original Lampredi V-12 long-block engine, the same motor that captured Sterling Edwards four victories in eight racing appearances from 1953 to 1954. This striking and iconic example of Maranello’s pivotal 1953 championship-winning model offers a rare opportunity for Ferrari collectors to acquire a 300-horsepower Ferrari V-12 Spider for a fraction of the price of its later siblings such as the 375 Plus, 290 MM, 410 Sport and 335 Sport. Being the sister car to the 1953 Mille Miglia winner, 0350 AM is in the same rarified breed as legendary cars such as the 300 SLR. As one of the most successful early Ferraris to campaign in SCCA events, the highly desirable spider is undoubtedly the car that first introduced many American enthusiasts to the brilliance of Aurelio Lampredi’s legendary racing engine. 0350AM’s historical significance, combined with the fact that it is one of only a very few select Ferrari examples that is eligible to all of the most important vintage racing and rally events in the world, make it a crowning addition to any collection, ideal for both display and further touring enjoyment.

Propaganda "A Economia Pede Passagem", 1979, Honda CG 125, Honda, Brasil

Propaganda

Posto Volta, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil

Ribeirão Preto - SP

Fotografia

Nota do blog: Antiga saída para São Paulo.

Propaganda "Existem Coisas na Vida da Gente que nos Marcam Quando Crianças, Daí a Gente se Acostuma e, Quando Cresce, Exige, Conforto é Uma Delas, Brasília, Para Quem Foi Bem Acostumado", Volkswagen Brasília, Volkswagen, Brasil

Propaganda "Existem Coisas na Vida da Gente que nos Marcam Quando Crianças, Daí a Gente se Acostuma e, Quando Cresce, Exige, Conforto é Uma Delas, Brasília, Para Quem Foi Bem Acostumado", Volkswagen Brasília, Volkswagen, Brasil

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