Tag: Factories at Work
Again, perhaps ‘factory’ is taking some liberties, but why should we diminish Bob Carnes’ efforts by referring to his Denver facility as a mere workshop?
Bob Carnes. Bob Carnes. BoCar. Get it? Cute, eh?
Ok, maybe I’m being overly generous calling it a “factory”, but I’ve not seen this shot of the Reventlow Automobiles workshop showing a pair of Scarabs under construction. Life magazine photographer Bill Bridges captured this shot in October 1958. Chassis #001 had already been racking up victories since February of that year, but Numbers 002 and 003, although they would have both had their debut races by October, might still have been in development. Is this Scarab #002 and #003 we’re looking at here? What a treat it must have been to be hanging out with the boys that afternoon.
I’m not enough of a trainspotter to be able to identify the individuals in the shot here, let us know in the comments if you have a better eye than I do.
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Factories at Work: BMW
Sure it’s been overshadowed by it’s bigger brother 2002, but the 700 was a tougher competitor than you’d think. Hans Stuck piloted one to victory in the touring car class of the 1960 German Hillclimb Championship. Class victories were also achieved in the 1960 12 hours race at Hockenheim and the 6 hours of Nürburgring. Not bad for car powered by a 698cc Flat-2 (a bored out R67 motorcycle engine).
Flat-2!
Update: Over on The Chicane’s Facebook page, Jean-Jaques pointed us to this photo of Jacky Ickx in a rather inauspicious entry to his hillclimb career, also in a 700. Thanks Jean-Jaques!
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1956 Visit to the Ferrari Factory
I think this probably isn’t the main assembly area. The windows look different from other period photos I’ve seen of the workshop. Anyone recognize this location? Is it indeed the main factory?
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E-Type Assembly Line
Only a few short years after fire ravaged the original Coventry facility, this Jaguar assembly line has shown how quickly the romance of the immediate post-war era gave way to the automation and sterility that sure makes these factory shots less interesting today.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the efficiencies of the line, but there’s something about the old repurposed facilities as a makeshift factory that feels so much more right. The earlier factories we’ve shown felt much more like a group of craftsmen coming together to create something—these look like a bunch of unhappy cogs meaninglessly turning bolts. I’m exaggerating of course, but look at this earlier shot of D-Types being built and tell me which facility you’d rather work in.
via Hemmings.
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Factory at Work: Toyota 2000GT
Like our previous looks into sportscar factories, this shot of the Toyota factory in the late 1960s is equal parts excitement over seeing so many of a favorite model together and a wistful look at missed opportunities. There were only 337 2000GTs built, and I count at least 13 in this shot. Was one of these later chopped to create the one-off spyder model for 007’s You Only Live Twice? Did one of these have it’s bonnet sprayed in bold red or dark blue for the Shelby-Toyota racing effort? Even a plain-Jane 2000GT is a beautiful machine, and seeing so many collected here is a delight.
I always assumed that the D-Type was never a full production model. I know they made a few dozen of them, but assumed they were fairly coachbuilt one-offs. This picture sure seems to indicate otherwise.
The panels were supplied by Abbey Panels of Coventry and shipped over to the factory itself to be assembled in the factory alongside XK140s and MK VIII sedans. These shots are from late ’55/early ’56 shortly before the factory was nearly flattened by fire in 1957, so this is indeed a rare view of the Coventry facility.
Just look at them all. This could easily be described as a D-Type assembly line; albeit a non-mechanized one. Fantastic.
We’ve had quite a bit of focus lately on the factories and workshops that turned out our dream machines. Winter has hit the upper Midwest and the garage must be calling.
These scenes were photographed in preparation for the 1953 Mille Miglia and the wrenches were spinning furiously amongst the Italian makers. The home race is always reason enough to turn up the heat a bit.
OSCA
Maserati
And of course, the rather more commanding Ferrari floor.
Here’s Mike Hawthorn checking in on the 250MM Spyder he’d be piloting for the race. He DNFed that year, but his car is still looking amazing 56 years later. The race would be won by the 250’s larger brother, Giannino Marzotto’s 340MM Spyder.
Mike Hawthorn’s Ferrari 250MM Spyder 
Mike Hawthorn’s Ferrari 250MM Spyder Today