Anyone familiar with the recent versions of the glass and concrete control towers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway might wonder why they call it “The Pagoda”. After all, they really only has a passing resemblance to the Japanese* architectural style—particularly between ’56 and ’98.
Not so with the pre-1956 versions.
1913 Pagoda Construction
1913
1954
1938
* A few emails have pointed out that the pagoda isn’t strictly a Japanese design. What we think of as the pagoda has its origins in Nepal before migrating through Tibet to China and the rest of Asia. Thanks for the clarification everyone.
I love these little atmospheric snippets in James Hakesley’s video from the Sunday of the Revival. Following the weekend from across the Pond isn’t easy. While I get to see plenty of photos and video clips from the track, or even the pits, the little moments captured here really give me the feeling of being there. Great stuff.
Speed. Safety. Long Life. Economy. Everything you’d expect of motorcycle tires you get in Firestones. Most miles per dollar. Note the winners who choose and stick to: Firestone Motorcycle Tires
Confidence! A “427 Cobra” reeks of it. There’s nothing timid about one of Carroll Shelby’s new “Snakes”: He’s built an automobile for individuals* who not only appreciate fine cars, but really know how to use one.
When first told of the plans for the new car, even his team racing drivers said, “what are we going to do with an additional 215 horsepower?” Typically, Shelby had the answer—he put it on the road with a totally new suspension design. A computer-engineered geometry that fills every slight depression and variation in the road surface with pure horsepower. It’s delivered in such a smoothly engineered manner, however, that the Cobra can no longer claim to be a true sports car in the classic tradition. Yes…it still looks the same…almost. But it sure doesn’t taste like tomato juice!
Owning a new “427” Cobra isn’t quite like your first sports car…remember? There won’t be any excuses to the young fellow with the channelled ’32 that lives down the road about how “this car was meant to cross the winding roads of Europe not burn rubber for three hundred feet.” Or the old saw about the power not coming in till you got to 4500 R.P.M. A Cobra will blow them all off from point “A” to point “B,” whether it’s a stoplight gran prix or a twenty-four hour enduro. In short the Cobra is an automobile, a real one in the Shelby tradition. In case you don’t know what a “real one” is, stop in at your Total Performance Ford/Cobra dealer and find out. If you happen to live in one of those rare areas where performance isn’t as “total” as you’d like, write to us and we’ll tell you where it is!
* We build only 500 a year, how individual can you get?
Cobra Powered by Ford Shelby American, Inc. • 6501 West Imperial Hwy. • Los Angeles, Calif. 90009
Lovely snips shot by Roy Pagliacci of the 1969 Monza 1000km. Some from (what looks to me like) turn 8, and a few heatbreakingly brief glimpses of cars entering the banking for the final time. Bellissimo!
Luc Ghys’ photos from events around continental Europe are always magnificent, so you can imagine how pleased I was when an email from him popped up letting me know about his snaps from the Goodwood Revival. I was immediately drawn to this set he shot of Goodwood’s event remembering Fangio. Usually when I think of the Revival I inevitably immediately jump to all the imagery I can find of the legendary TT revival and the high-performance high-beauty high-dollar machines.
This eclectic mix of cars from El Meastro’s past, however, reminded me of something vitally important, and something I so love about the era: Variety. Just look at this mix of machines; and this is by no means a complete collection of Fangio’s racers. There’s everything here: from the Grand Prix cars for which he’s most known, to the Carrera Panamericana and Mille Miglia machines, to smaller voiturette racers. Almost more amazing than Fangio’s five Formula 1 World Championships is that while he was winning them, he was also competing in anything else he could find.
Just look at the buzz that gets generated today when Montoya moved to NASCAR, or Raikkonen hit the rally course (or NASCAR, himself). I applaud these drivers for attempting to take on the variety of racing opportunities available to these top-tier drivers. But that excitement wanes when I consider that this is newsworthy at all. Of course Kimi should want to rally! Of course JPM should want to turn left for two hours! These cravings for new races and racing cars still exist in every driver; it’s just a shame that contemporary racing teams seem to frown on these “unnecessary extra-curriculars”.
Not so in Fangio’s day. Thank you Goodwood for reminding us. Thank you Luc for sending along these images so we could all see.
If you’d told me a few months ago that I would lose three hours to digging through the archives of a blog about bags and wallets I’d have… Well, I’d have completely believed you because that’s exactly the kind of thing I nerd out over.
Gullwing Luggage
What I wasn’t expecting, was to find that the crew over at Carryology also featured an interesting dive into vintage motoring luggage with a particular focus on mid-century Mercedes luggage.
We’ve touched briefly on vintage sports car luggage before, but these guys actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to luggage construction and utility.
Even though these suitcases and trunks reek of impracticality today, I think they’re particularly remarkable examples of sports car ephemera even though they hint at the direction that the sports car industry would take.
At a time when the sporting car was a tool for driving, stripped of all unnecessary frivolity, the practical problem of transporting stuff was a problem. The solution was luggage custom crafted to fit the unusual contours of storage space in the little machines. Naturally the luggage was well made from fine materials—luxurious even. Unfortunately what the industry seemed to take away from this and other luxe add-ons is that they should merge the sports car with the luxury car.
Ferrari Luggage Stack
In my opinion it’s a regrettable, but probably inevitable, move away from a purer sporting machine. It may even be one more reason why there’s such a wide difference between a “sports car” and a “race car” today.
Read more at Carryology’s post, which offers additional fascinating tidbits on the 300SL’s clever golf bag holder, and introduced me to Taris Charysyn, who make high quality reproductions of luggage for a dozen or more models of vintage sports car.
For Sale My 212 Ferrari… In perfect tune and in showroom condition Top Speed… 130 mph • 0 to 60…7.5 sec. • 0 to 100 mph…16sec. • Perfectly behaved in city traffic (getting 20 mpg) • Road tested in Nov. ’52 issue of Road and Track • Price…$7,800. Write or phone Phil Hill, 5670 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 28, HEmpstead 3165
Brian Goldman wrote in with this outstanding collection of slides that his father, William Goldman, shot at Ohio’s Put In Bay Races. From the racing numbers and drivers, it looks to me like the 1958 running of the races. While, William’s photos may have been of different subjects if there were larger classes on the island (Put In Bay didn’t offer a class of races above 2 liters), I’m going to just assume that he shared my taste in the small-bore production and modified classes between 500-1000 cc’s that dominate these photos. I know the big boys usually get all the interest and glory, but these small light racers are, for me, the very essence of sports car engineering and design.
Al Weaver’s #47 MG battles in an all-MG field
Those small racers must have also been ideal for cramming onto the ferry that would take racers each June between 1952 & 1959 (and again in ’63) to Put In Bay, the small island in Lake Erie not far from Toledo. I can only imagine the fun that must have been had on that small island each summer, with drivers arriving from all over the Midwest, and some from as far as Mississippi. Gathering each summer on Erie for a weekend of racing must have been like the little brother of Bahamas Speed Week. Perhaps I’m overstating things a bit in my comparison of Lake Erie to the Caribbean, but I’m sure it was an absolute blast.
Herman Emmert’s Crosley
Arthur Brow’s Turner
Another interesting aspect of the races—perhaps because it was for smaller classes—was pointed out in Sports Car Illustrated’s coverage of the ’58 event: It attracted a large number of young drivers. Of the hundred or so entries in the 1958 event, over half were first-time racers. I can only imagine the terror that a pack of novice racers would inspire in any event insurance adjuster. This casual spirit of the event was even noteworthy at the time, prompting comparisons to the ‘good old days’ of round-the-house racing of the early 1950’s. Good to know that vintage racing nostalgia is nothing new.
John Petrone’s Triumph
Perhaps my favorite expression of the informality of the old community-hosted city street event is this line, again from Sports Car Illustrated’s coverage. “The crowd had complete freedom to watch the race from any vantage point they wished, and though none of the cars were running on alcohol many of the spectators were.” Quality writing there from SCI’s Len Griffing, who was part of an SCI team running a Porsche at the event.
Clark Turner’s Berkeley has seen better days
More information—including race results and scans of period articles on the races—at PIB Road Race, which serves as a hub for the enthusiastic community that both remembers the past races and organizes reunions and competitions on the island today.
The I,G,H-Mod paddockGetting too friendly with a tree
More photos from the William Goldman archive here. Thanks again for these, Brian! Keep digging photos out of the basement, everyone. And let us know about them, we’d love to share them with the rest of the community.
Giant’s Despair is a frequent favoritehere, and these program covers don’t do anything to dispel that affinity. More fantastic program covers and handbills at The Motor Racing Programme Covers project.
I like the floating apostrophe in these—like the committee couldn’t decide if it was one giant despairing, or the despair of many giants or there was no possession at all.
I’m through complaining about corporate sponsor logos all over the cars; I know I’ve lost that fight. But can we at least get them off of the posters and program covers? I want to hang a poster of a Grand Prix I attended, not a poster of a business software company logo. These program covers all benefit from not having a SAP or Emirates Airlines or UBS logo on them.
