The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is considered by many as one of the most attractive sports
racing cars Ferrari ever built. This well known 250 TRC started life as a 250 GTE 2+2, registration number XCH 555,
and was re-bodied in aluminum as a TR road car in the early 1980s by R M Wilson Engineering of Leicester for a Mr
Derek Welford of York.
The inspiration for the car was taken from Count Hubertus von Donhoff's 1957 500 TRC - a 4
cylinder car of which the chassis number is 0706. Ref: FERRARI by Hans Tanner p357. Donhoff's car being two chassis
numbers away from the second 250 V12 works prototype 0704. Ref: FERRARI by Hans Tanner p367 and FERRARI Testa Rossa
V12 by Finn p241.
The original owner of XCH 555, Mr H. R. V. Walkup DFC. of Highfields Motors Derby, loaned the
car to his friend John Dalton who raced XCH 555 in the early 1960s at Mallory Park in the company of the well known
Willie Green. I have continued it’s competitive life as a 250 GTE / TRC - as it has become known.
Over the period of my ownership since 1997 to date, the car has become very much a racecar, with
many small and unseen changes to make the car comply with race regulations and suitable for competition. However it
is still a competent road car, and is often driven to and from local race meetings and Ferrari Owners Club events,
and as an “Historic” vehicle is exempt from road excise duty.
Since the inception of Pirelli Ferrari formula Classic, in my hands the car has to its
credit many wins and currently holds 5 lap records for PFfC Gp1, and recently has also successfully competed in
races for pre '50 sports car, '60 Le Mans and pre '65 Sports Racing cars where it has been an outright winner.
The 250 3-litre V12 Ferrari engine has 6 40DCN Weber carburettors and now runs on unleaded petrol.
It has a modified sump with the addition of an oil accumulator reservoir. The engine and gearbox
have both benefited from a rebuild by Shiltech. It has a bespoke limited slip differential and runs on 16” Borrani
wheels, currently fitted with appropriate 16x600 Michelin race tyres.
It produces around 250 bhp and weighs in at around 900kgs. The TR is a very exciting and rewarding car to drive,
not unlike a Maserati 250F.