Saturday, November 20, 2010

Two For A Dollar

Of Mice And Rats

The monster magnates crossed swords regularly in print, amidst a barrage of minibike and go kart advertisements. Mouse takes a well aimed pot shot at arch rival Roth.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Elegance To Order

Ferrari's flagship during the 1950's was the 410 SuperAmerica. Exclusivity was assured with less than 40 examples being produced between 1955 and 1959, no two alike. Whilst hot rodders were busily modifying domestic vehicles in the United States, the Italians were passionately hammering out their own aluminium artworks. The SuperAmericas truly were custom cars, each having breathtakingly individual bodywork and performance to match.

Via: TopSpeed.com

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Pit Stop #36

Pacific North West Grand Prix 1967
Mark Donohue Lola T70.

Donohue won this race at Kent, Washington along with 5 more rounds to take out the 1967 United States Road Racing Championship.

Via: prorallypix.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

East Coast Snake

The "Dragginsnake" Cobra of Joel Rosen and Jack Geiselman getting some public highway testing. Motion Performance ran this 289 and their mighty 427 King Cobra on the strip before selling highly modified Chevrolet performance vehicles.

Source: Hell For Motors via MyRideIsMe.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Futurista

Darryl Starbird's fanciful 3-wheeled Volkswagen.

Miscalculation

Not content with his 1-2-3 thrashing of Ferrari in 1966, Henry Ford II wanted a 100% homegrown winner at Le Mans. The J Car, successor to the GT40 Mk II, was an all American affair produced chiefly by FoMoCo subsidiary Kar Kraft. Power was never in short supply during Ford's Total Performance years, however getting a 200 mph plus race car to stay on the track was another thing altogether. Aerodynamics are a mysterious science and it was the J Car's erratic handling that ultimately cost team driver Ken Miles his life during testing at Riverside Raceway in 1966.

Often Imitated

Little Walter
Boss of the blues harmonica.

Lost In Translation

The Russ Meyer classic The Satan Women of Tittfield.

Surf 's Up

King Bee

Seminal Louisiana bluesman James Moore, better known as Slim Harpo, provided lowdown fixin's for the British blues hotpot.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Homegrown

Australian Touring Car racing was once dominated by highly entertaining ill-handling, overpowered family sedans. Allan Moffat incinerating his rear tyres in the Phase II GT-HO Falcon.

Pit Stop #35


U.S Nationals Indy 1965
Jack Chrisman's Mercury Super Cyclone.

Via: eaindy

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Hand Me Down

If these two A/FX Mustangs look similar it's because they are the same car. Hubert Platt took over driving duties from Dick Brannan after he hung up his helmet midway through 1966.

Angel Hair & Fibreglass

Torque Thrusts, angel hair and fibreglass are an unbeatable combination !

Team Colors

I borrowed this great shot from storm king over at the H.A.M.B. This is 1960's D.I.Y racing.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Kandy Koated


Be it gasser or funny car, all of Big John Mazmanian's race cars were a visual delight.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Turn On, Tune In, Trans Am


A magnificent example of motor racing art, before it the sport was swindled of its soul.

Via: progcovers.com

Pit Stop #34

Nurburgring 1000 Kilometres 1966

Ferrari Dino 206S
Pedro Rodriguez/Richie Ginther
3rd Place.

Rebel 400

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Forza Ferrari

There is nothing more appropriate than one of Maranello's masterstrokes wailing hysterically through the sun tortured history of the
Targa Florio.

Two Wheels Eight Cylinders

1957 Isle Of Man Senior TT

Dickie Dale / Moto Guzzi V8.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Driver's Seat #8

Targa Florio 1970.

Ferrari 512S

Nino Vaccarella / Ignazio Giunti.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Tuff Stuff

The 1969 Trans Am Mustangs left an indelible impression upon my five year old mind. Ford ticked every one of their baddest boxes when they built this evil piece of machinery for Smokey Yunick. As far as this kindergarten aficionado was concerned, things couldn't get any better. In hindsight I was probably correct, considering the wretched parody the Mustang became.

It's The Wolf !


Chester Arthur Burnett.

The Wingless Gullwing

Hollywood bodyshop owner Chuck Porter built this modified Mercedes 300SL Gullwing from a wreck in 1955. A variety of engines powered this special including a Hilborn injected Corvette mill.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Product Placement

French Grand Prix 1957
Rouen-Les-Essarts.

Juan Manuel Fangio on his way to victory in the lightly crumpled Maserati 250F.

Via: PistonHeads.

Pit Stop #33

Italian Grand Prix
Monza 1960.
Ferrari Dino 246P F2 / Wolfgang von Trips.

Via: 10-tenths.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Pit Stop #32

Le Mans Trials 1967.
Ford GT 40 #1020
The Ford France entry of
Ligier/Schlesser/Dumay.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Trans-Atlantic Hot Rod

In 1955 the Italian associate of Bardahl bought this Kurtis 500D, less engine, and shipped it to Italy for Ferrari to fit one of their 4.4 litre, 6 cylinder motors. Ferrari lost interest in the project, chiefly because of the time involved to adapt their engine to the 3 speed Offenhauser gearbox supplied with the car. The Maserati brothers finished the project in 1956 and sent the car to Indianapolis for Nino Farina to drive. The car was originally set up with Weber carburetors for gasoline and had to be reworked to run on Hilborn methanol injection. Unreliability and a lack of speed plagued the car. Farina was nearing the end of his career by this time and never qualified for the 500.

Like Father Like Son

It is inevitable that you will follow in your father's footsteps when you have toys as cool as this. Damon Hill tests his race car while father Graham looks on.

Via: Autodiva

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Growing Pains


What a difference a year makes !

Gas Ronda's A/FX Mustang certainly went through a growth spurt in 1966. Things were starting to look a little odd amidships with more than a few inches added to the wheelbase. The injected engine was set back and the rear end was moved a little further forward to put down those extra ponies. Headlights, tailights and bumper bars were no longer on the menu, whilst parachutes and wheelie bars certainly weren't available on the 1966 dealer option list. The whole package was getting further and further away from what was available on the showroom floor and a lot closer to the looming funny car circus.