[Trisha]

Group C at the Norisring.

 

[mickey thumbs]

Was the fire suit a precaution for marshaling the Howmet turbine?

 

[Trisha]

Colin Crabbe's magnificent W125 in the paddock at VSCC July Silverstone circa 50 years ago.

 

[chappyman66]

We do indeed live in a golden age.

I have thought this, slot-wise, for the last ten years. The number and variety of good models and cars over the last 20 years is astounding. The first boom was maybe 5 years. Home racing has boomed for longer.

And yes, 3DP has provided me with cars I would never have otherwise. There is no doubt we are in a golden age.

 

[chappyman66]

And yes....the decade from 1961 to 1971 saw tremendous evolution, especially in tire and engine performance as well as the rise of aero.

A unique era? Absolutely. The only era of evolution? Hardly.

 

[mickey thumbs]

The picture of the 60s era firesuit by Trisha reminded me of the debt all racers owe to pioneer safety inventor Bill Simpson. He introduced parachutes to drag racing, Nomex to drivers suits and several other devices to the sport. He knew how to get your attention at product demos, obviously!

 

[chappyman66]

Many drivers were lost to fire as well as accidents. Simpson certainly helped.

Jim Downing (who also used Mazda rotory engines) helped to develop and bring to market the HANS device, which also contributes to driver safety.

Sadly, neither would have helped Bonnier or Clark.

 

[Trisha]

An ERA yarn

Below, Hamish Moffatt in R3A, a car he 'procured' from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe today) at a time that it was illegal to take anything out of that country. There were government-imposed restrictions on currency and goods, which Hamish knew only too well.

All his life Hamish harboured loathing for authority and the pettiness of bureaucracy, and swept both aside with contempt and tinged laughter. If Rhodesia wouldn't allow him to bring the car back to Blighty legally, he would do it the 'correct' way - the Moffatt way.

He drove it down a dusty road at very high speed, dodged border guards with his customary degree of driving skill, and kept his foot down all the way to freedom...

 

[Trisha]

From the Castrol Achievements' pamphlet, 1962.

 

[Gripping Pneus]

Runs on oil? Much like the 2019 F1 Ferrari engine then. I thought they would have used JP2 or similar.

 

[beardy56]

Been taking lessens from SAAB, didn't know two-stroke engines were allowed in F1

 

[David Lawson]

From the April edition of MotorSport magazine.

Jim Clark and John Surtees drive their Lotus 18s to the Riverside track for the 1960 United States Grand Prix.

David

 

[anddelanyno20]

You gotta love these pics ,of a world that at least then .didn't take everything so bloody seriously,and people wonder why everyone has a soft spot for vintage racing,and the way it was back then,I think this picture tells you everything you need to know

 

[David Lawson]

Alan - it was a different world back then wasn't it. I love the licence plate tucked into the gearbox cover.

David

 

[anddelanyno20]

Thinking outside the box you could say

 

[beardy56]

Difference is that the pits have gone from being just a place that you worked on the car, if needed, while it was on track to a full garage/workshop. Back then if you needed a garage you had to hire/borrow/steal on away from the track, Le Mans being the best example of this or just work in the open field that would be the paddock and hope the weather stayed fine.

 

[Trisha]

Roy Pierpoint's Big Ford reduced to rubble, 1968.

 

[Trisha]

Lucien Bianchi successfully extinguishing a fire under the bonnet of his Cortina in 1968.

 

[Trisha]

Kenyan, Tommy Fjastad, en route to winning the Safari Rally, 1962. Scalextric made a rather nice model of this car.

 

[Trisha]

Streamlined W196 Mercs in prep for Reims, 1954. They finished first and second - very easily.