Le Mans 1959

As promised, here are the pictures from Le Mans in 1959. Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (Phil Hill's car), photographed at "Pesage", which I think is scrutineering. A whole load of Ferraris (250's and a Dino), also at Scrutineering An Aston Martin DBR1 - the car that came second (just behind an identical car) The start - I still can't believe how close everyone is to the track, and not a safety fence in sight! Stirling Moss retiring from the race in the evening - another Aston Martin DBR1 ...
Read More

Warning to the Public – Motor Racing Is Dangerous

Too bloody right it's dangerous when you consider how close my dad is standing to the course, with nothing but a bit of grass and maybe a small wooden fence between him and some racing cars! This is from the 6th August 1956, at the Television Trophy at Brands Hatch. It's a Formula 3 race, and the information my dad recorded on the back of a print of this wonderfully detailed: #2 Cooper Norton. Stuart Lewis-Evans #6 Cooper Norton, George Wicken #1 Cooper Mk IX Norton (Cooper Car Co) Jim Russell #36 Cooper MK IX Norton, Ivor Bueb And amazingly, there is a website that confirms it all. It's amazing to see how close they were to the action, and the complete absence of any safety features. I know drivers were killed all the time in those days, but you have to wonder how many spectators died as well. I was going to say that I thought things might have changed after the huge fatal accident at...
Read More

Petrolhead

Peter Collins in a Formula 1 Maserati 250F. Crystal Palace 30/05/1955 Colin Chapman in a Lotus XI. Goodwood 24/09/1955 A couple of shots from the 1955 motorsport summer. The amount of detail my dad recorded on some of these shots is great - written on the back of the prints of these two photos is the following: 1) Formula 1 Maserati 250F (2.5 litre), disc brakes, alloy wheels. Owen Racing Organisation car, driven by Peter Collins 2) Lotus Mk IX Climax, 1097cc. Six Mile Stable, driven by Colin Chapman. Almost certainly XPE8, the works car at Le Mans 1955. Cleaned up on the races that day....
Read More