Mario Andretti christened Austin’s Circuit of the Americas with his 1978 Formula 1 World Championship winning John Player Special Lotus 79. Listen to that Cosworth hum.
Thanks, Racer.
Back in May, The San Francisco Chronicle assembled a lovely remembrance of the Golden Gate Road Races held 60 years earlier. Looking at these photos, I’m not sure why the Golden Gate races don’t seem to hold the same fond mystique that other California round-the-house circuits have achieved. Perhaps it was because the event was only run between ’52 and ’54 that it just didn’t have time to build the legend that Pebble Beach or Palm Springs did.
While it may have largely faded from memory, there’s something so appealing about the idea of sports cars thundering through Golden Gate Park that feels so romantic. Walking or cycling the route today must conjure thoughts of Phil Hill’s Cad-Allard Jaguar C-Type or Bill Pollack’s Cad-Allard Jaguar C-Type (thanks for the correction, Colin) whipping around Elk Glen Lake. It’s marvelous, if bittersweet, to see these images of the Golden Gate Races running while knowing that they’d be almost impossible today.
But if the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has taught us anything, it’s that a vintage race in the park can indeed be run in the modern era. What’s more, it can be done in relative safety even while paying tribute to a more dangerous time. Certainly a city park is easier to close down for an event than several blocks of city streets are: They get closed off for foot races or bicycle races or charitable walks all the time. Why not showcase some of the park’s history as a racing venue with a mid-summer weekend revival of the Golden Gate Road Races?
Like our previous support for a Central Park Vintage Grand Prix, I can imagine an entire series of city park or county airport road races—perhaps limited to smaller displacement racers and run with a strict “vintage spirit” rule set. Heck, look to the Detroit Grand Prix as a model for making a marvelous racing course within a city park. If Belle Isle can do it, why not Golden Gate? Why not Central Park? Why not?
Let these images be your guide. Imagine yourself for a moment on 2.7 miles of this wonderful circuit behind the wheel of a mid-fifties racer—or even spectating along JFK Drive—and tell me you don’t want this to happen?
More photos in the Chronicle article.
Recap of the 1952 race on Etceterini.
Previously: Lost Track: Golden Gate Road Racing Circuit
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Topps World on Wheels: Cisitalia
From 1953—1955 Topps issued a series of bubblegum cards featuring beautifully illustrated motor vehicles of all shapes and sizes: from military tanks, to construction equipment, to scooters, and—yes—sports and racing cars. Over the next few weeks, I’ll feature some favorites from among their sportier cards. When available, I’ll include the text from the back-side of the card; inaccuracies and all. I love the artifacts of mid-century printing techniques: all the halftones and misaligned screens and ink overflows in these cards are exquisite.
This time: a 1947 Cisitalia 202 Spider Nuvolari. Again, text below is from the reverse of the card.
Horsepower: 55
Cylinders: 4
Length: 147.4″
Width: 55.6″
The Cisitalia runabout is an Italian sports car with an ideal design for road racing or fast touring. Many new design ideas were started by this company, including finned rear fenders, and side exhaust ports like the Buick. Good weight distribution, and low center of gravity allow the car to turn at high speeds.
More on Topps’ World on Wheels at the Topps Archives.
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Man, I Miss CarToons Magazine
’59 Vette cutaway by Steve Austin from the CarToons Facebook Page.
Shelby G.T.350 is “Son of Cobra”
Adults only!
Shelby-American presents America’s fastest, race-bred stock car! You’ll thrill to its performance, you’ll hold your breath behind the wheel!! Every minute is something new never seen before!!!
SEE 306 Ford horses packed into the wild and wooly 289 engine…four barrel carburation, high rise aluminum manifold and a hand-built tuned exhaust system. SEE distinctive Mustang styling to which has been added such “everybody will notice” features as rear quarter panel windows, rear brake scoops and “there goes a G.T. 350” striping. SEE computer designed suspension with front anti-roll bar, competition shocks, front disc brakes and torque controlled rear axle. SEE the G.T. 350 scream from zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds. SEE the G.T. 350…the car that’s not for everybody. Just for you.
FIRST Bp at Cumberland. Bob Johnson. FIRST overall at Kent, Washington. Jerry Titus. FIRST in Bp at Elkhart Lakes, Tom Yeager. FIRST overall at Mid-Ohio. Bob Johnson. FIRST, second, third and fourth in Bp at Lime Rock. Johnson, Donahue, Krinner and Owens. FIRST overall at Mossport. Wietzes and Fisher.
Written and Directed by Carroll Shelby. Producted by Shelby-American, Inc.
Misspelling Elkhart Lake!? Sacrilege! And the “Adults Only” tag might be my favorite part of this “in a world”-style, ham-fisted grindhouse-y trailer copy. Great illustration, too.
You don’t have to be able to read French to enjoy Marvano’s Grand Prix series of graphic novels. These images speak for themselves and should probably work their way onto your bookshelf. I’m afraid I suffer from that dreaded affliction of believing that color was invented somewhere around 1959 so seeing the vibrance in these renderings of the French Gran Prix and Tripoli Grand Prix and Brooklands is a wonderful treat.
Marvano’s vibrant and wonderfully realized ligne claire illustrations naturally bring to mind fellow Belgian Hergé and—like Hergé’s Tintin–the characters surrounding the Silver Arrows in the 1930’s take us to marvelously exotic locations and stirring drama. And that’s all without being able to read a word of it. Reviews say, and Marzano appears to have confirmed, that while the people and locations are true, the story is somewhat fictionalized. As the author puts it: “The ingredients are historical but the dishes are fictitious.”
I suspect that this doesn’t diminish the work in the slightest but race historians may cry fowl as they see cars that crashed out early in Avus continuing to circle the track. I will not be among them and quite enjoyed the first volume of the three part series, which is currently available on Amazon (Grand prix, Tome 1 : Renaissance) with a forward by Jackie Ickx.
Here’s an interview with Marvano on the work.
I almost don’t have words for how over-the-top fantastic this is.
Apparently this is just a clip of a longer, Japanese language only film. I’ll share it if I can find it.
Hat tip to the Classic Porsche Blog, who says, “surprisingly streetable.” Riiiiight.
Previously: 917s on the Street. Twice.
Some may not agree with Magnus Walker using the downtown Los Angeles streets as a personal racetrack—and I know some of you are going to have a fit about his crossing the double yellow a few times in this documentary on Magnus and his cars by Tamir Moscovici. I don’t think I’d be able to resist it either if I was behind the wheel of one these machines on a lonely seaside road.
I’ll give the man this, he’s got excellent taste.
The modifications that he does to his long-hoods makes me want an early 911 in the worst possible way. You’ll see in this video a segment of Magnus telling a story of him as a 10-year-old sending the Porsche a factory a letter about becoming a designer for the brand; and getting a response telling him to give them a call when he’s a bit older. When I see Magnus hand distressing the leather pull handle he’s just finished sewing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Porsche AG is eagerly awaiting that call.
You can have your Singer, I’ll take Magnus’ lighter touch on the early 911.
Previously: The Magnus Walker Collection.
Alberto Ascari’s favorite accessory reminds us all: Bring back the laurels.
Photo by Bernard Cahier. Thanks, PHC.