Monopod Edition 02

MONOPOD AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, ART AND CULTURE

EDITION 02

Austin Sixteen Tour of Europe | 6 Hours of Silverstone | Phoenix Indycars Vintage Sports Car Club | Les Grandes Heures Montlhéry

Front cover: Justin Maeers (1926 GN Parker) Cadwell Park, UK 2017. Image: Philip Newsome

MONOPOD AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, ART AND CULTURE

Edition 02 Autumn 2017

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Editor’s letter

T

hey say that variety is the spice of life and if you believe in that maxim then we are optimistic that you will enjoy this second edition of Monopod. Our twin passions of photography and cars continue to guide us and we are delighted to bring you an eclectic mixture of subjects. These range from a Tour around seven European capitals in a 1947 Austin Sixteen to the all-American dream of Indycars racing in the arid Arizona desert.

It is probably no exaggeration to say that the more photographs you take the better your pictures get. Henri Cartier-Bresson once observed “Your first 1,000 photographs are your worst.” This statement was made a time when film was a relatively precious commodity and photographers did not enjoy the ability of modern storage cards to absorb and store high resolution images in astonishing numbers. Back in Cartier-Bresson’s time, taking photographs was, by necessity, a much more considered exercise and it simply wasn’t feasibe to rattle off endless images. I remember back in the days of film, going to motorsport events and shooting roll after roll and then afterwards waiting for the developed film to return from the processor. When it came to panning cars at speed I would estimate my hit rate must have been somewhere in the region of 20%. The shutter speed would either be too slow, resulting in everything being blurred, or too fast leading to a complete absence of any sense of speed. Almost as bad was finding that the focal length of the lens was either too short or too long. Digital photography, combined with a dogged persistence to learn and improve, has undoubtedly transformed my photography in this regard. The ability to screen one’s shots immediately after taking them permits the luxury of fine-tuning that all-important cocktail of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. I know that many professionals, driven perhaps by the commercial imperative to deliver publishable images, choose to crank up the motor drive when panning and so end up with seven or eight images, one of which must be ok. Personally speaking, I still prefer to take one shot at a time of each passing car, if only so I don’t have to edit hundreds of images afterwards. I guess it is something to do with still wishing to adhere to the classic ‘decisive moment’ philosophy. It is of course entirely possible that if he were alive today and found himself at a motor race, the aforementioned Henri Cartier-Bresson, chief advocate of the ‘decisive moment’, would be making the most of modern technology and he too would be carpet bombing passing cars. I do like to think though that he wouldn’t and instead would be taking carefully considered individual images.

Philip Newsome

Historic Vehicle Rally, Newby Hall, Yorkshire. Image: Richard Holmes

MONOPOD EDITOR Philip Newsome

FIND US ONLINE monopodmagazine.com instagram.com/monopodmagazine

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Guy Loveridge

SAY HELLO hello@monopodmagazine.com

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Siobhan Owen

GRAPHIC DESIGN Images Automotives hello@imagesautomotives.com

EDITORIAL BOARD William Furniss Tim Beavis Teddy Yip

PUBLISHER Blue Flag Press Ltd Level 19, Two International Finance Centre 8 Finance Street Central Hong Kong Edition 02 Autumn 2017

Cover photo: Philip Newsome

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher for errors or omissions, and in particular no responsibility can be accepted for the quality of goods and services supplied by advertisers, prices quoted or printers’ errors. All material, unless specifically stated otherwise is copyright of Blue Flag Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part either electronially or conventionally without the permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

ISSN 2518-6957

The bright lights of London, 2016. Image: Riccardo Casa

Prescott Vintage Speed Hillclimb, 2017. Image: Philip Newsome

TABLE OF CONTENTS 10

AUSTIN SIXTEEN 70th ANNIVERSARY TOUR OF EUROPE

60 6 HOURS OF SILVERSTONE 82 DESERT DIAMOND WEST VALLEY GRAND PRIX 104 AUTOGRAMMER 106 VINTAGE SPORTS CAR CLUB 124 LES GRANDES HEURES AUTOMOBILES

AUSTIN SIXTEEN 70th ANNIVERSARY TOUR OF EUROPE SEVEN CAPITALS IN SEVEN DAYS, MARCH 2017

Words and Images: Philip Newsome

I

n March 1947, the Austin Motor Company sent three Austin Sixteen motor cars on an audacious and seemingly impossible trip, namely to cover over 2,500 miles in just seven days and nights, visiting seven European capital cities and arriving in Geneva for the world’s first post World War Two motor show. The event was co-ordinated by Alan C Hess, the Austin PR officer and amongst the crews of those original three cars were representatives of Fox Photos, Reuters, British Movietone News and a certain Sydney Charles Houghton “Sammy” Davis., one of the legendary ‘Bentley Boys’ and winner of the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans race with Dudley Benjafield.

The European tour was a total success and led to Austin’s sales dominance in Europe for a number of years. Hess documented the adventure in his book Gullible’s Travels.

On the 70th Anniversary of that event, a single Austin Sixteen, specially prepared to be as close in specification to the original three cars, repeated the feat following the original route and time frame as closely as possible. The crew of this commemorative event was led by well known motoring historian and commentator Guy Loveridge together with TV and radio presenter, Steve Berry and myself recording the whole proceedings for posterity. The car was prepared by Jeff Marshall of Fins ‘n’ Chrome and Ian Kellett of IK Classics. Jeff also drove the Jaguar F Pace support vehicle throughout the trip.

Perhaps the most incredible part of the whole trip was not that the Austin performed admirably or that we were able to complete the trip but that after it was all over the four of us were still friends. It was an adventure each one of us will remember with great fondness for a very long time.

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March 8th/9th Emley to Hamburg.

The adventure begins with a drive from Emley, Yorkshire to Newcastle to board the overnight DFDS ferry to Amsterdam.

A misty morning greeted us followed by torrential rain all the way to our first stop in Hamburg.

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Heavy rain, combined with the German autobahn’s notoriously high speeds and heavy traffic, (this spread and overleaf) proved to be early tests. The venerable Sixteen literally, and to some extent metaphorically, sailed through both with flying colours.

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March 10/11th, Hamburg to Oslo via Copenhagen.

We awoke to much better weather and were able to enjoy the beautiful ride though the stunning countryside of the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany onwards to Copenhagen to catch our overnight ferry to Oslo.

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The sun begins to set as we sail out of Copenhagen for the overnight crossing to Oslo.

March 11/12th, Oslo.

The Sixteen is pictured on the same quayside where the orginal cars were unloaded from the Jupiter seventy years earlier.

Overleaf, The full crew assemble in Oslo (L-R) Philip, Guy, Steve and Jeff. On the morning of our departure we stopped by the Continental Hotel where, back in 1947, the original crew members had stayed.

March 13th, Oslo to Stockholm.

On a cold wintry morning Per F. Hetty, Vice President of the Royal Automobile Club of Norway, waved us off on the official start of our adventure outside the original site of Erik Winter’s Austin showroom in the centre of Oslo.

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Progress was excellent along the relatively quiet Scandanavian roads. A variety of roadside objets d’art kept us amused, including a series of SAAB aircraft on the approaches to their factory at LinkÜping.

Overleaf, on occasions the roads were so quiet that we were the only vehicles visible in either direction.

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“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”

Jack Kerouac, On the Road

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March 14th, Stockholm to Copenhagen.

The Sixteen is dwarfed by the mighty Øresund bridge straddling the Øresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark. It is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe and connects the two major metropolitan areas of Copenhagen and Malmö.

On a beautiful spring evening the Sixteen blasts along the Ă˜resund bridge and then on through Denmark to its capital Copenhagen, a city we had left by boat some four days earlier.

March 15th, Copenhagen to Amsterdam.

The miles began to build up as we made our way to Amsterdam.

Stops for replenishing oil, as well as a variety of other roadside repairs, became an increasingly common occurrence.

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March 16th, Amsterdam to Brussels.

An early morning glow greets us as we head out of Amsterdam towards Belgium, all the time consulting Alan Hess’ text to make sure we are following the original route as closely as possible (opposite) and, of course, modern day maps (above).

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March 17th, Brussels to Paris.

An important stop en route was the historic Belgian city of Mons, scene of the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in WWI. Locals insist that rubbing the City Hall’s famous Brass Monkey will provide good luck and possibly even grant wishes.

Overleaf, there were times when the view through my lens made me feel that we were actually back in 1947, taking part in the original event.

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Final stop before Paris was the stunning Cathedral town of Laon.

The cathedral (opposite) is one of the most important examples of Gothic architecture from the 12th and 13th centuries, earlier than Notre-Dame and ranking with it in importance.

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March 18th, Paris to Lausanne via Berne.

Unfortunately we were unable to drive into the heart of Paris as originally intended due to newly-introduced restrictions on old cars entering the city. We therefore headed south towards our final capital city, Berne.

Rolling countryside took us closer to our alpine crossing into Switzerland, a route sprinkled with classic tunnels through the mountains (overleaf).

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Mission accomplished. Guy applies the Swiss flag in recognition of the fact that we had made it all the way to Bern, on time and in one piece.

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March 19th, Lausanne to Stäfa.

Situated on Lake Geneva, Lausanne faces the Jura mountain range, a glorious sight to greet us on Sunday morning. The mountains provided a stunning backdrop for the early part of our drive to Stäfa.

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The small town of Stäfa on the north shore of Lake Zßrich. There we would enjoy the warm hospitality of Armin Peter, an avid Jaguar fan only too pleased to show us his highly impressive collection.

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March 20th, Stäfa to Châlons-en-Champagne.

We were now beginning the long journey back home, taking the opportunity along the way to visit the well known Cité de l’Automobile in Mulhouse. This mightily impressive facility is built around the Schlumpf Collection of classic automobiles including the most comprehensive collection of Bugatti motor vehicles anywhere in the world.

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March 21st, Châlons-en-Champagne to Emley.

The longest day of driving on the whole trip, over 500 miles, would be this, the final day. Once again, we welcomed the opportunity to make a small side visit, this time to the superbly evocative pit boxes and stands of the former Reims-Gueux circuit located 7.5 km west of Reims in the Champagne region of north-eastern France. The circuit became famous for being one of the fastest of the era for its two long straights (approximately 2.2 km in length each) allowing maximum straight-line speed, resulting in many famous slipstreaming battles.

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Our final, and perhaps most meaningful stop of all, was here at one of the many military cemeteries dotted around northern France. It holds French, British and German dead. These soldiers, the vast majority of whom were killed in 1914, rest together in peace.

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6 HOURS

OF SILVERSTONE SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, APRIL 2017 Words: Philip Newsome

Images: Philip Newsome and Siobhan Owen

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S

ilverstone is rightly considered to be one of the world’s great race tracks. It is up there with Europe’s other Grandes Dames namely Spa, Monza, Monaco and Le Mans, each one with its own particular character. Silverstone in springtime is a place for the racing aficionado, situated as it is in the flat plains of middle England, a former WWII airforce base. The layout has changed gradually down the years but it retains an openness, big skies and constantly changing weather patterns. Never more so than in April, the traditional date for the classic 6 Hours of Silverstone. Formerly known as the 1000 km of Silverstone, this race was first run in 1976 as part of the World Sportscar Championship and continues to this day as a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass still hold the record for the most victories, having won the race four times in 1977, 1978, 1984 and 1985.

Since 2013, the RAC Tourist Trophy has been awarded to the winners of the event. The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy was first awarded in 1905 to John Napier driving an Arrol-Johnston following a 6-hour race on the Isle of Man and at 112 years old it is the world’s oldest motorsport trophy still being contested. The race has taken numerous forms throughout the years, across many illustrious racing series and on a variety of circuits. It continues to grow in prestige and historic importance with each passing year.

In 2013, the 6 Hours of Silverstone became the season opener for the World Endurance Championship season and for the first time the Tourist Trophy was awarded to the overall winners. That 2013 race was won by Tom Kristensen, Loic Duval and Allan McNish in an Audi R18 e-tron quattro, the first time Audi’s name appeared on the Tourist Trophy roll of honour.

2014 winners were Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Lapierre in a Toyota TS040, also the first time Toyota claimed the Tourist Trophy. 2015 saw Marcel Fässler, Benoit Tréluyer and André Lotterer take home the silverware, once more in the R18 e-tron quattro. In 2016 it was Porsche’s turn to add their name to the list of winners when Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb took victory.

Of current manufacturers Ferrari has won the Tourist Trophy six times, Aston Martin five times, Audi and Ford both have three victories each with Porsche and Toyota on one win apiece. As far as individual drivers are concerned, Sir Stirling Moss has won the Tourist Trophy more than any other driver, seven times in all, twice each for Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar and once for Mercedes-Benz.

2017 would see only two of the major manufacturers, Porsche and Toyota contesting the top flight LMP1 class, Audi having withdrawn the previous year. They would be joined by one ByKolles Racing car. However, LMP2 entries, as well as those in the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am classes were much healthier and a total of 27 cars would make up the grid on a typically chilly, blustery day in Northamptonshire.

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Sebastien Buemi (centre), watched by his Toyota teammates Kazuki Nakajima and Anthony Davidson, makes a young fan very happy.

Bruno Senna’s signature was much sought after by his legion of fans.

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Under a leaden sky, 27 cars roared through Abbey to officially begin the 2017 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The two Toyota Gazoo TS050 cars, appearing in high downforce configuration, were viewed by many pundits to be favourites. With Mike Conway already up the road, teammate Sebastien Buemi in the #7 Toyota (above) holds off the two Porsche 919 Hybrids of reigning World Champion Neel Jani #1 and Brendon Hartley #2.

Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and WEC debutant José María López (right) sign autographs for fans in the Silverstone paddock.

Following the retirement of Mark Webber, 2015 Le Mans winner Earl Bamber (left) joined fellow New Zealander Brendon Hartley in the #2 Porsche 919. They would, together with teammate Timo Bernhard, finish a mere six seconds adrift of the winning Toyota after 6 hours of racing.

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The #1 Porsche hustles its way past #86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911RSR. The German marque had been a major force in the series since its return in 2014. However, some three months after this opening race of the season Porsche announced that it would be ending its successful LMP1 hybrid programme. This had yielded two WEC titles and three straight Le Mans 24 Hour wins and saw Porsche become the latest manufacturer to turn its back on the highest level of prototype racing in favour of Formula E.

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Backed by legendary Hollywood film star Jackie Chan, the eponymous Jackie Chan DC Racing Team was a revelation taking a memorable fourth place overall and a clear victory in the LMP2 category ahead of the Vaillante Rebellion.

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British racer Oliver Jarvis enjoyed a successful single seater career before making the move to endurance racing in 2012, finishing 3rd at Le Mans and 3rd at the 6 hours of Spa in both 2012 and 2013, as well as winning both the Sebring 12 hours and Daytona 24 hour races in 2013. In 2015, he was promoted to replace the legendary Tom Kristensen in the World Endurance Championship for Audi Sport, alongside teammates Loic Duval and Lucas di Grassi. The trio finished second in last year’s World Championship.

Following Audi’s withdrawal from the World Championship at the end of last season he signed up for a full season of racing with the newly formed Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 team run by Jota Sport.

Jarvis and his teammates Ho-Ping Tung and Thomas Laurent finished a fine fourth in this race (previous page) claiming victory in the LMP2 category in the process. A few weeks after Silverstone, the three of them would go on to make history at Le Mans by being the first LMP2 car ever to lead the race outright eventually finishing second overall and of course first in class.

Andy Priaulx is a past European Touring Car champion and three times World Touring Car champion, being the only FIA Touring Car driver to win an international-level championship for four consecutive years (2004 to 2007). The previous record was held by Roberto Ravaglia who won three successive championships between1986 and1988.

In December 2015, it was announced that Priaulx had parted ways with BMW after a 13-year stint with the German manufacturer to join Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK for their upcoming debut in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season. Along with teammates Harry Tincknell and Luis Felipe Derani, Priaulx took a GTE Pro class win (overleaf) in a closely contested battle with Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin.

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Andy Priaulx’s Ford GT #67 is hounded during the early stages of the race by Nicki Thiim in the Aston Martin Vantage #95. The Ford would go on to take a fine class victory.

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Despite the characteristically cold damp Silverstone conditions, people young and old were determined to enjoy themselves. Held over the Easter weekend, the event attracted more than its fair share of leporine creatures (opposite).

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Close quarter action between cars of different classes characterises World Endurance Championship racing (above).

Sebastien Buemi (opposite) secured the overall race win for himself and teammates Kazuki Nakajima and Anthony Davidson late in the Silverstone race with a pass on Brendon Hartley’s Porsche. The high-downforce Toyotas dominated qualifying, but Porsche proved closer on race pace.

Hartley kept close enough to the #8 Toyota in the closing stages to emerge with an eight-second advantage when he took onboard only enough fuel for his final stint, but he was powerless to hold off Buemi on fresher tyres on the run-in. The Swiss driver forced his way through at The Loop with twelve minutes to go, and went on to win by a little over six seconds.

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“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”

Karl Lagerfeld

Tom Kristensen, 1991 Macau Grand Prix. Image: Philip Newsome

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JR Hildebrand sits patiently in pitlane, the desert setting providing a unique backdrop. The Californian would go on to finish a fine third in the race.

DESERT DIAMOND WEST VALLEY GRAND PRIX PHOENIX RACEWAY, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, APRIL 2017 Words and Images: Philip Newsome

F

rank Sinatra once declared Jimmy Webb’s ballad By the time I get to Phoenix to be the greatest lounge song ever written. However, by the time I got to Phoenix I was tired, listless and a little disoriented after a flight from London to Miami (a flight I almost missed) followed by what seemed a lifetime in a rickety Boeing 737 surrounded by McD munching businessmen. I woke the following morning to clear blue skies and the Phoenix Mountain Reserve in the distance. Out there, somewhere in the baking desert, was a short oval racetrack.

Phoenix’s relationship with motorsport goes back to 1915 with the creation of a dirt track oval circuit in the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The track hosted AAA National Championship and USAC National Championship races that year and then in the years immediately after WWII. In an attempt to promote the city to the wider world, Phoenix somehow contrived to host the Formula One United States Grand Prix between 1989 and 1991. The three races, held on the city’s downtown streets, yielded wins for the McLaren Hondas of Alan Prost (’89) and Ayrton Senna (‘90 and ’91), not a bad legacy by any means, enhanced by Phoenix native Eddie Cheever finishing third behind Prost. In typical F1 fashion the event was unceremoniously dropped and never again saw the light of day.

The Phoenix Raceway was built in 1964 and is a one mile (1.022 to be precise) low-banked oval situated in the Avondale suburb. Apart from Indycars the track hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year. Set in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, it is a somewhat surreal venue, dust swirls in the air and huge cacti are everywhere on the hills overlooking the circuit. It wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Lone Ranger and Tonto rocked up to watch proceedings before a ‘High ho Silver’ saw them take off and disappear into the far blue yonder.

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The American Dream

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Ed Carpenter attacks Turn One during qualifying.

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Arizona is cowboy country through and through, the deserts in the southern part of the state making it a prime location for the filming of countless westerns. Monument Hill (opposite) overlooking the Raceway is a favourite amongst fans. Long before the raceway existed this spot was the original land survey point for all of what later became the state of Arizona. The Saguaro cacti native to these parts can grow over 70 feet tall. They have a long lifespan often exceeding 150 years and may grow their first side arm any time from 75 to 100 years of age. These arms are are developed to increase the plant’s reproductive capacity, more arms lead to more flowers and fruit.

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Almost every Indycar event features racecars from the past and Phoenix was no different. Star attractions included the Lotus 56 Turbine Indycar driven by Joe Leonard in the 1968 Indy 500 (above) and Roberto Guerrero’s 1987 Indy 500 March Cosworth 87C (below, right).

Mario Andretti (opposite) was also in attendance watching his grandson Marco. One of only two drivers to have won in Formula One, Indycars, World Sportscar Championship and Nascar (the other being Dan Gurney) Andretti was the last American driver to win a Formula One race. This was the 1978 Dutch GP, the year he won the F1 World Championship.

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The USAC Silver Crown Championship race (above and opposite) was won by #22 Bobby Santos ahead of his main championship rival Kody Swanson #63. These extraordinary machines are the latest incarnation of a particularly American tradition dating back to the early 1930s.

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Resplendent in their flame-proof suits, Scott Dixon’s pit crew get down to business under the blazing Arizona sunshine.

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Frenchman SĂŠbastien Bourdais (above and opposite) is one of the most successful drivers in the history of American Championship car racing, winning four successive Champ Car World Series championships from 2004 to 2007.

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Hélio Castroneves (above) grabbed pole position with a new lap record of 37.7 seconds. This translates into an average speed of 194.905 mph, quite staggering on such a short oval (overleaf). To put this into context, the current NASCAR qualifying record is held by Jimmie Johnson and stands at a ‘mere’ 146 mph.

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Simon Pagenaud (above and opposite) scored the 10th Indycar win of his career and the 189th for Team Penske. Teammate Will Power came second nine seconds adrift with Ed Carpenter completing the podium. The win notched a pair of additional milestones for Team Penske. It was the team’s 450th race win in all categories and its 100th oval track win.

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Autogrammer Hong Kong instagram.com/monopodmagazine

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ong Kong, a city renowned the world over for its excesses and its occasional dubious taste. Less famous perhaps is a passion for classic cars ranging from the lowly Mini up to extreme exotica. These images showcase cars that are seen every day on the streets of this former British colony, the quintessential East meets West backdrop.

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E

stablished in 1934 by Tim Carson and Tom Rolt to promote the pastime of motoring, the VSCC was created in order to allow the “not so rich� to enjoy historic motoring. General guidelines written at the time admitted cars built before 1931. These guidelines have pretty much remained in force since then although cars built before the Second World War (but conforming to standards set in 1931) are also allowed. Active in every aspect of motoring and motorsport for pre-war cars, the VSCC is one of the largest and best-regarded motoring clubs in the world. It organises some 40 social and competitive events a year all over the UK, including race meetings, hill climbs, sprints, road rallies, trials and driving tests.

THE VINTAGE SPORTS CAR CLUB

Words: Philip Newsome

Images: Philip Newsome and Siobhan Owen

Prescott, 2017. Image: Siobhan Owen

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Cadwell Park, 2016. Image: Philip Newsome

Cadwell Park

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et in England’s rolling Lincolnshire Wolds, Cadwell Park has often been described as a mini Nßrburgring. It is easy to see why. Nestling in verdant woodland, its sweeping corners and dramatic changes of elevation seem a million miles away from the bland monotony of more modern race tracks. Little wonder that Hollywood film director Ron Howard came here to shoot scenes for his film Rush. The circuit hosts a wide variety of different racing categories throughout the year including a round of British Superbikes. Given its old time charms though it makes the perfect venue for historic motor racing events.

The location is also manna from heaven for photographers. Even with a general admission ticket you can get unimaginably close to the action. Long telephoto lenses are rather surplus to requirements here, unless that is you are set on photographing a great spotted woodpecker or garden warbler, both of which are local residents in the Lincolnshire woodlands. The on-track action at any VSCC meeting invariably comprises enormous oversteer and wildly flailing arms wrestling to maintain some modicum of control over huge steering wheels and skinny tyres.

The paddock too is completely accessible and allows you to get up close and personal with men, women and their magnificent machines. The evocative aroma of Castrol R fills the air and during lunchtime the near silence is occasionally broken by the rasp of a racing engine being revved to its limits.

The overriding feeling one takes away from attending such a meeting is that of friendliness and civility. Out in the car park, Blower Bentleys mingle with Fairthorpe Electrons and picnics abound. In a world torn apart by trouble and strife what could be nicer than sitting in the sun on a park bench by the side of a race track chatting to a complete stranger while enjoying a cooling 99 ice cream.

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Hughie Walker, Frazer Nash Martyr Special,. Cadwell Park 2017. Image: Philip Newsome

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Opposite, above and overleaf: Cadwell Park 2016. Images: Philip Newsome.

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Prescott Speed Hill Climb

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rescott Speed Hillclimb is set, unsurprisingly, on the side of a hill. It meanders and climbs through a venerable orchard overlooking the Vale of Evesham. The VSCC meeting held there every year in August is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the vintage sportscar enthusiast’s year. Imagine Glastonbury for old cars. It appeals to young and old alike, men and women. It is also a spectacular occasion as far as photography is concerned. The car parks in the adjacent fields are packed with old, mostly pre-war, cars along with their owners, partners, families and friends enjoying picnics with proper wicker hampers and bone china tea sets. The paddock is a hive of industry and earnest activity. Cars are repaired amid a bonhomie and camaraderie that makes a mockery of the po-faced antics seen in the upper echelons of modern motorsport. And then there is the sport itself. Hillclimbing is a particularly singular affair. In theory, one is competing against oneself and for the main this noble principle holds true but it can get competitive, especially when course and class records are up for grabs. Most of all though it is an explosion of colour, noise and smells, a feast for the senses. Back ends are hung out, wheels bounce off kerbs, tyres and brakes squeal and smoke and steering wheels are flayed and spun by drivers who for the large part possess more enthusiasm than talent. I defy any photographer not to be excited and enthralled by this place.

Opposite: Prescott, 2017. Image: Siobhan Owen

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Above and opposite: Prescott, 2017. Images: Siobhan Owen

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John Wiseman, Gnat. Prescott 2017. Image: Philip Newsome

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Opposite, not your everyday run-of-the-mill carpark. Above, David Biggins, Daimler-Mercedes Rennwagen.

Images: Prescott, 2017. Siobhan Owen

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LES GRAND HEURES AUTOMOBILES

Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, Paris, September, 2017 Words and Images: Philip Newsome

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estled on a hill above two quintessentially French villages sits the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry which for a brief but glorious inter-war period was the focal point of the country’s motor racing industry. Driving through the complex web of concrete supporting structures into the centre of the circuit on a bright, crisp autumnal morning it was easy to imagine how it would have been in its heyday.

Montlhéry‘s existence is down to one man, Alexandre Lamblin. A wealthy industrialist who built cars and aircraft radiators, he was also a motorsport fanatic. Keen to establish the region immediately south of Paris at the forefront of the motor industry, he bought a plot of land and commissioned an engineer, Raymond Jamin, to create for him a banked autodrome. Britain had Brooklands, the Americans had the Indianapolis Speedway and Italy had Monza, so why should France not have one? The result of six months’ hard work, 1000 tons of steel, 2000 labourers and 8000 cubic metres of concrete was a 2.5km banked oval that would allow cars of the day to circulate at speeds approaching 130mph.

While the circuit was soon the object of great attention from drivers attempting speed records, work continued apace on the amalgamation of a long, twisting road circuit that would allow the track to host racing proper. The extension was completed in time to allow Montlhéry to host the French Grand Prix of 1925, the first time that the race took place in the confines of a specially constructed circuit.

Over the next twelve years, Montlhéry was the unofficial home of the French Grand Prix, only briefly losing its grip on the event to the likes of Mirarnas and Reims. In that period French motor racing enthusiasts were treated to a series of world firsts that earned the circuit a place in history.

Now in its third year, Les Grandes Heures Automobiles is a two-day homage to the circuit’s glory days and to the traditions of French motorsport. Spectators and classic car club members are treated to the sights and sounds of a broad variety of both pre- and post-war historic competition cars and motorcycles, many running well into the darkness of Saturday night.

Bernd Becker’s 1972 Porsche 910/6 at full chat on the banking.

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After the war, racing returned to Montlhéry, although never in quite the same fashion as in the 1930s. In the late 1950s and early ‘60s it held a string of important sportscar races such as the Paris 1000Km. Great names of the period took part in those events, the Rodriguez brothers earning Ferrari victories in 1961 and ‘62. By 1964 the field had grown even stronger with Graham Hill, Jo Bonnier, Jackie Stewart, Chris Amon, Edgar Barth and many others making an appearance.

The 2017 LGHA staged a special celebration of the life and motor racing career of the ex-Formula 1 and sports car British privateer driver and team owner/racer David Piper (above and left). A special display of Piper’s cars including his famous green Ferrari 250 LM, as well as his Lola T70 MK 3B, Ferrari 365 P2 and Porsche 917K took to the Montlhéry banking. Piper, winner with Mike Parkes of the feature sportscar race in 1966, recalls what it was like to race at Montlhéry: “We all used to look forward to Montlhéry. We were treated remarkably well by our hosts and, of course, racing there was always worthwhile as we used to get starting and prize money. From the beginning there was a good atmosphere. I can remember Duncan Hamilton driving over from England in his D-type and just parking it up at the hotel overnight before the race. But it was a dangerous place. I saw cars going over the top of the banking and it was terribly bumpy, a bit like Monza when we used to do the Supercortemaggiore race on both bankings. Because of the angle of Montlhéry‘s oval, much steeper than Brooklands, and the condition of the track, the cars used to get one hell of a hammering. The load on the suspension meant you were on the bump stops. We never raced on the full-length circuit because the FIA wouldn’t certify it but even so the road course section was still demanding. There were quite a few jumps and off-camber turns, rather like a mini-Nürburgring.”

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One of the world’s most famous cars, the 1927 Voisin (this page and opposite) returned to Montlhéry where ninety years earlier, almost to the day, it broke 17 speed records including the coveted 24 hour record. The 7,938cc straight eight 210 horsepower Voisin, driven in turn on its record breaking run by André Morel, Serge Kiriloff and César Marchand, raised the speed record to 114.2 mph.

In the course of this 24-hour run, a number of other world records were also set, including those for 3,000 miles and 5,000 kilometres.

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Nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb (above and opposite) was undoubtedly one of the stars of the weekend demonstrating his record-breaking Pikes Peak International Hillclimb Peugeot 208 T16.

‘Demonstrating’ may not be the most appropriate word, ‘unleashing’ might better fit the bill. This 875 bhp monster boasts a steel spaceframe chassis and a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged, 3.2-litre V6 engine, and can accelerate from 0-62mph in 1.8sec and from 0-150mph in 7sec. Back in 2013, this French national hero was making his Pikes Peak debut, which also marked the first competitive outing for the 208, and set a time of 8m 13.878sec, comfortably trouncing the previous record in the “unlimited class” at Pikes Peak of 9m 46.164sec.

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Gallic cool (opposite and above)

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In 1967 Charles Deutsch created the stunning CD Peugeot SP 66 Panhard (above and opposite) two of which took part in the 1967 Le Mans 24 hours. The CD 66 C was powered by a Peugeot 204 engine modified by Moteur Moderne. The bodywork was extremely efficient (a drag coefficient of only 0.13 cd) allowing for top speeds of 250 km/h with only 108 bhp on tap.

Unfortunately, neither of the two cars made it past the twelve hour mark in the that year’s Le Mans race. It was the last Le Mans entry for Panhard.

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PARTING SHOT Goodwood Revival, 2017

Image: Philip Newsome

Taking pictures is savoring life intensely every hundredth of a second.

Marc Riboud

Back cover: Macau 1998. Image: Philip Newsome

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