Category: Grand Prix

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Grand Prix Video

Chapman Talks Lotus. 1968.


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.

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Automotive Art Grand Prix

1961 Monaco Grid on the Living Room Wall

Paul Chenard's 1961 Monaco grid mural
Paul Chenard's 1961 Monaco grid muralFriend 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.

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Automotive Art Grand Prix

Reader Photo: John Shingleton’s Monza Pits 1981

Ligier pits. Monza. 1981.

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!

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Ferrari Grand Prix Video

Return of the Sharknose

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.

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Grand Prix Racing Drivers Video

McLaren

“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.

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Ferrari Grand Prix Historic Racing Photos

A School of Sharks

Ferrari 156s at the 1962 Italian Grand Prix

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.

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Grand Prix Historic Racing Photos Racing Drivers

Driving Styles at Monaco. 1955.

Driving Styles at Monaco. 1955.

Another photo that wouldn’t be possible to take of a contemporary driver—they’re too well hidden.

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Grand Prix

Scenes from the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix

Every untouchable, unalterable tradition needs to start somewhere. For Monaco, the thankful holdout for the round-the-house Grand Prix, it was April 14, 1929.

Race winner William Grover-Williams in a Bugatti T35B (12) alongside #22 Raoul de Rovin in a Delage 15S8
1929 Monaco Grand Prix – Marcel Lehoux, Christian Dauvergne, Philippe Étancelin
  • Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes SSK at the 1929 Monaco Grand Prix
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Ferrari Grand Prix

Even the Pit Babes Were Better.

Chris Amon's Ferrari at the '68 British Grand Prix

Chris Amon’s Ferrari at the 1968 British Grand Prix. Amon wasn’t known for his luck, and his car would seem to have gotten luckier than Chris that day… But he did come in second at the race.

More images from this moment captured by Mike Hayward—though this particular photo is not his, if I understand correctly—and are available on his site.
Thanks, AutoMotivated.

Categories
Grand Prix Historic Racing Photos

Jim Clark Hard at Work.

I have this image in my head of Jim Clark easily and effortlessly winning race after race. Nearly every photo I’ve seen of the man after a race is of his smiling face as he celebrates with his crew or the other drivers—not of him slumped and tired and broken down after the strain of a race.

The look of concentration in his face in this photo confirms that it wasn’t just a leisurely drive the led to his victories. It reminds me that just because someone is good at something, it doesn’t mean it’s easy for them.

As an aside: While we can all agree that full-face helmets are safer, what a shame that we’ll never see a photo like this of Vettel or Alonso or Hamilton. Not visibly seeing their struggle just plays into this fantasy of the robotic, efficient driving machine that never breaks a sweat. That’s just Räikkönen.

Photo by Patrick Lichfield. Prints of this shot are available at Chris Beetle’s Fine Photographs. Found via Le Container.