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Classic Motorsport Photos
- Thread starter Liquid
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Louis Rosier, the 50 years old F1 driver ... what a legend!
EDIT - @Dotini there's nothing to be said about Miss Fawcett apart from her being a lover of motorsports that held her own at the wheel of a 1930's car. I just searched and apparently this race was her last, her boyfriend was into airplanes and the legend says they made a pact that upon marrying she would give up racing cars and he would give up flying. Tough lady!
EDIT - @Dotini there's nothing to be said about Miss Fawcett apart from her being a lover of motorsports that held her own at the wheel of a 1930's car. I just searched and apparently this race was her last, her boyfriend was into airplanes and the legend says they made a pact that upon marrying she would give up racing cars and he would give up flying. Tough lady!
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Enzo Ferrari and Gilles Villeneuve having a laugh with a bottle of wine.
Teammates and close friends, Francois Cevert and Jackie Stewart being humored in the Zandvoort pits.
Jochen Rindt and wife Nina looking afar while charting down times.
A pair of world champions, Graham Hill in his BRM looks on as mechanics looks over Damon's miniature Lotus.
Teammates and close friends, Francois Cevert and Jackie Stewart being humored in the Zandvoort pits.
Jochen Rindt and wife Nina looking afar while charting down times.
A pair of world champions, Graham Hill in his BRM looks on as mechanics looks over Damon's miniature Lotus.
Dotini
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The pic identified as Louis Rosier in a 250F is incorrect.The 1950s In Colour
1950 British Grand Prix
Juan Manuel Fangio
Alfa Romeo 158
1954 Spanish Grand Prix
Louis Rosier
Maserati 250F
1958 Monegasque Grand Prix
Graham Hill
Lotus 12
1957 Monegasque Grand Prix
Juan Manuel Fangio
Maserati 250F
1959 German Grand Prix
The car is a Lancia, and the driver, I think, is Ascari.
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Dotini
(Banned)
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It is! He qualified on the front row, battled for 3rd behind Moss and Fangio, which became 2nd after Fangio dropped out. But on lap 81 Moss's car belched clouds of blue smoke, slowed down and stopped, creating a sensation from the spectators. Evidently distracted by the crowd, Ascari came out of the tunnel and made a mistake at the chicane. He slid right though some cosmetic hay bales and sandbags, and straight into the harbor, creating a cloud of steam! Ascari popped up after a moment, suffering only minor injuries. Maurice Trintignant in an aging Ferrari won from Castellotti in another Lancia D50.
I had a model of that car when I was a boy. It was very distinctive with those blended in side tanks. It had a great-sounding, advanced V-8 which I believe was a stressed member of the innovative chassis. Ferrari took over development of the car when Lancia dropped out of racing following the disaster at LeMans.
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Well spotted, stupid me for not realizing Rosier never drove a D50.
It is. The number is correct for that race and he is wearing the light blue helmet he was so supersticious about and not using (because leather strap under repair damaged by water) when he crashed and died at Monza, only 4 days after this picture.
It's interesting to notice how these guys were so different from F1 drivers of today. They were older, experienced drivers, clearly not as sharp in their reflexes as a youngster, but in those days experience and maturity was far more important I guess. Probably a young guy with boiling blood back then would never survive a full season.
It is. The number is correct for that race and he is wearing the light blue helmet he was so supersticious about and not using (because leather strap under repair damaged by water) when he crashed and died at Monza, only 4 days after this picture.
It's interesting to notice how these guys were so different from F1 drivers of today. They were older, experienced drivers, clearly not as sharp in their reflexes as a youngster, but in those days experience and maturity was far more important I guess. Probably a young guy with boiling blood back then would never survive a full season.
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Amended. 👍
Mercedes-Benz W196
Comparing the normal car to the streamlined 'Monza' version, the streamliner looks more like a sports car than a formula car. Rules must have been more flexible at the time.
1954 British Grand Prix
1955 British Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio
1955 Italian Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio; Stirling Moss; Piero Taruffi; Karl Kling
Interesting to see that Mercedes-Benz ran four cars but two streamliners and two open-wheelers.
Cano
Premium
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1970, Lions Drag Strip. "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' Swamp Rat XIII Top Fuel dragster literally explodes in haf due to a failure in its experimental 2-speed transmission. The explosion basically cut off Garlits' right foot.
While in his hospital bed, Garlits designed a mid-rear engine Dragster that he would go on to build (some of it while in his wheelchair) and race the following season.
There had been previous attempts at a rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, but none of them sucessful. Gartlis' car, on the other hand, was revolutionary, he destroyed the NHRA e.t. record with it and upped the mph record, too, all the while winning like 3 championships with the thing. The whole Top Fuel world switched to the Garlits-inspired design within a year.
While in his hospital bed, Garlits designed a mid-rear engine Dragster that he would go on to build (some of it while in his wheelchair) and race the following season.
There had been previous attempts at a rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, but none of them sucessful. Gartlis' car, on the other hand, was revolutionary, he destroyed the NHRA e.t. record with it and upped the mph record, too, all the while winning like 3 championships with the thing. The whole Top Fuel world switched to the Garlits-inspired design within a year.
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- marco89IT
Great thread, stunning photos and stories.
1968 French Grand Prix, Rouen
Before the start: Graham Hill (Lotus Ford 49), 9th on the grid
Front row: Jochen Rindt (Brabham Repco BT26), Jackie Stewart (Matra Ford Cosworth V8) and Jacky Ickx (Ferrari 312 V12), the pole-sitter.
During 1968 Honda developed an experimental Formula 1 car, the RA302, air-cooled and with a magnesium body. But John Surtees, works Honda driver, refused to drive it reckoning it was a "potential deathtrap". Surtees continued to race the 1968 season with the previous car, the RA301. Finally, with financial support from Honda France, the RA302 made its debut at the French GP. Local driver Jo Schlesser was at the wheel, with the number 18. For Schlesser, Rouen was only the 3rd race of his F1 career.
During the 2nd lap of the race, Schlesser lost control and crashed sideways into a bank, catching fire. Being only the 2nd lap, fuel tanks were filled. The huge amount of petrol and the magnesium chassis gave no chance of survival to Schlesser.
The event continued, at some point it started to rain. Here Jo Siffert spots Graham Hill through the spray and stops to ask for a new dry visor. Hill was stationary because of a technical problem, and gives a gesture of agreement. Meanwhile on the right of the picture, it's John Surtees going by in the N°16 Honda, which finished 2nd with the old car. Ickx (Ferrari) won the race.
Hill helps fitting the new visor to Siffert's helmet. Next to the front tyre, on the grass, there's Hill's helmet with its unmistakeable design, also used by his son Damon.
The 1968 race was the last F1 race to take place at Rouen.
John Surtees never changed his mind that year, refusing again to drive the RA302 Honda in Monza. At the end of the 1968 season, Honda pulled out from Formula 1.
1968 French Grand Prix, Rouen
Before the start: Graham Hill (Lotus Ford 49), 9th on the grid
Front row: Jochen Rindt (Brabham Repco BT26), Jackie Stewart (Matra Ford Cosworth V8) and Jacky Ickx (Ferrari 312 V12), the pole-sitter.
During 1968 Honda developed an experimental Formula 1 car, the RA302, air-cooled and with a magnesium body. But John Surtees, works Honda driver, refused to drive it reckoning it was a "potential deathtrap". Surtees continued to race the 1968 season with the previous car, the RA301. Finally, with financial support from Honda France, the RA302 made its debut at the French GP. Local driver Jo Schlesser was at the wheel, with the number 18. For Schlesser, Rouen was only the 3rd race of his F1 career.
During the 2nd lap of the race, Schlesser lost control and crashed sideways into a bank, catching fire. Being only the 2nd lap, fuel tanks were filled. The huge amount of petrol and the magnesium chassis gave no chance of survival to Schlesser.
The event continued, at some point it started to rain. Here Jo Siffert spots Graham Hill through the spray and stops to ask for a new dry visor. Hill was stationary because of a technical problem, and gives a gesture of agreement. Meanwhile on the right of the picture, it's John Surtees going by in the N°16 Honda, which finished 2nd with the old car. Ickx (Ferrari) won the race.
Hill helps fitting the new visor to Siffert's helmet. Next to the front tyre, on the grass, there's Hill's helmet with its unmistakeable design, also used by his son Damon.
The 1968 race was the last F1 race to take place at Rouen.
John Surtees never changed his mind that year, refusing again to drive the RA302 Honda in Monza. At the end of the 1968 season, Honda pulled out from Formula 1.
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Two truly iconic photos of one of the greatest David vs. Goliath wars in motorsports.
"David" being Ferrari (funny how perceptions changed after only a few decades) and "Goliath" being Ford.
LE MANS 1966 - FORD 1st, 2nd and 3rd. And they take the photo finish (with curious consequences) so it becomes clear just how crushing their victory was.
couple of months later ...
DAYTONA 1967 - FERRARI 1, 2 and 3. And their photo finish reply, in style (pity there's no color version available).
In the end, Ferrari lost this war, but the way they managed to withstand it and honorably engage it, delivering a few important blows to Ford on the way, became just another part of the entire Ferrari (and Enzo) legend.
Just a snippet of this affair:
By Louis Galanos, in http://www.sportscardigest.com/1967-24-hours-of-daytona-race-profile/
The year 1966 was not a good year for Enzo Ferrari. Ford beat Ferrari with a humiliating 1-2-3 finish at both Daytona and Sebring and for the first time in six years they lost, again to Ford, at the Holy Grail of endurance racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
With the 1966 World Sportscar Championship (WSC) trophy solidly in Ford hands many were predicting that the ten-year dominance of Ferrari cars in endurance racing had come to an end. Many believed the much talked about and much written about three-year-long Ford – Ferrari War was being won by Henry Ford II and his mega buck program would bring Ferrari to its knees.
Not everyone in the racing community was happy with this turn of events. Stirling Moss, at the time a retired world driving champion, commented: “…he’s (Enzo Ferrari) a true racing manufacturer… It’s sad to see a man like this beaten by a big company, especially when you realize their (Ford’s) decision to race is really just another marketing decision.”
Not long after the defeat at Le Mans the Ferrari engineers went to work to analyze what went wrong, to correct it and bring Ferrari back into the winner’s circle in 1967 and avenge their loss of honor at the hands of Ford.
This was no small task for unlike Ford the folks at Ferrari had a lot on their plate and, as one of the smallest auto manufacturers in the world, limited resources. Not only were they building prototype cars for the WSC but they were also building Formula 1 cars, developing a V6 Formula 2 racer, the Dino 206GT and turning out their vaunted V12 production cars. Added to these burdens were labor unrest and parts shortages. As a result they often would enter only one or two factory cars in endurance events to compete with six or more Ford prototypes.
To get back on the winning track for 1967, the 68-year-old Enzo Ferrari gave Mauro Forghieri, Technical Director at Ferrari’s Racing Department, a relatively free hand in developing what would become one of the great racing cars from this era.
to keep reading go to http://www.sportscardigest.com/1967-24-hours-of-daytona-race-profile/
"David" being Ferrari (funny how perceptions changed after only a few decades) and "Goliath" being Ford.
LE MANS 1966 - FORD 1st, 2nd and 3rd. And they take the photo finish (with curious consequences) so it becomes clear just how crushing their victory was.
couple of months later ...
DAYTONA 1967 - FERRARI 1, 2 and 3. And their photo finish reply, in style (pity there's no color version available).
In the end, Ferrari lost this war, but the way they managed to withstand it and honorably engage it, delivering a few important blows to Ford on the way, became just another part of the entire Ferrari (and Enzo) legend.
Just a snippet of this affair:
By Louis Galanos, in http://www.sportscardigest.com/1967-24-hours-of-daytona-race-profile/
The year 1966 was not a good year for Enzo Ferrari. Ford beat Ferrari with a humiliating 1-2-3 finish at both Daytona and Sebring and for the first time in six years they lost, again to Ford, at the Holy Grail of endurance racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
With the 1966 World Sportscar Championship (WSC) trophy solidly in Ford hands many were predicting that the ten-year dominance of Ferrari cars in endurance racing had come to an end. Many believed the much talked about and much written about three-year-long Ford – Ferrari War was being won by Henry Ford II and his mega buck program would bring Ferrari to its knees.
Not everyone in the racing community was happy with this turn of events. Stirling Moss, at the time a retired world driving champion, commented: “…he’s (Enzo Ferrari) a true racing manufacturer… It’s sad to see a man like this beaten by a big company, especially when you realize their (Ford’s) decision to race is really just another marketing decision.”
Not long after the defeat at Le Mans the Ferrari engineers went to work to analyze what went wrong, to correct it and bring Ferrari back into the winner’s circle in 1967 and avenge their loss of honor at the hands of Ford.
This was no small task for unlike Ford the folks at Ferrari had a lot on their plate and, as one of the smallest auto manufacturers in the world, limited resources. Not only were they building prototype cars for the WSC but they were also building Formula 1 cars, developing a V6 Formula 2 racer, the Dino 206GT and turning out their vaunted V12 production cars. Added to these burdens were labor unrest and parts shortages. As a result they often would enter only one or two factory cars in endurance events to compete with six or more Ford prototypes.
To get back on the winning track for 1967, the 68-year-old Enzo Ferrari gave Mauro Forghieri, Technical Director at Ferrari’s Racing Department, a relatively free hand in developing what would become one of the great racing cars from this era.
to keep reading go to http://www.sportscardigest.com/1967-24-hours-of-daytona-race-profile/
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Yes, another contemporary setting but certainly a unique one.
1993 Spanish Grand Prix
The only time Prost, Senna and Schumacher shared the podium. As well, a record 14 (total) World Championships are on this one podium. One for the trivia thread.
1993 Spanish Grand Prix
The only time Prost, Senna and Schumacher shared the podium. As well, a record 14 (total) World Championships are on this one podium. One for the trivia thread.
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- 12,122
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- CARBOYXJR
You're right, apologies - can be identified through the lack of side vents.
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Walter Rohrl in the Audi Quattro catches air over a ridge, into a sea of humanity at Portugal.
Ari Vatanen sliding his Peugeot 205 in the snow to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1985.
The Lancia 037 of Markku Alen though the narrow roads of Corsica in the 1984 Tour de Corse.
Michele Mouton and Fabrizia Pons celebrate on top of their Audi Quattro after winning the Sanremo Rally in 1981, the first all-women team to win in a World Rally Championship event.
Ari Vatanen sliding his Peugeot 205 in the snow to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1985.
The Lancia 037 of Markku Alen though the narrow roads of Corsica in the 1984 Tour de Corse.
Michele Mouton and Fabrizia Pons celebrate on top of their Audi Quattro after winning the Sanremo Rally in 1981, the first all-women team to win in a World Rally Championship event.
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