Paring iconic racing cars back to a simple illustration of their roofline silhouette and best known liveries makes for a wonderful poster execution by designer Dean Walton. Click on through to his store to browse the complete series.
Might be time to clear some wall space.
I could watch this for the opening title cards alone. The cold open on the first lap of a GP panning to Chapman with the word “millionaire” reversed out without explanation. The production quality is almost kitschy and the commentator and interviewer seem much more in the financial outcomes than the successes on track. Despite a bit of cheese, it’s a marvelous artifact of one of the high points of team Lotus and a rare opportunity to see extensive interviews with Chapman and Graham Hill in one of the most intense and exciting eras in the team’s history. It’s also a great to see Chapman trackside diagnosing a mechanical failure in Jackie Oliver’s car. It’s a great insight into the inner workings of the legendary engineer’s mind.
I particularly enjoy seeing a bit of the Lotus offices. It could have been a prototype of Stirling-Cooper’s offices, but with a Lotus formula car plunked in the middle of the typing pool.
Fantastic.
Friend of the blog and accomplished automotive artist Paul Chenard sent along a photo of his latest personal project: A mural of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix grid. It’s a marvelous way to unite his well-known motoring collection and I hope that by sharing it here it will inspire graffiti writers and street artists to drop their sharpies and take inspiration from this particular piece. Every day on my walk to work I pass poorly executed throw ups.
I think we’d all rather see more walls adorned with Moss’ #20 Lotus, Richie Ginther’s #36 Ferrari, and Jim Clark’s #28 Lotus on our walks through downtown.
Looks fantastic, Paul. Thanks for sending it in.
John Shingleton emailed me what he calls his favorite photo. Considering John’s photographic experience, that’s quite a statement indeed. I’ll let John explain:
“Of the thousands of motor racing photos I have taken over 50 years this is my absolute all time favourite. It was taken on Kodachrome 25 slide film during the Saturday afternoon practice session at the 1981 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It has it all -Monza- a fantastic, circuit with a unique atmosphere-that diffuse yellow light you get on a hot late summer afternoon in Northern Italy-wonderful cars being worked on in the pit lane in full view of everyone-not closeted away behind closed doors as happens now-a pit lane dolly in shorts-enthusiastic onlookers everywhere. And those great big slick donut tyres-no silly one-make control tyres in those days. And it is Italy. Wonderful. And perhaps above all else it has that wonderful film “look” is so appropriate for the time.”
John Shingleton
You owe it to yourself to see more of John’s photos on his Rolling Road blog. Thanks, John!
I’m not one to quibble about replica vs. re-creation vs. continuation but I know that these kinds of builds get some people’s dander up. With no surviving example, I can’t imagine that there are many who would argue the merits of this project. After all, it’s about as legit a Ferrari 156 as we’re ever likely to see.
The car itself has been making quite a splash on the European vintage circuit but even if it is a few years old, the video is well worth a watch. I’d like to see more of these kinds of builds and hope that the skills to do so don’t become so scarce that it gets even more difficult to make them happen.
Everything I thought I knew about motoring poster design has been called into question. Through my looks at program covers and poster designs in previous posts, I’d thought I was narrowing in on a formula for perfection in racing graphic design. I didn’t have the exact equation worked out, but the highlights were: Illustrated not photographed; no giant sponsorship or sanctioning body logos; make the racing cars (not the text) the center of attention.
Whelp, Looks like it’s back to the drawing board for me. Following my previous sensibilities, this program for the 1959 Kiwanas-sponsored race at Riverside shouldn’t work at all. But it’s just beautiful.
Looking back into the Topps World on Wheels trading cards. This time, Effyh.
From the card’s reverse:
Horsepower 40
Cylinders 1
Speed 130mph
This Swedish midget racer appeared in America the first time in 1951, taking part in races at Bridgehampton, Long Island. At that time, it had defeated some of Europe’s most powerful cars in open competition. These tiny cars can go surprisingly fast… faster than many cars with greater horsepower.
A ringing endorsement if ever I’ve heard one.
Previously on Effyh. Previously on the 1951 Bridgehampton.
More cards from the World on Wheels series in the archives.
“To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy.”
Bruce McLaren
I don’t know if the writing in this accurately reflects the tone and sentiment that Bruce brought to his life: but I want to believe it does.
The world is a slightly dimmer place that there’s no authentic Sharknose on the planet. I will never fully understand, let alone appreciate, why Enzo had them destroyed after the season. At least we can stare longingly at this image of these gloriously breathtaking machines being unloaded from the transporter for Ferrari’s home race.
Prints available at the McKlein Store.
The auction catalog isn’t complete yet, but RM is starting to tease the headliners for their upcoming auction at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Among the lots is this Porsche 908/3 chassis 004. Unlike her more famous sisters that dominated the 1970 and 1971 sportscar season, chassis 4 doesn’t have an exhaustive race history. Would I rather have Redman and Siffert’s Targa winning #12 in my garage? Sure. (Call me, Jerry). Am I going to quibble about it when this one looks so heartstoppingly gorgeous in the Gulf colors and looking ready for the Targa? Hell no.
I’m sure that this is one lot I’ll be revisiting as the auction approaches. I’ve been flabbergasted by the prices that the racing Porsches are bringing in lately and this little sex machine is likely to continue that trend.
More photos on RM’s Lot Detail page. Hat tip to Swiss Stash for pointing this one out.
Update: This beauty commanded a high bid of $1,300,000 but didn’t sell.