Phil Cade was one of American motorsport’s independent enthusiasts — an amateur racer whose passion for Grand Prix machinery and historic competition earned him a unique place in racing history. Born Philip Joseph Cade on 12 June 1916 in Charles City, Cade became best known for campaigning some of the most charismatic and exotic Italian racing cars of his era, long after many factory-backed teams had disappeared from the scene.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Charles City, Iowa, USA |
| Born | 12 June 1916 |
| Died | 28 August 2001 |
| First Grand Prix | 1959 United States Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1959 United States Grand Prix |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Maserati |
Unlike many professional drivers chasing full-time careers in international motorsport, Cade raced largely for the pure love of competition.
At the heart of Cade’s collection were two legendary cars from Maserati — the iconic Maserati 250F and the fearsome Maserati V8RI. The 250F in particular remains one of the most celebrated Formula One cars ever built, driven in period by many of the sport’s greatest names. Cade not only owned the car but also raced it extensively in American events, when authentic European Grand Prix machinery on U.S. circuits was still a rarity.
His most notable Formula One appearance came in 1959 when he entered the United States Grand Prix with his Maserati 250F. Cade successfully qualified for the event, an impressive achievement given the ageing nature of the car and the increasing professionalism of Formula One competition at the time. Unfortunately, mechanical trouble struck before the race itself, with the Maserati’s engine failing and preventing him from taking the start. His Grand Prix appearance officially ending before the flag dropped.
Cade gradually stepped back from regular competition after 1962, but his enthusiasm for historic racing never faded. Rather than retiring his cars to static collections, he continued to maintain and drive them for decades. He held onto the Maserati 250F until 1988, preserving one of motorsport’s great machines. Even more remarkably, Cade continued to occasionally race the powerful Maserati V8RI into the 1990s.
Death
Phil Cade died on 28 August 2001 in Winchester, Massachusetts, at the age of 85.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 0 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | DNS |
| Best Race Finish | DNS |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 0 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
