1963 Derrington-Francis ATS Type 100 #002

ATS (Automobili Turisimo E Sport) created by senior Ferrari employees such as Romolo Tavoni and Carlo Chiti who had left Suderia Ferrari abruptly in November 1961. Backed by Florentine industrialist Giorgio Billi, Bolivian mining heir Jaime Ortiz-Patino and Scuderia Serenissima benefactor Count Giovanni Volpi, the team was established and based themselves in Bologna. This Formula 1 car designed by Carlo Chitti, who had designed the 1961 World Championship winning Ferrari’s, scheduled the launch for November 1962 and race in the 1963 season. Built completely in house and featured 1500 cc 8 cylinder engines with 6 speed gearboxes, inboard disc brakes and conventional independent suspension. The cars were to be driven by Phil Hill and Giancarlo Baghetti. After a disappointing start to the 1963 season, ATS made some radical changes to one of the cars with which Phil Hill practiced, but did not race, at the Italian Grand Prix. The changes certainly made a difference in the performance and handling. Starting well at the US Grand Prix, but unfortunately retired with low oil pressure. And again a few weeks later retiring at the Mexican Grand Prix. Despite Carlo Chitti’s assurances to Phil Hill that the team would continue in 1964, just before the 1964 Grand Prix season started, the owner of ATS, who was encountering serious financial difficulties, decided to hand the running of the Grand Prix team over to Alf Francis, former chief machanic of Stirling Moss. Francis found new sponsorship from the English tuning company, V.W. Derrington, and the revised car was entered as the Derrington-Francis ATS in the 1964 Italian Grand Prix, to be driven by a paying driver, the Portugese, Mario Cabral. Starting on the back row of the grid, 5 seconds behind the pace of John Surtees in practise who sat in pole postion. After a steady start Mario encountered problems on lap 26 and stop suddenly by the trackside when its engine died. A few weeks later the team returned to Monza to test the car, and after a successful day of testing fortunes changed, the car crashing at Curva Grande and suffered damage to the bodywork, steering and injection stacks. The car returned to the ATS factory and sat in a corner for almost 5 years, to be eventally sold to Sig. G Giordanengo of Cuneo, Italy, who bought the entire inventory. Continueous history has been recorded since then. In recent years appearing at Goodwood and Monaco in 2002. Since the rebuild it has done Goodwood Revival in 2023, Merzario, 3 laps. Raced at again at Goodwood in 2024. The engine rebuilt 2022 by John Felstead, HTP’s valid until December 2027.