chou123 said:
Does anyone have more detail photo of Cobra Bartolletti transporter or knows any web site, book that may have more information? I did some research on it, but did not find much about it.
Glen,
My research has led me to believer the following:
Scarab – Camoradi – Shelby/Mann – Mirage – JCB – Shoen Transporter
RAI, Lance Reventlow’s racing organization for his Scarabs, commissioned a racing car transporter from Bartoletti in Italy for his F1 team in 1959. (1) After the May 1960, Monaco F1 race, Phil Remington and Warren Olson, RAI employees went down to Modena and picked up the transporter and returned to the Lotus facilities in England. (1)
The F1 Scarabs used it that year until the decision was made to terminate the project due to poor performance. It is believed that the RAI team left the transporter at the Lotus facilities and that the Lotus team may have borrowed it on occasion.
The transporter was returned to Italy and was prepared for the Camoradi Team to use but they ran out of funds before taking delivery. The transporter remained there until the 1964 Shelby American Cobra team, also including Phil Remington, bought it for transporting the FIA Cobras around Europe. John Ohlsen went to Italy and painted the transporter to match the Viking Blue of the FIA Cobras. Shelby hired Ermanno Cuoghi to drive the transporter and they took it back to England. From there it was used by Shelby in 1964 and by Alan Mann in 1965 who campaigned the Cobras for Shelby and Ford. The transporter was also used to transport Ford GTs to Le Mans in 1965. (2)
Sometime after the 1965 session, Harvey Cluxton of Grand Touring Cars (GTC) picked up the transporter to haul his Mirages, which were first Ford based and then Renault engined sport racing cars, winning Le Mans in 1975. His team used it for several years and then retired it in Europe.
The now well used transporter was purchased by the JCB (Sir Anthony Bamford) vintage racing team and used to transport their Ferrari GTOs, et al, to vintage racing events, thus the red color and the Ferrari markings. Though it resembles the period Ferrari transporters, being made by the same firm, Bartoletti; it was never used by the Ferrari factory.
Following the JCB ownership Michael Shoen of Paradise Valley Arizona purchased the transporter to add to his Cobra collection which then included Cobra Daytona CSX 2299, the first racing Cobra CSX2002, and several other racing Cobras.
From pictures it appears the transporter is still in Arizona but in very poor shape. Scale drawings of this transporter are available from Mike Sells. In Mike Shoen's book, Cobra-Ferrari Wars, which has been republished, there are some excellent photos.
1. Michael Shoen – Copy of blueprint
2. Phil Remington – Vintage Mortorsport, Sep-Oct 2005
3. Racing Mechanic – Ermanno Cuoghi, Jeremy Walton Osprey