I’ll admit it. I was already copying the embed code for this clip before the opening credits were through.
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Then again, if our earlier Meadowdale post has you particularly inspired. You could just cut to the chase and buy this available copy of the original blueprints for the track. Grab a few friends, a few shovels, a bulldozer or two, and a whole lot of asphalt. Call me when you’re done.
If contemporary blueprints had more of these charming illustrations in the corners, we might be able to get more interesting work through planning boards.
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Building Meadowdale
Meadowdale Raceway may be gone but she remains a much loved and sorely missed track in the Midwest. Although the park that stands on her old bones has a few reminders of the greatness that once was, it’s comforting to look at these photos of Meadowdale under construction. They remind me that tracks may go but new ones can come as well.
Will these new tracks have the nail-biting danger of Meadowdale’s defining feature: the Monza wall? Probably not. Will they inspire such fear and respect that they prompt a timid racer or mischievous prankster to adorn the racing surface with a painted “PRAY” in enormous block text just before the entry to turn 1? Almost certainly not. Will they feature the tight turns and sweeping bends that made Meadowdale so tricky? Maybe. Will they drive racing enthusiasts to painstakingly recreate them a generation later for use in racing simulators? Well.. probably.
More inspiration at Chicagoland Sports Car Club’s Memories of Meadowdale Raceway.
This one couldn’t have stayed on the market for long. Even with the skyrocketing prices that 550s are fetching, this one had a small perk thrown into the bargain: a 1957 Opel Blitz Porsche transporter. Belgian dealer Art2Drive had (has?) this duo available. Surprisingly, I’m not finding much specifics on them, but how could I not at least share these images?
I can’t imagine a single auto event that wouldn’t be silenced by pulling up in this gorgeous truck with the 550A in tow. From Ville d’Este to the Mille to Monterey, It would have to be a very special event indeed for these two to not steal the show.
The Anamera listing shows it as sold, but Art2Drive’s own site still features them prominently. This is one of those sales that is probably best kept secret. I know that these two must have a few of you considering donning a black balaclava, calling your least wholesome friends, and taking up a life on the lam. No? Just me?
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For Practical Playboys
Renault Daupine
The Fashionable Car for Practical Playboys
$1670 complete. Suggested retail price, plus local freight, handlind, and tax.
A masterpiece of precision engineering.
- Rugged single-unit steel chassis
- Efficient overhead valve engine in rear
- Newest 4-wheel suspension system
- Rack and pinion steering
- Extra large hydraulic brakes
- Newest anti-sway torsion bar
43 miles per gallon economy.
Sleek and spirited…the new Renault Dauphine is designed to turn a lady’s head. Looks expensive. but isn’t… that’s the “beauty” of this remarkable Dauphine. It’s the best combination of comfort, safety, and economical performance ever built into an automobile. Your nearest Renault dealer will demonstrate how you can save up to 70% on operating costs. Test drive it today!
Free! A special color brochure from Paris for those planning to purchase a car. Write Lake States Imports, Inc. – 1000 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill.
Free! Colorful, decorative French posters. Ask your local Renault dealer.
A free special color brochure from Paris? Sign me up.
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Decisions… Decisions…
Imagine yourself poring over this Abarth catalog page deciding on the right exhaust fitment for your barchetta or racing special.
Thanks, Tulipwood Racer.
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Fluff-Free Castrol
Porsche Breaks 6 World Records on Castrol: The Masterpiece in Oils.
At Montlhéry on March 18th a Porsche Spyder, driven my Messrs. Von Falkenberg and V. Riggenberg broke 6 World Class F. Records (1,100—1,500 c.c) using Castrol. These ranged from 200 miles to 6 hours at speeds between 128 m.p.h. and 131 m.p.h.
That’s some very “just the facts, ma’am” copywriting. No fluffy claims. No hyperbolic comparisons. This could just has easily been a segment in the week’s race report.
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Rick McTurtle.
The only slow-moving thing in Team McLaren is Rick McTurtle, the mascot Bruce McLaren found trying to cross the track during practice at St. Jovite. Rick has a lot of torque, but he doesn’t rev very fast.
The McLaren Can-Am cars are something else. They finished 1-2 at Watkins Glen and proved again that they were the fastest road-racing cars the world has ever seen. Bruce McLaren knocked 1.99 seconds off the outright practice lap record for the Glen, set last year by a Formula One Lotus. And Denis Hulme cut 2.62 seconds off the race lap record, also set by a Formula Once car, lappint at 132.27 mph.
The McLaren M8Bs are powered by 427 Chevrolet engines, with a lot of McLaren magic added. They develop 625 hp at 7,000 rpm, and 570 lbs/ft of torque. They run on Gulf NoNox gasoline and Gulfpride Formula G motor oil—products you can buy for your car at any Gulf station. Switch to them now.
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1952 Watkins Glen
As precious and rare as it is for these types of videos to surface, it makes it all the more disheartening when they’re pulled from YouTube. Looking back through the archives, I was saddened to see the marvelous footage of the 1951 Watkins Glen GP that we featured in a post earlier in the year has been pulled.
In the interests of maintaining a consistent level of Watkins Glen video on the site, I felt compelled to dig into the YouTubes to find a suitable replacement. This home-movie of the ’52 race should fit the bill nicely.
John McFarland says, “Here is some really cool video shot back in 1952 (nearest I can figure from cars/numbers vs. program) by my Grandfather at the Watkins Glen Grand prix. The number 54 car at the end of the video is a Cunningham (sick!). The races were held on September 19-20 and my Grandfather was filming with experimental color film from Kodak. Color home movie footage of the racing in 1952 is extremely rare.”
Might want to consider hitting mute on this one as the 1952 footage and the 1979 soundtrack don’t exactly fit perfectly.
More from the Topps World on Wheels bubblegum card collection. This time, Connaught.
From the card’s reverse:
Horsepower: 107
A tiny factory in England, producing only about two cars per week, makes the Connaught. The body is very light and is built for speed. It has cycle fenders, outside exhaust pipes, bucket seats and a good finish. The price of the Connaught is $5,500! the basis for this car is a Lea-Francis engine. Under the cowl is a two and one half gallon gas tank.
Anyone have $5,500 I can borrow?
More Topps World on Wheels here.