It may not be safe but I’m going say that shirt and tie in pit lane is definitely a fashion “do”.
Categories
Pitwear
Category: Historic Racing Photos
Categories
Factories at Work: Alpine
Would you just look at all of those Renault-Alpine A110s. Gorgeous!
Alpine-Renault A110 assembly line 
RenaultSport-Alpine Dieppe Factory
via Motor Trend.
You already know that I love these kinds of projects that highlight amateur and unpublished photography documenting our favorite eras in motorsport. From just the few initial shots shared on the Kickstarter project page the MotorBinder project already looks fantastic.
Even just a few years ago, this kind of project would have been impossible and these photos would have remained on a shelf in their tattered binder. If project organizer Roy Spencer were particularly resourceful, he might have shopped the idea to a motoring publisher or two. Chances are stronger, however, that these photos would have remained unpublished. We might never have been able to see greater insight into the growth in American road racing in the 50s and 60s with images from Torrey Pines, Paramount Ranch, Laguna Seca, Riverside and others. What’s more, the team plan to archive and make these photos available to other projects in the future, even those that don’t make it into the final art book.
As is customary with Kickstarter projects, there are a variety of rewards for backers at varying levels, and these are marvelous. The large format prints available to backers are worth it on their own, that you also get the book makes this one a no brainer.
More information on the Kickstarter page.
Update: with several days to go, MotorBinder has been successfully funded!
New Yorkers like to think of themselves as having seen it all. I can’t help but imagine though that this Ford GT40 driving down First Ave in 1967 turned more than a few heads.
Categories
Rest & Be Thankful
Over on Motorsport in the 60’s, Kent has dug up a marvelous series of photos of the 1964 running of the Rest & Be Thankful hillclimb.
I’m happy for Kent for this post that he had one of a blogger’s favorite experiences: Peter Garnet commented on his post identifying himself in one of the photos as a young driver on his way to beating the track record. That’s him in the red and yellow crash helmet. I’ve had a few of those moments of connection here on The Chicane and it’s absolutely invaluable.
Head on over to Motorsport in the 60’s for the rest of the photos.
Look at this behind-the-scenes production photo of James Garner on the set of Grand Prix and tell me that the Go-Pro isn’t a little electronic miracle.
via Time Wasting Machine
When the winter comes and the European tracks ice over, were drivers content of just let their racing machines languish in the cold workshop? No. Ship them to Nassau, to Tasmania, to Angola, and indeed to Morocco. The exotic locations captured in images like these always make me wonder why we don’t see more of this kind of thing in contemporary racing?
Sure, the street courses themselves may not allow for racing today, but why aren’t we keeping the motors running all winter long. Then it hit me, these exotic races were usually non-championship races. Why wouldn’t Moss or Graham Hill head to the Bahamas and gather up a win or two (and the often large purses that went along with them)? In the modern era, drivers are often dissuaded—or explicitly forbidden—from competing outside their series and the off-season is spent on a bike or in the gym in constant off-track preparation for the “real” racing to come in 5 or 6 months. What a pity.
A shame that we can’t enjoy a race weekend in a location like this gorgeous seaside resort town of Agadir? It proved a fantastic backdrop for this running in 1955.
More than the national racing colors; more than the accessibility of the paddock; perhaps even more than the skyrocketing expense of racing; it may by the hyper-specialization of drivers and the lack of crossover from single-seater to sports car to stock car that is the tragedy of contemporary motorsport.
More Agadir photos at Jewish Community Agadir
Also, is this Enzo Ferrari in a T-Bird? If so, there’s just something wrong (or very very right) about Enzo Ferrari being in a Ford.
Update: Although there is quite a resemblance to Ferrari in that particular photo, a Agadir1960.com identifies that Ford’s passenger as Hubert Terrier, President of the Sports Car Club of Agadir. Many thanks to Autodiva members for digging up the facts.
A few weeks ago I received my favorite kind of email. Gary wrote in saying these simply beautiful words: “I have found many photos I took from 1957 to around 1962. I am thinking about sending them to you.”
Gary, this is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me inspired to keep this site going. I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when a box of slides and photo prints arrived with races ranging from The Race of Two Worlds to the Mille Miglia to Stateside SCCA races. I had planned to wait until everything was scanned and catalogued to start posting them but I’m sure you’ll understand why I can’t wait for all that. This is just the first of many series of Gary’s photos. I can’t wait for you to see them.
I’m sure there are a few of you that are already puzzled by the title of this post—’58 Mille Miglia? What ’58 Mille Miglia? Sure, the dangers associated with high speed racing up and down the boot were already showing signs of disaster before Alfonso de Portago’s dramatic careening off a stretch of road between Cerlongo and Guidizzolo that killed him and his co-driver Edmund Nelson along with nine spectators. As a result, there would be no proper Mille after 1957. But race organizers (and Brescian businessmen, no doubt) cherished the event and the crowds it drew so as soon as 1958 the Mille was re-imagined as a regularity rally with occasional hillclimbs and speed events along the way. A then-teenaged Gary Mason was perched alongside the route, 35mm Kodak Retina in hand.
Thanks again, Gary. These are fantastic! As always, if this is reminding any of you of a box of forgotten photos in the closet, drop me a line.
Ringmeisters and Regenmeisters
Ok, so it was on the Sudschleife. And sure, it was a Formula 2 race. But I still wouldn’t want to have to hold a line in weather this wet on tires this thin with that much power behind my spine.
Jo Bonnier won the day in his Porsche 718. His racing suit must have been soaked to the waist. Brave. Wet. And Brave.
Christian sent in this photo of his Lincoln, “La Bestia” tackling the mighty Carrera Panamericana. Even in its modern interpretation, the Carrera is no joke and participants tend to be of one of two camps: Those that just had to do it once—and after a week of grueling conditions wonder what made them do this treacherous thing—and those that return year after year ready for more. Christian is the latter, and that deserves some props, don’t you think?
I love sharing photos of readers’ cars, guys. Keep ’em coming: tips@thechicane.com.