Jacques Swaters is a well known name in motor racing circles as the importer of the cars from Maranello to Belgium, but back in 1948 he was only just getting his start in the automotive world, buying his first race car. By 1951 he had bought his first race car from Maranello, and in 1953 he scored his first ever victory at the wheel of his Tipo 500 F2! This was to be the same year he started importing a long lasting business relationship with the specialist firm from Maranello on the strength of a handshake with the Commendatore!
Adorned in glorious yellow, the national color of Belgium, the Ecurie Francorchamps entry to the 1953 Berlin G.P. was a thing of beauty. At the frighteningly fast Avus Speedway circuit in the center of Berlin, Swaters battled briefly with a brace of Cooper-Bristols but got away cleanly and won comfortably over the rest of the field.
Exoto's 1953 version of the Tipo 500 F2 features all historically accurate details to set it apart from the 1952 edition. These include the updated Weber carburetors, full length exhaust pipe, revised filler caps, and bodywork details.