ATS dares to challenge Ferrari. What the heck is ATS?

[@craigstricklin]

Like a text with paper and a pen. Priceless.

[@michaellindquist31]

John is a great story teller. I really look forward to these types of videos from him. He could make describing the drying of paint interesting. Watching Ford Vs Ferrari has me more interested in the history of racing and John makes it that much more enjoyable to learn.

[@RogerAlan]

"If we're going to understand the drying of paint we really have to go way back in time to when the idea of evaporation was barely understood." John Ficarra, probably

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

​@@RogerAlanJohn is the only guy that could make a 45 minute video about the different flavors of crayons and have me invested for every second of it.

[@C.I...]

@@JohnSmith-mk5jt Flavours?

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@C.I... I know what I said

[@threadtapwhisperer5136]

​@@RogerAlanhahahaahah! Perfect!

[@thinking6307]

@11:28 "He had great mechanical sympathy with cars..." (John speaking of driver Phil Hill). Brilliant, John!...you just articulated a concept or 'relationship' that I've consciously and subconsciously mulled over for decades..but never put into words!

[@stuffhappens5681]

I knew the broad strokes but Ficarra does a great job filling the gaps. His enthusiasm is infectious and love for cars and racing is unquestionable. Great job! Looking forward to the next video.

[@jedgarsquink]

This really is an Italian Porsche 904. The ATS arguably made it to production earlier, if we can call 12(?) examples production, but really the two cars are contemporary with each other. Design work on both had to have been proceeding simultaneously. Both were introduced in late 1963, but the ATS made its first appearance at the Paris Auto Show in October, whereas the 904 appeared first as factory race cars about the same time and was not offered for sale until early 1964. So we can say the ATS was marketed first, but we couldn't say the Porsche was a derivative design, especially since Porsche (not to mention Lotus, Cooper, and others) had been building mid-engine 2-seaters for racing for some years. None of this is to disparage either car. Both are great designs. Both can be considered seminal, in that they both appeared either before other mid-engine road cars were designed, or while design work on them was still in progress.

[@dongrandmaster3787]

The ATS 250 GTS is such an amazing and beautiful car... very beautiful and is the grandfather for many cars that came later. Also, ATS pushed Enzo to create great cars and not stop at the 250 GT/GTO front-engine models, the 250 LM was Enzo's Response to the 250 GTS (and later many mid-engine Racing Ferrari) Great video

[@jmaudsley6544]

I hung on every word John, and my suggestion is that you start a University so that we can all attend and listen to lectures all day. I am already impatient for what you are going to teach me next. Thank you for your dedication and hard work.

[@fiors73]

Fascinating how based on some sources, one describes Enzo a "benito m" (!!!) and how based on other sources, one discovers how Enzo did take carr of his employees, helping them with no needs of any publicity...

[@mechanicvance2480]

John, I’m not a car guy but came across your videos and enjoy listening to you talk passionately about old cars. Thanks for taking the time to make them.

[@CrackedCandy]

He got his start on Vinwiki. Lots of stories over there. My favorite is the "this can be red" story.

[@AlexWeiss94]

I swear, this man makes the best content ever created

[@Calikatoom]

I love your history stories John. Please give us "one a month"! That is all we ask.😀

[@thundercricket4634]

Every time I learn more about Enzo I'm increasingly mystified that anyone who behaved that way could get anyone to stand him for more than 5 minutes.

[@beatglauser9444]

It cannot get more Italian than that: Guys who are enthusiastic and spontanious, with great ideas and talent (who have big egos) but their genious ideas are killed by reality. I know that Bizzarini and Enzo Ferrari were guys who ended up in misunderstandings with most people they ever worked with. The story of the car that is to big to leave the place where it was built is very Italian and not new. They say the same about the first Lancia ever built. The story of the fake measuring tape is funny as well. As the Italian say: "Si non è vero è ben trovato", meaning: if it is not true it's well invented. I am aloud to say that as I am partly Italian. By the way one of my Grandfathers looked similar to Enzo Ferrari and he was quite dominant as well. And my other Grandpa was an Italian sports car fanatic who owned only Alfa Romeos with the exception of his last car, a 1958 Maserati.

[@ollesandberg1143]

The ATS was truly a gorgeous GT! I remember it well!❤

[@sonicstep]

😵

[@stevelee5724]

27:34 that road car is Beautiful ! Fantastic job 👏 Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@jensenhealey907efi]

Are you going to discuss the ASA 1000 at some point? I briefly owned one of these many years ago and it was a pretty interesting little car that also had an unusual back story related to Ferrari.

[@FicarraClassic]

Another Bizzarrini creation. How cool to have owned one!

[@jensenhealey907efi]

@@FicarraClassic I owned it in the mid 1980's before the internet and it was SUPER difficult to get ANY parts for it. I was able to rebuild the front calipers with parts ordered from a Peugeot dealer but I couldn't find rebuild parts for the rear calipers so I just crimped the rear brake line off. I think I bought it for $3500 and I sold it to someone who was supposed to ship it to a friend in Japan. I got $6500 and I thought I had done a great deal. But then a few years later after Enzo died they were going for around $40K and probably more now. I think they only made around 70 - 100 of them.

[@albapor1]

​@@FicarraClassici drove a 1100gt for a few hours , very fun and great looking car !

[@danielsadler4435]

I wish i had 10% of your story telling skills John. I love your deep dives into cars/motorsport history.

[@Tracersport]

One of the best KZbin videos I've ever seen, John. Your calm, direct presentation style and coherent explanation of a vastly complex subject is remarkable. You tied up countless loose ends in my understanding of automotive and racing history. Thanks for not using the words "iconic" or "insane", even once.

[@Brock_Corb]

Always an entertaining and worthwhile click when I see John Ficcara vid.. thank you for the eloquent whisperings of all the interesting Automotive past history.

[@normangoldschmidt4018]

What a great story, with so many of the most important names of their time.

[@tomficarra6619]

What a great piece of history. I like hearing how the F1 and the street car industry tie into each other. Job well done yet again. :)

[@JaredLeblanc-r3y]

The ATS was truly a gorgeous GT! I remember it well!. You're a great storyteller, John. This was wonderful..

[@sonicstep]

😵

[@KayJblue]

I know my fair share of automotive history, especially for Ferrari. But this is quite the news to me.

[@shawa666]

I knew of the F1 car, but didn't know about the sports car.

[@paskajaakko3965]

These kind of racing/car history videos are exactly what i have been looking for. There's surprisingly little

[@thesmiekelcollection]

Although I already knew a lot of the history, this video really put it together as a great well told story. I look forward to viewing more of John’s videos. Well done.

[@kwozniaktube]

Love these videos, please keep them coming! You and Jason Camissa may be the best auto-enthusiast journalist storytellers out there!!

[@RedneckSwede]

I'm pretty sure that I have seen their street cars at some point in the past at some car shows. However, this is the first time I've ever heard about ATS as a car company. The GT and GTS are absolutely stunning to look at. Thank you for the history lesson. I really enjoyed it.

[@mikecook2788]

What a perfect Sunday afternoon relaxing, and listening to an @FicarraClassic story! 😁😁😁

[@bicyclist2]

I've seen these ATS cars in several car magazine's over the years. Unfortunately I knew nothing about them. This is such a interesting history. I had no idea that they had a F1 team. Or that these famous drivers drove for them. I eagerly anticipate the next video. Thank you.

[@Bimmer_MD]

Great story thanks for taking the time to put it together to share with us

[@TheQuestionableGarage]

Good thing you didn’t take us titan deep! Love listing to the stories on the road trip days.

[@milusocal5325]

John, you are truly a story teller! Thank You Sir for taking the time and share!

[@stravoxylo3678]

Fantastic!!! I enjoyed that immensely. The stories are great, the story telling engaging. It's fascinating to hear the backstories to otherwise known racing events. The little tidbits about personalities and egos give great depth to these stories. I would be overjoyed and greatful at one of these stories a month.

[@joelspaulding5964]

Apologies for taking so long to sub. Always my favorite guest on Car Trek... Guest? John gets top billing on IMDB! Well deserved.

[@speeder-scout4541]

In our company that sells sanitary products is one guy who knows nearly every part we offer, dozens of thousands, he does not need a computer to look anything up. If he ever retires, all this amazing knowledge will be gone. I think you're like that, but for automotive world and it's history. Great video, great storytelling.

[@Flybyracing94]

There’s a lot of car history videos that I have seen, and there was one on particular that always pop up and I ignored it. Until one day I came from work opened up KZbin and that same video pop up again. So I watched the video and it got me so hooked on how you can tell racing stories. Thank you Ficarra. I love motor sports

[@SB-kw6oo]

Great story and video, thanks John ❤

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

This was very well researched and brilliantly told history that really pulls together the various pieces to explain why the heck all these amazing Italian supercars happened. Enzo Ferrari was in many ways his own worst enemy and in fact he created staggering amounts of competition for himself.

[@sriomsangeettripathy4681]

Sir please keep making these videos, we love them.....

[@onixfieroandscalemodelworks]

This was a great story of automotive history. It's a time that will never be repeated again. The days of the individual deciding to go racing is over. Even if this story didn't have a hollywood ending,its still a good story. If you are looking for suggestions for a interesting car with an even more interesting story behind it of an underdog who fought till the end no matter how much corperate mismanagement tried to get in the way and how the racing effort was held together by bartered parts and behind the scenes haggling just to get the car built you should check out the story of the pontiac fiero road car and racing team. It was doomed from the start because gm would never give them the support needed to build the car they wanted or field the racing effort they had planned because they had to protect their precious corvette. The infighting at gm between pontiac and their corperate parents is a story worthy of a movie .

[@988danyx]

John, my man, you are a such a great storyteller, on winwiki, or yourself. You go often go to deatails that anybody who ever work just a little bit under the car understands. Thank you, and greetings from Croatia

[@drewparcel1727]

John’s stories on Vinwiki are some of my favorite on that channel. Little did I know he had his own channel. You have my attention sir!

[@paulatwood4603]

A great storyteller with a great story to tell, thank you John.

[@johnwordhouse7183]

I love the fact that John will dive indepth and give you the meat and potatoes in a way that no one else does when it comes to automotive history of a topic he takes the time to explain in detail which I love thank you so much for some truely awesome content.

[@maverick1685]

at 0:33 - Love the Red Paint. Never heard of ATS, that was some mighty fine story tellin'.

[@MrJvind]

Please Please Please continue to make these historic videos! They are awesome!

[@Dialed-In-RC]

Always love and look forward to these CarNerd history videos, just absolutely fantastic!

[@jelehan88]

Dude excellent work including the editing

[@jarrocabanes5226]

Love the other content, but this type of video content from this channel has to be the best! Keep them coming! 🍻

[@CrackedCandy]

I regret that I waited so long to watch this. Never again! Love you John.

[@MrJamesknot]

Thank you John, love the history!

[@Aotearoa_Kiwi]

Excellent video. Just in case anyone was wondering, *'Team ATS'* _(Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör)_ that competed in F1 during the 1970's & 1980's, is a totally different Team.

[@bfulks2001]

Great automotive history. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks John.

[@67spider1600]

John you sir are excellent! I need to learn more about the Targa Florio, im eagerly waiting for that story!

[@Trindal]

I’m not sure how I came upon your video, but I like it. It amazes me how many people disliked the Ferrari family. Well, I never actually met any of them but I can imagine that “I’m right and you have no clue” attitude that some Italians have, The Ferrari family had it in spades! That attitude and early success can really take a company far… it can also crash hard! I’ve always wanted to experience driving super cars and luxury vehicles.. unfortunately the best I’ve ever had was a 2005 Shelby Mustang GT(just an intake, exhaust with Shelby badging) and a C6 Corvette. Unfortunately I got injured at work and was medically retired. I had to sell the corvette. When the new mid engine corvette was announced I was really excited. I thought with such a low msrp I could pick up a used one eventually…. Then Covid hit. They got marked up almost double msrp. I thought It would have been the closest thing to a super car i would ever get to drive.

[@jayjacobowitz9723]

John, congratulations on your new channel. Saw you on VinWiki and have followed you since. Sharp logo, too! Good luck! Jay Jacobowitz

[@AaronBalto]

Bravo! Looking forward to some Targa Florio content!

[@N_1812]

God damn this is a good video. I’m a modern racing fan but the way John portrays the culture of the earlier days of Motorsport is excellent.

[@michaelbaker9918]

Great to see you evolve from vinwiki story telling. Your portrayal of the driver waiting in the wings was hilarious😂. Look forward to the next!

[@georgewallerlll496]

I just happened to look up ATS 2500 GT, and found the website, and company, are still making cars, or making cars again. They have a GT and a High performance car called RR Turbo that are both Gorgeous Automobiles! I am also looking into getting info about the GT since watching this video. Thanks for the video, and the info.

[@MoldyCinnamon]

Yes!! A slow day at work and a glorious upload from John Ficarra, what perfect timing!

[@ignacioentrocasso8171]

There is another story in this story... and that is how you became an car historian. How you became from a tinkerer boy... into a preservant of tales. Excellent Ficarra. Congrants.

[@Suhspencce]

I love what John goes deep....in the history

[@3.2.1.adventure4]

Love listening to john talk about the old school racing that most people never knew. Thank you john.

[@stevepearce6689]

John these are fantastic stories. I Play them again and again when going to sleep with ear buds. My wife thinks I am catching up the news or something. She wouldn't understand...... Guys building race cars is both escapism and vicarious.

[@whyjnot420]

That Alfa at the end of the video is absolutely gorgeous. "One of the most beautiful cars of all time"? Yeah, I'll agree with that. This is a good story. Made great by John's storytelling ability. You keep making them, I'll keep watching them. Hell, I'm pretty sure I've said I wish VINwiki was nothing but John telling stories... My friends tell me that I'm good at making random stuff interesting when telling stories or teaching them about something. As far as I'm concerned, I am nothing compared to Ficarra. idk if I am good or not (It is hard to judge yourself), but whatever I am, simply pales in comparison. And I love every second listening to John talk about cars.

[@TonyLasagna]

an excellent story and as always, masterfully told! 👏🏻 really enjoyed this one. thanks for sharing, john.

[@bikergobrrr]

I love these stories John. Please keep them coming as often as you can. You tell them amazingly.

[@ste_zace]

thank you for the work that you put into these, as an f1 fan i love to here about the early years of it

[@Jasontyo]

Ficarra makes cars from the 60s interesting for me

[@sammasse4016]

these histories are amazing, it's great seeing the passion for these cars come out in these stories

[@TJonMaxx1]

That was really cool! Beautiful cars that I have never heard of and fascinating history. I look forward to hearing more of these types of stories! Great work!

[@PiotrekSzostak]

Came here lured by your videos made for VinWiki and the racing stories of the past I always found the most fascinating. I watched the one about 917 three times because I like hearing it so much, like a 4 year old asking to hear the exact same story again ;) Really hope to hear more about the olden days of racing, especially Le Mans. It's a delight

[@rvsteve583]

wow, did not think I would stay till the end. great story telling here!

[@timothyhill4630]

A really good story told by a really great story teller. ❤

[@FicarraClassic]

Thank you so much!

[@zTheBigFishz]

Second that...stuff like "Boogies Nights meets Days of Thunder" Ficarra is a master storyteller.

[@StewartBremner]

Can't get enough of your car stories. The passion and the details! Oh man. One a month would be wonderful.

[@johnnyg9804]

Very well told John, thank you! And the photos were absolute eye candy.❤

[@christopherrempel8168]

Great story about a company I’ve never heard of. Please keep them coming!

[@rjnation5042]

John I just love your enthusiasm for these stories, I knew of the palace revolt at Ferrari, I also knew of ATS especially the 250GT & GTS, I've never seen one in the metal, but yes they are gorgeous little cars, thanks for the full story, Rj in Oz

[@UFO-racer]

Awesome great to know the things you tell 👍

[@michaelgkatsoris6844]

John, it is refreshing to see a channel like yours that tells an interesting automotive story about something that most car people don't know about. You didn't have any fancy road test or videos just pictures and a great story. I had heard about ATS but didn't know the story behind them. I remember ATS wheels in the 70's and I thought that's all they were, a wheel company. Maybe you can comment on that. I wondered if it was the same company. Thanks for the great story!

[@ramblerdave1339]

When I saw the ATS in Road & Track, I immediately rebodied one of my HO scale Model Motoring chassis with as good of a representation of it, as I could fashion, as a 12 year old modeler. Thanks for reviving the memory! 😊

[@DestryAlecto]

An absolutely epic video and history John.. Thanks so much for this!!!

[@carlobinda1127]

The 2500 GT is just drop-dead gorgeous 🤤, very cool video and interesting information 👏 keep up the great work bud, you have yourself a new subscriber ! 👍

[@TrevorHeathPhotography]

Thanks for a great history lesson for a brand I had never heard of. This video was very easy to watch - you've obviously done a lot of research and it's paid dividends as far as I'm concerned. I will like and subscribe for sure! After the sad demise of ATS, the cars associated with those men were absolutely beautiful designs. I've never seen any of those models! They all seem to have sexy but muscular front and rear ends with the mid-engine V8s growing in volume and number of pistons. I guess it's an Italian thing of that era and those particular men did fantastic work. Great video 👍

[@tomasjones3755]

Excellent history lesson. I knew small bits, of the story. Thanks for providing the other 90%.

[@violinmiata]

Ficarra needs to hire a badass team to animate this with AI, the result would be incredible and legendary. Stream everything with a box set of dvd’s for the old school. I’d buy a box set without pause

[@stevelee5724]

Dude a show like this doesn't need AI, it's real, how us old humans like it. 😊. Stuff A.I. man. It's gonna ruin everything I tell ya now mate ! Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@woodyholland9865]

Thanks for a great history lesson. I appreciate your knowledge and perspective on Italian automotive history.

[@dockwalk6260]

I love your story’s John! So much history…, keep it up!

[@bgshdouf]

Great video as always John! I got to see both versions of the ATS 2500s and an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale this past October at the Audrain Concours in Newport, RI. They were absolutely stunning!

[@sebastiangoseke6321]

So so interesting!! Can’t wait for the next one!👍

[@pgrens]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video, John! I had heard of the ATS name some time ago, but had no idea of the history or the story of how it came about and ended. Fascinating! And wow, what beautiful road cars they designed. Please keep doing these types of videos. Thanks again and cheers from Chicago!

[@vaughanlancellas495]

Fantastic, even if they take 2 months to complete your vids are worth the wait. Brilliant story telling and with such passion for the automobile and it's rich and colorful history. Keep them coming.

[@FredrickDouglass007]

Love this video. Liked and subscribed and more importantly I’m walking away knowing more than I started with. This opened my eyes to some more automotive history that I can enjoy learning about

[@franks4103]

What a lovely story, thanks for sharing this bit of history!!

[@usarms149]

Another outstanding video, John. Keep it up!

[@4pevans]

Fantastic John Thank you!

[@Jakesinmotion]

Really enjoying the surge of independent content man, you always have excellent nuggets of niche car knowledge I can't help but get sucked into.

[@tony66au]

Incredible story John, Captivating :-)

[@AlexH151]

This is a terrific story that I had never heard before - Thank you! My first exposure to European motor sports came from reading Henry N. Manney III in Road & Track magazine starting in 1965. One of the races & venues that truly captured my imagination was the Targa Florio of the mid to late 60's and I would love to see you do a video on those historic events.