Exoto Fiat Bartoletti Alan Mann Racing Transporter

Part of the reason for all my research was the well known photo below


I was able to replicate the cars but didn't know the details




There seems to be a bit of controversy surrounding the cars that were used by Exoto and sold (highly overpriced IXO's) as a set.
www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/forums/forum43/viewMessage.asp?id=67541&start=67541

Exactly when was this photo taken and what were the cars and their circumstances?
First of all, the transporter itself. I have included some of the history in the post above.
Alan Mann racing (AMR) used the truck in support of the Shelby campaign in Europe to try and win a worlds champinship.
Painted in the lighter Viking blue for 1964 and in Gaudsmen blue for 1965 and '66.
It primarily carried Cobra roadsters and Daytona coupes.
In 1966 his organization was called upon to help solidify Fords chances of winning Le Mans.
This is why we see GT40's on a clearly marked Cobra truck.
Its really just a brief moment in time. Using Cobras on the transporter would be a much more accurate representation.

Figuring out 2 of the cars was easy.
The yellow #8 is chassis XGT-1 and the silver #7 is XGT-2.
Both cars were completed in America in the Shelby American garage by AMR personnel. The reason fro the XGT chassis number is that these 2 car were "lightweight" experimentals.
The GT40 was very much a porker and these 2 cars were attempts at putting the big block car on a diet.


Chassis # XGT-1


Chassis # XGT-2

But what about the 3rd (white) car?

I believe it is chassis #1012.
Exoto sells the set with the IXO model of that car.

Chassis # 1012

But the picture from 1966 clearly shows the car without numbers...

So 1012 raced in Daytona in 1966 with Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon finishing 5th with the car numbered #96
It was then serviced and sent over for the Le Mans trials in April and eventually to AMR for the European campaign, running at Spa and finishing second as #4 driven by Whitmore and Gardner.

In the April LM trials it was driven by Mclaren and Amon again as #2 which is the configuration that IXO modeled.
It was not the same chassis that they would come back and win in (#1046)
Also, chassis # 1011, the sister car of 1012 was also at the LM trial and is the car that Walt Hansgen lost his life in in a crash in the rain.

So when was the photo taken?
I am 99% sure it was Race week for the 1966 Le Mans for a couple of reasons.
First, AMR brought the 2 cars they were assigned to (XGT-1 and XGT-2) to the race along with a spare car (the white one) and since 1012 had been left in their care, it would seem very likely that the car on the top of the truck was in fact 1012.
The way I was able to date the photo was the fact that XGT-1 and XGT-2 were not completed until May of 1966.
And the conditions at the test session in April was very rainy and overcast and decidedly better and brighter for the week of the race.

Therefore I have removed the number off my IXO 1012 to match the photo, confident that I have the correct cars in the set.

I know, its very confusing :lol:

Jeff, your theory on Ch.1012 is certainly plausible. One small correction, Scarab didn't "collapse". Reventhlow pulled the plug after the lack of success in F1 and the amount of money spent. You know what they say, the only way to make a small fortune racing is to start with a large one! 😀 I wish I would have bought this version when Exoto was selling them "cheap". I have the Shelby version in Guardsman Blue and the Ferrari version from the movie. Would have liked to have this one too! As you probably know, John Woolfe was killed at Le Mans in his 917. I saw the transporter a few years back when Orosco owned it, resplendent with his Scarab cars. I think John Shirley may own it now. Nice set!

I've been fortunate to see the transporter at Goodwood a few times in recent years. An impressive machine and sight. I know too that Woolfe still follow the history of this marvellous truck