Top 5: Sportscar stunners not to miss at Revival

Ferrari 330 GTO

We start with the Ferrari 330 GTO. It’s not unlike the 250 GTO with which most people, even those who aren't motoring aficionados, will probably be relatively familiar. “That really valuable Ferrari”, as most would refer to it, is in fact broadly identical to the 330 GTO aesthetically. So why have we included a car which is nearly identical to a famous moneymaker in this list? It’s not like the most expensive car in the world hasn’t had enough coverage already…

Imagine a 250 with 33% more punch. The engine in the 330 is very similar to the 250’s lusty 300bhp 3-litre, albeit stroked to 4-litres and with a lower redline. This thing pushes 400 horsepower on a good day. This is a GTO with some serious muscle behind those gorgeous and iconic curves. That’s not to say that the 250 is underendowed. We look forward to seeing (and hearing) it in action in the Kinrara Trophy! 

Frazer Nash High Speed

Next up, the Frazer Nash High Speed. It's the child of a technical partnership between Frazer Nash and Bristol. They were interested in the built-under-licence BMW 328 engine that Frazer Nash had in their inventory. The 120bhp 2-litre engine came upgraded courtesy of a bit of Bristol knowhow, shortly before the companies parted ways. This car is intriguing because it is an early example which carries the short lived name “high speed”, which became “Le Mans Replica” after a High Speed took third at Le Mans in 1949. The renamed car was a sales success. The High Speed predates that motorsport glory and hype. A podium car waiting in the wings, and we’ve got two out on track at Revival in the Lavant Cup! 

Lotus- Oldsmobile 19

It’s hard to pick an individual from an entire grid that would thrive in the spotlight. Such is the spectacularity of the thunderously savage sportscars of the Whitsun Trophy. When we think of V8 sportscars, we traditionally think of Lola and McLaren Can-Am monsters or the magnificent GT40s. The Lotus-Oldsmobile 19 “Monte Carlo” was a bit of a one off in its day. The original 19s ran Formula engines, bar the final chassis which received an Oldsmobile V8. Subsequent 19B models would run Ford 289 engines, so the Oldsmobile 19 is entirely unique. The car at Revival is a nut for bolt recreation of the Monte Carlo, and it’s as utterly gorgeous and unique as the car whose torch it carries…

Ferrari 250 LM

Forgive another Ferrari, for this is no GTO. This is the very real, very special, Ferrari 250 LM. Virtually unrelated to the GTO from which it cannot escape comparison, the LM is a bonafide motorsport success. With an overall victory at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans under its belt, this and the success of its 250P predecessor the previous year proved the mid-engined formula in sportscar racing for Ferrari. Most of the 32 cars built ran a 3.3-litre V12, in spite of the 250 name suggesting a slightly smaller power plant. How fantastic to have such a spectacular and iconic machine slogging it out in the TT! 

Mercedes-Benz 300SL "Gullwing"

Sport Leicht. A name whose initials have endured for over 60 years, albeit with the meaning somewhat lost in recent years as the SL badge sits atop the boot lid of a loping grand tourer. Debuting direct injection in its overhead cam straight-six and taking the title of fastest production car, the 300SL “Gullwing" was a symbol of post-war rebirth. At Revival this year we have a stunning example of a race prepared version. It’s resplendent white hue highlights the unique lines of the 300SL beautifully, and wears the soot of backfires gone by. We can’t wait to see it out at full tilt in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy!