Artwork 022 / 050

A FERRARI WHITEOUT

British racing cars: green.
French racing cars: blue.
German racing cars: white (later silver).
Italian racing cars: red, of course!
This was the norm until the late 1960s, when a number of sponsorship bans were lifted. In 1958, however, Ed Hugus had other ideas.

The striking white exterior makes this Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa with chassis number 0732TR something truly special to behold. In fact, the car was first bought and raced in a usual “Rosso Corsa” in 1958. It was only after an unsuccessful inaugural race at the 12h of Sebring in 1958 that Ed Hugus, the American owner and racing driver, decided to repaint the car and compete at Le Mans in this unique white livery with two distinctive navy-blue stripes in the middle – the American national colors.

Racing a white Ferrari in the 24h of Le Mans definitely set a prominent contrast to the usual Ferrari-red in the late 1950s and is one of the reasons why this particular car became such a fan favorite in the years to follow. In fact, only a few years later another similarly colored Ferrari racing car rose to prominence when John Surtees remarkably clinched the 1964 F1 world championship in a white and blue Ferrari, entered by the North American Racing Team.

Le Mans 1958 was an eagerly anticipated showdown between Jaguar, Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari, who fielded an impressive fleet of 11 cars. Amidst this intense rivalry, Lucybelle II, driven by Ed Hugus and co-driver Ray 'Ernie' Erickson, secured a seventh place in this fiercely contested race and finished as the third-best Ferrari – a highly commendable result for a privateer team with two amateur racers behind the wheel.

The owner at that time, Ed Hugus, later became part of one of the most controversial stories during the 1965 24h of Le Mans when Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory secured Ferrari's last overall victory in nearly six decades. In an unexpected twist, reserve driver Ed Hugus claims to have found himself as Masten Gregory's replacement driver at around 4am. When Gregory unexpectedly came into the pits, Rindt was nowhere to be found and Hugus allegedly put on Gregory's helmet and finished his stint. The problem: at that time, only 2 drivers were allowed and so Hugus remained unmentioned in all official records. As a result, it was only in recent years that the motorsport community recognized his crucial role in the history of Le Mans.

"Lucybelle II", affectionately named by its owner Ed Hugus, stands out with its white exterior and distinctive navy-blue racing stripes. Artwork 022 / 050 immortalizes the beauty and mystique of this iconic Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa with racing number 22 and invites the viewer to step into the cockpit of the racing icon that left an unforgettable mark at Le Mans.