Riverside, October 1960: chassis 2469 is unhooked from a Ford pickup truck before the Times GP, where Billy Krause took it to a great victory. (Photo: William Oosthoek) » More Photos

THE CAR TO BEAT

By the end of March 1960, the first 2.0 liter production models were delivered to the Italian market: chassis 2460 went to mountain champ Govoni and 2462 to Giuliano Giovanardi. In the U.S., Hansgen and Andrey dominated D Modified class in the SCCA National circuit, while out West Bob Drake and Lubin's 2452 cleaned house with wins at Palm Springs, Willow Springs, Vacaville, Phoenix and Santa Barbara. It was the first Birdcage to change hands. Second owner Stanley Sugarman put Jim Connor at the wheel, resulting in first overalls at Vacaville, Santa Barbara and Cotati. With the exception of the Meister Brauser Scarabs and Ol' Yeller, nobody could even come close to a well-prepared Tipo 61.

Hall ran the former Camoradi 2458 a few times, first to an April 1960 win at Longview, in the East Texas oil fields. Two weeks later, during the inaugural race at Continental Divide near Denver, he spun the car in front of Danny Collins' Corvette. With a dented nose and smashed radiator the Birdcage was done for the day. Jim continued the season with his 570S Maserati, soon joined by chassis 2463, at long last delivered by the factory.

Chassis 2458 was taken over by Dick Hall, who put his mechanic Bob Schroeder at the wheel. Jim Hall's first ride in his new 2463 was round two of the USAC Road Racing Championship, 100 miles at Continental Divide late in June. Here Shelby scored his second victory in the professional series, aboard one of the Meister Brauser Scarabs. His teammate "Honest John" Kilborn followed him home, with Hall in third.

Round three came a month later, at Elkhart Lake. In addition to the two traditional SCCA races, a professional USAC race was scheduled for the first time, the Road America 200. Four Birdcages entered: Jim Jeffords in 2451, Jim Hall in 2463, Bob Schroeder in 2458 and Loyal Katskee in 2454.

THE STREAMLINER

Jeffords' Birdcage was an interesting one, called the Le Mans Streamliner. After Casner used the car-which started life as the Tipo 60 prototype-in various 1960 World Championship races, it went back to the factory to be upgraded for the last round: the Le Mans 24 Hours. It was completely revised with a long "cheater" windshield and aerodynamic tail. Masten Gregory and Chuck Daigh shared it in the 24 Hours, where for two hours it blew away the competition with its speed of 273kph (170mph), a 3.0-liter record. Then starter motor problems caused delays and eventually Gregory over-revved it. After Le Mans, the European season was over and Casner had no further use for the car.

Jeffords, who co-drove a more conventional Tipo 61 with Casner at Le Mans, recalls: "I asked Casner if he would send the Streamliner over for me. He said he would love to, but that he could not afford it. However, he was willing to sell the car. I think Casner was charging me $17,000. After a couple of days back at the factory he sent it cashon-delivery to O'Hare Airport. Now, the Road America race is the following week and I am in Meadowdale as chief steward for an SCCA race. At the motel-I'm having a beer-with John Bishop, head of the SCCA and Jesse Coleman, chief starter for the SCCA National races across the country-at the end of the day. They asked me how I was going to get that car. I said that I had not figured it out yet, as I didn't have the available cash. Jesse asked me if I was going to be back home on Monday night. He was going to call me at 7 p.m., with a friend of his from Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the line. That friend turned out to be Frank Harrison."