Dolphin 'America'– ABARTH Sports Racer, 1964
Abarth 124 Spider
Abarth 124 Spider•
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US$42,560 USD | Sold
- 747cc Abarth DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
- Dual Weber Carburetors
- Approx. 75 bhp at 7000rpm
- 5-Speed Manual Transmission
- Fully independent coil-over with sways bars front and rear
- Front Disc – Rear Drum Brakes
- The ex-Dan Parkinson, 1964 SCCA US H Modified ARRC & 1966 SCCA US HSR ARRC Championship Winning Car
- Sophisticated American/Italian hybrid
- Marque defining example
- Impressive spares package, including body molds etc.
- DOLPHIN ENGINEERING COMPANY
The Dolphin Engineering Company of San Diego, California was started by Bud Hull in 1959 and over the following five years constructed nearly fifty race cars, over three models; the "Club" and "International" formula juniors and "America" sports racer. Each model won races in their respective categories and the design execution of this wining marque was recognized as being really competitive with contemporary European designs, especially regarding their lightweight, straight tube chassis frames, and sophisticated state of the art, fully adjustable independent suspension. Dolphin is arguably one of the most significant Californian, and American race car marques.
Dolphin racing cars were the product of Bud Hull's partnership with John Crosthwaite, an English race car design engineer, who worked with BRM, Cooper, Lotus and Mickey Thompson. Significantly Ken Miles was the Dolphin factory driver during the 1960 and '61 seasons and contributed to handling development of the cars. Miles continued to drive a Dolphin in 1963, when the factory was commissioned to produce a Porsche engined example of their "America" model for Otto Zipper. The 1100-pound special was 160 pounds lighter than the Porsche RS model! The extremely rigid frame with potent 1700cc RS61 engine and drive train combined with Miles' driving was a formidable combination.
Miles taking the car to a number of successes in 1963. The Dolphin "America" Sports Racer was produced by Don Maslim modifying the Dolphin Formula Junior design, literally widening the existing spaceframe and increasing the track from 47 to 51 inches. The sports racing body was created by taking a fiberglass mold from Maslin's own Lotus for the rear section and adding fender pontoons to the "International's" single seater nose at the front. This approach resulted in something of a Ferrari Testa Rosa look to the car that really excited aficionados of the day. The first "America" was powered by a 750cc Coventry Climax engine and was shown to the motoring press in August 1962.
With oil and water, but no fuel, the car weighed just 775 lbs. There followed an 1100cc Climax FWA-powered car which was campaigned with great success by West Coast driver Ron Cole. The "America" was offered without engines or gearboxes, so customers could choose what they wanted from Crosley to Buick power. As intended, the next customers of Dolphin were Daniel (Dan) Parkinson and his father who were both mechanically minded and highly capable, and after buying the Dolphin "America" car #2 in kit form, they set about building it up as the fastest Sports Racer they could.
They sourced one of the best small capacity competition engines available, this being a 750cc Double Overhead Cam ABARTH, and even set about improving it! The gearbox was upgraded to 5 speeds and is a very unique feature of this car, along with it being the only "America" model from the factory with 13" wheels. Parkinsons' race record in the Dolphin speaks for itself, winning six national races plus the US Championship race at Riverside in 1964, six more wins in 1965, resulting in two H Modified USA National Championship wins in both 1964 and 1966.
This success led Parkinson (affectionately known as "Parky") on to winning two further SCCA national championships in his racing career, and becoming the first works Nissan driver in the USA driving Datsun Roadsters. Ownership of the Dolphin-ABARTH passed from Dan Parkinson and his father in north Los Angeles to Charles Thompson of Bonita, California. Fashionably, Thompson had a Yamaha motorcycle engine installed in the lightweight Dolphin chassis during his ownership, and this was later removed at Jim Groom's workshop in Berkeley, California, by the car's third owner: John Dehaan of Vallejo.
The engine was given to a motorcycle enthusiast mechanic who worked at Groom's workshop at the time, but Dehaan retained the Yamaha dashboard, which is included in the spares package with the car today. Interestingly the car remained in California ownership until it passed from Dehaan to the current vendor in Oregon just last year. The Dolphin-ABARTH requires a rebuild, but is all complete and original, with parts and spares including the original ABARTH engine, a spare block, body-moulds and boxes of numerous other components. We highly recommend the closest inspection of this beautifully designed, California built, ABARTH engined race car.
This historically significant, two-time national championship winning race car is the most successful example of the Dolphin marque, and a car that has never before been offered publicly for sale.
Offered on a Bill of Sale
https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/26887/lot/33/1964-dolphin-america-abarth-sports-racer/
Стоимость
156 302 AED
