Goodwood Greats: 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO '64'

Wherever possible, we like to include the relevant competition history of our Goodwood Greats. However, in the case of Lord Bamford’s Ferrari 250 GTO ’64’, competition is its history; from its delivery in 1963 and right up to the 2014 Goodwood Revival, when it hasn’t been racing it has been enjoyed on the road. What’s more, few cars are as closely associated with Goodwood.

Delivered new to Colonel Ronnie Hoare in May 1963, it was run under the illustrious Maranello Concessionaires banner almost straight away at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting where it won in the hands of Mike Parkes. Another win was earned by Parkes in the Martini Trophy race at Silverstone before the car went on to chalk up two more wins at Goodwood (overall) and Silverstone (first in class) in its first season, as well as first in class (second overall) at Mallory Park with Jack Sears at the helm. The second Goodwood victory came at the Tourist Trophy race with Graham Hill at the wheel. Despite a successful season’s racing the car was then sent back to Maranello where Scaglietti fitted the Rosso Corsa and Cambridge Blue 1964 bodywork it still wears to this day. 

Judging by the race results for 1964 it would appear that updating the bodywork had been a very good move. The GTO took part in some of the biggest endurance events across Europe that year and acquitted itself superbly, kicking off the season with a hat-trick of wins in the Sussex Trophy at Goodwood, the International Trophy at Silverstone and the 500km of Spa Francorchamps. Graham Hill piloted at Goodwood and Silverstone while Mike Parkes prevailed at Spa. Next up was the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the addition of a hood scoop, which resulted in 6th overall and 3rd in class. Innes Ireland and Tony Maggs drove the car, although it’s worth nothing that a certain young Scotsman by the name of Jackie Stewart had been slated to drive as well, although it didn’t happen …

With little rest the car then raced at the 12 hours of Reims where it bagged first in class, before retiring from the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch.Then it took fourth in class at the Goodwood TT and suffered a disqualification from the Tour de France. After that small blip in form the splendidly-named Viscount Rollo Fielding scored a first in class with it at its final meeting of 1964 at Mallory Park.

In 1965 the car was driven almost exclusively by Mike Salmon, although the roaring successes of the previous two seasons were sadly not repeated. Fourth at the Members’ Meeting at Goodwood was followed by ninth and second places in the two heats of the Oulton Park TT. A sturdy second in class followed at the Spa 500km before retirement at the Nurburgring 1000km. Another retirement followed at the Goodwood TT before the car was sold to John Dawney, who owned it for a very short time before it was acquired by George Drummond who raced it in a Clubmans Championship race at Silverstone. In 1969 Drummond sold the car to Lord Bamford who has owned it ever since.

Lord Bamford is especially fond of GTO chassis number 4399GT and has used it both on the road and track every year since its acquisition. It has been entered in almost every Goodwood Revival RAC TT Celebration race since 1998, and in 2010 it scored a hugely popular victory in the hands of Jean-Marc Gounon and Peter Hardman. Historic racing ace Hardman says of the car ‘Oh it was very quick. Really on the edge. There was a very narrow margin between being in a controlled drift and full-on oversteer. But in the race I took the first stint and the car was on full tanks. I was cautious at first but then I realised that it felt really good; the full tanks had the effect of calming it down and Jean-Marc and I took the win!’ 

So there it is. Possibly the most famous and most successful example of one of the most famous cars – the 250 GTO – that there is. One owner since 1969, almost continuous racing history with no sign of a let-up, and that stunning shape as photographed by Goodwood Road & Racing at the Revival meeting in 2014. A truly rare and extremely special car …

Full gallery behind main image.

Photography: AntonyFraser

Additional Material: Jarrah Venables