Author: Harlo

Categories
Classic Sportscar

And You Thought it Looked Good In Blue

Ian Claridge’s blog turned me on to this post at Zonkey Boot (a shoe design blog (!), which only confirms my belief that the lines of classic racing cars transcend design boundaries) concerning an amazing set of photographs shot by Bernhard Angerer for an exhibit at the Vienna Technical Museum in 2007. This photo of a Bugatti 51 in bare metal is what really drew me in. At first, I thought it was simply the uncommon image of a Bugatti stripped bare that captivated me so. I’m used to seeing the Bugatti Grand Prix cars and Voiturettes in their classic French racing blue liveries, but the bare metal made me focus on the 51’s lines in a new way.

The photo itself, though, especially when viewed among the others in the set, is a marvelous achievement. Angerer manages the difficult task of getting just the right amount of light reflected without making the cars look glossier than they really are.

Click on over to Zonkey Boot for more photos and a conversation with the photographer.

Categories
Event Grand Prix

Silver Arrows to Race Goodwood

Holy crap.

Goodwood has announced that the 2012 Revival’s Grand Prix grid will include a comprehensive field of Silver Arrows. They have confirmed that in appearance and on track will be the Mercedes-Benz W25, W125, W154 and W165, and examples of the Auto Union Type C and Type D racing alongside other period GP cars. Seeing any one of these at speed would be an absolute thrill. That list right there is six of them. SIX! And there’s likely to be more than one of the Auto Unions.

Just stop and let that sink in for a moment. If you’re like me and keep saying, “maybe next year” each time the Revival rolls around. This might be the year to stop procrastinating.

Categories
Classic Cycle Video

Giorgio Oppici’s BMW Motorrad

I’ve watched this Giorgio Oppici tribute to BMW several times, and each time I pause and silently digest what a glorious set of images I’ve taken in… And then I pick up my jaw and watch it again.

The advent of affordable high definition video cameras and dSLRs has been a boon to the world of web video. I’m not about to claim that it’s just the quality of the gear that makes it possible—Oppicci would have doubtless been an astoundingly good cinematographer with nothing but a pinhole camera; but putting affordable high-quality gear in the hands of more filmmakers lets them better realize their vision and push the outer edges of the craft’s potential.

Simply gorgeous work.

Categories
Historic Racing Photos

Ted’s 1965 Indy 500

Friend of the blog and VSCDA racer Ted Sodergren sent in this marvelous set of photos he shot as a young reporter covering the Indianapolis 500. I’m always so excited to see candid shots of Formula 1 drivers hanging out in the pits and marvel at the access racing fans had to these iconic competitors in the early days that I forget that the same also holds true for the Indy drivers.

Ted, of course, had a press pass to help in capture these marvelous images of the competitors and their rides. And what a time to capture these machines it was. The rear-engine revolution came a bit slower to Indianapolis than it did to Formula 1, but you can see here the effects that were taking hold at The Brickyard with only one or two holdout front-engined competitors.

It was a milestone 500. It was the first nationally televised Indy 500, and was the first of Ford’s dominance as an engine manufacturer at Indy for the next 6 or 7 years. This coincided with Ford’s dominance in Formula 1—a tremendous period of motorsport supremacy.

Thanks for these, Ted. And look for his ’66 shots here soon.

Categories
Racing Ephemera

1966 Kyalami 9 Hours Program Scans

Andrew wrote in to say, “I grew up in Johannesburg and luckily for me, my father was a racing fan. Kyalami was eleven miles from our doorstep and we seldom missed events. Annual highlights were the 9- hour endurance race , the first week in November and the Grand Prix. I have programmes from the early 60’s and early 70’s that I’m scanning and would love to share them with you guys if you’re interested.”

Yes. Yes, I’m interested.

These scans from the 1966 9 Hours at Kyalami are a favorite. I suspect that most collectors would see the tattered pages and missing corner and pass it right by. But it’s these tattered corners that make it so great for me is Andrew’s story. “I remembering my dad saying that he’d lost his programme and Ran under the grandstand a half hour before the finish to find this one!”

This program. This one right here. That’s what makes it so perfect.

Ordinarily, I might celebrate the victory of David Piper and Richard Attwood in their Ferrari 365 P2/3. But if you ask me, the winner of the day was Andrew’s father; finding reclaiming his tattered program from beneath the bleachers.

Thanks for sending this, Andrew. We’ll be sharing more scans from the Andrew Duncan Collection in the coming weeks.

Categories
Video

On-Board a Formula Vee at Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival

For the first time in a long time I missed last year’s Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival. I must subconsciously still be kicking myself over it since I found myself wandering through YouTube clips from the 2011 event. Thankfully, Jeffrey uploaded this clip from the Group 10 (Formula Vee and Fords—among others) session to help get me through the winter.

Jeffrey says: “This was my second race weekend in my 1969 Lynx B. I qualified 11th on the grid (7th in the Formula Vee class) and finished 8th (4th in the FV class).”
Not bad. Not bad at all.

Categories
Track Maps of the Past

Central Park Vintage GP: Too Good an Idea to Not Happen

I often romanticize the city-street road races of the 1950s and have occasionally wondered why it was only small towns that played host to these magnificent race weekends. After all, many of the racers made their way to Watkins Glen or Bridgehampton or Elkhart Lake did so from New York or Boston or Chicago. Why didn’t larger cities host any of these events?

Then it occurred to me; naturally it’s easier to shut down a little town’s roads for a few days than it would be to gridlock Manhattan for a race weekend. Alas, the oft linked Shell/Ferrari ad has shown us what a magnificent cocktail vintage racing cars and city streets can make. Automobiliac’s recent post entitled Vintage Racing in Central Park, Why Not? has rekindled my desire for this mix of urban vistas and vintage iron. It’s a perfectly good question, “What about Central Park?” Can you think of a more perfect set of roads winding around the beautiful and iconic landscapes that were so marvelously architected by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Can’t you just imagine it? Sitting on a bench by the Reservoir or at the rooftop sculpture garden at the MoMA while a Cooper-Climax T53 or Bandini Siluro or Ferrari Monza accelerates through one of the sweeping bends of the Central Park Loop.

Bradley does a great job of pointing out the potential difficulties (“closing down Central Park Loop—are you crazy?!”), and addresses them in kind (well, they do it for bike races or for filming movies). It works for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Doesn’t New York deserve a world-class vintage racing event? Just look at the map above from race promoter Alec Ulmann’s 1965 proposal of a Monaco-style race in NY and realize that this event needs to happen—simply must happen.

The Chicane emphatically endorses this brilliant idea. Dear Reader, how can we make this happen?

Categories
Restoration Video

A Berkeley Reborn

It’s never surprising when a new no-expenses-spared restoration of a Ferrari is unveiled. Or a Gullwing Merc. Or a Barracuda. What I love so much about Ohio restoration shop Pete’s Custom Coachbuilding is that they often lavish the same level of affection on lesser known and quirkier models. Their restorations of Issetas and a Lambretta Lambro trike and a King Midget are enough to let you rest easy that these marvelous jewels are in good hands.

Their recent restoration of a Berkeley SE492 is no exception. The level of care in reconditioning parts that aren’t available or ensuring that every fastener was period-appropriate is admirable. It’s details like this that usually puts this type of restoration in the realm of not financially viable. But let’s face it, we didn’t get into vintage racing cars because we’re sane people. It always makes me glad to see there’s other crazies out there.

More photos of the restoration at Pete’s site. Oh—and check out the Gurney Eagle Pete’s did as well!

Categories
Vintage Racing Advertising

For People Who Must Drive a Winner

Daytona. Datsun sweeps the field.
Talk about domination—the Datsun Track Star swamped the field at Daytona.
Seven out of the first 8 spots in Class D Production at the 1969 American Road Race of Champions (ARRC).
Just what you might expect from a real sports car.
Because the stock 2000 has real sports car handling. Real sports car power from a 135 HP “OHC” engine for a 124 MPH top and 0-60 in 9.3 seconds. Real sports car response from an all-synchro 5-speed that Stirling Moss rates… “Really good—the speed with which one could change gears was only limited by the speed of one’s hand.”
Add classic lines. Body-fit buckets. vinyl upholstery, carpets, locking console… even a radio among $300 in no-charge extras. You’ve got a luxury GT that blasts backroads and breezes freeways.
The ARRC champ 2000—and its little brother—Datsun 1600. Real sports cars for people who must drive a winner. Driva a Datsun… then decide.
Datsun
Sedans · Wagon · Pickup · Sports cars

Categories
Racing Ephemera Vintage Racing Advertising

Fantastic, Super-Sonic Stereo Sounds!

Dan Gurney and his world of racing now on record.
Great, interesting, commentary by Dan! Fantastic, super-sonic stereo sounds!
Featuring: The Motor Trend 5000, The Times Grand Prix
Plus… Brabham-Climax, Lotus-Ford Indy Car, Ford GT, Daytona Coupe, Dragon Snake
There’s more! Only $4.98 (plus tax)
Order today and receive this free bonus!
If you order now, and autographed 8 by 10 photo of Dan suitable for framing will be enclosed with your album free of charge.
Mail your order to: Mobile Fidelity Records, P.O. Box 336, Burbank Calif. 91503

So who’s got a digitized copy of this for me?