1964 | De Sanctis Ford SP 1000

The De Sanctis SP 1000 is the only model of a Sport car from De Sanctis company, built in 3 samples (just 2 seem to be remained). This car with chassis number 002 was bought by Sesto Leonardi and debuted the 22nd March 1964 in the Sport category attending the XXX Coppa Gallenga and then the Coppa della Consuma, few weeks later.

 After the first two races the original engine (an OSCA 1000) had been replaced with a Ford engine (98hp), originally mounted on the De Sanctis Formula 2used by Silvio Moser in Berlin; the gearbox was a Colotti-Dauphine and the car weighted 438kgs. With the new engine, the car won the IV Premio di Campagnano with Miro Gay (Lillo Annunziata) then with another engine, a twin-cam Ford-Lotus with 115 hp, the car reached the second place at the III Coppa Settecolli, driven by Lucio De Sanctis.

 In 1966 Luciano Verrocchio (Ellevu) bought tha car and used it on tracvk and on hillclimbs till 1967. The car had an accident and the body burned so it was transformed by Carrozzeria Drogo into a closed Sport car, used in 1968 by Cristiano del Balzo (Gero) who raced the Targa Florio and the Circuito del Mugello with Erik Banti. In 1969 the body of the car was still a close Sport car while in 1970 the car had been transformed with open body, in order to lighten the car who raced the Targa Florio (with Gero and Roger) and many hillclimbs.

In mid-70s the car had been sold to Henry Morrogh who used the Sport as training car during the courses of his Driving School: among the young race drivers who used this car, we can mention Elio De Angelis, Eddy Cheever, Teo Fabi and Andrea De Cesaris.

 In mid-80’s the car had been restored and the body gained its original shape by Autorestauri Faralli from Cascina (PI) and by the mechanic and race-driver Pierluigi Muccini; the livery uas the original of the racing De Sanctis. Since the end of the restoration in 1989 the car never saw any kind of road or track. The car will be delivered also with the third aluminium body (as an open sports car), used in the 70’s by Gero and then by Henry Morrogh.

 The car mounts a Ford engine 109 E, dry sump, with two Weber carburetors 40 DCOE19. The gearbox is a Hewland MK6, 5 speed. The car is supplied with the FIA HTP from 1989 and with many photos of the car during its racing career.

(Thanks to Alberto Rastrelli for the historical photos)