As Piper labelled his exploits with the Colonel: “Racing in terrific style” is firmly on the agenda for the all-new race, as a magnificent collection of Porsches, Alfa Romeos, Abarths and, of course, Ferraris fill the assembly area with some of the finest examples of International GT racers from the mid-1960s.
It is hard to mention the name Ronnie Hoare without the Prancing Horse following in swift fashion, the former Ford dealer forming Maranello Concessionaires Ltd, with the blessing of Enzo Ferrari himself, in July 1960.
Friends with Tommy Sopwith, who ran Jaguars for Mike Parkes under the Equipe Endeavour banner in the British Saloon Car Championship, the Colonel provided a Ferrari 250 for Mike Parkes to race in the GT races at British Saloon Car meetings. The results soon came flooding in, with victories coming in 1961 at Snetterton in the Lombank Trophy and Goodwood’s Fordwater Trophy, as well as the 1962 Brands Hatch Peco Trophy and Silverstone International GT meeting.
Further success came as the team branched off as a standalone outfit, including two consecutive victories at the RAC Tourist Trophy with Graham Hill at Goodwood in 1963 and 1964, as well as visiting the winner’s circle in 1964 at the Paris 1000km at Monthlery, the Reims 12 Hours and the Ettore Bettoja Trophy at Monza. A GT class victory at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours with Roy Pike and Piers Courage, and a win at the 1967 British GP support race with Richard Attwood at the wheel would be the team’s final successes.