#FredKnoop

Fred (Frederick George) Knoop Jr. (May 22, 1929 – September 12, 2012) was an American privateer, car collector, and early SCCA competitor based in Northern California. An accomplished racer from the late 1950s into the early 1960s, he campaigned a variety of vehicles—including Austin-Healey, the bespoke Huffaker-Knoop Special, and Ferraris—at regional events. In 1974, Knoop purchased the Ferrari 250 GTO chassis 4091GT and commissioned a comprehensive restoration by Stephen Griswold’s shop in Berkeley. Under his ownership, the GTO was fitted with a “Series II” style nose, a hill-climb gearing setup, and dyno-tuned to produce over 310 hp, deliberately optimized for acceleration. His legacy was carried forward by his son, Rick Knoop, who preserved and celebrated Fred's impact in motorsport history through interviews and film, describing him as a foundational figure in West Coast vintage racing culture.

We'll publish a biography on him on the occasion of his anniversary or when it will be reached a sufficient number of cars.

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The census of all the cars related to this topic is in progress.