Racing through Europe

Memories spanning three decades spring to life in the pages of a new book celebrating the work of the late photographer Brian Joscelyne. From the glitter of Monaco via Swiss hillclimbs to a dusty Oulton Park, his atmospheric pictures invoke the spirit of more carefree days

Crowds watch the Alpine A110 of Jean-Pierre Hanrioud and Jean-Francois Piot on the 1966 Targa Florio

Lead image:

Targa Florio

May 1966

The Targa in a nutshell, as the Alpine A110 of Jean-Pierre Hanrioud and Jean-François Piot slams through one of the many villages scattered around the 45-mile route, in which locals cheered the cars – or cannibalised them in moments if they stopped with mechanical problems


A lavish new book from Palawan Press, Racing Through Europe, draws on the archive of Brian Joscelyne and reveals many treasures. Sadly, just as the first copies were being printed news came of Brian’s death, but the book serves as a fitting memorial. Brian’s fine work was often seen in publications, particularly those on Aston Martin, his special love. What was remarkable was the sheer quantity of images and the geographical breadth of their coverage. An indefatigable enthusiast, Brian immersed himself in many ways: historic racer with his own DB3S and later the factory-owned DBR1; team owner/driver with Dorset Racing Associates, amateur privateers travelling all over Europe with 2-litre Chevrons and Lolas; knowledgeable writer and Aston Martin club stalwart, all while running the family firm.

But it is in the racing photographs that Brian’s talent rings out. Beautifully composed images capturing not just the cars and the people around them, but the locations – the hills of the Nürburgring, the buildings of Vila Real, the fields and farms of Sicily. From 1957 into the 1970s Brian travelled to significant races all over Europe with his Leica camera, working mostly in colour, and it was not just Monza and Monaco which drew him – Pau, Prescott and Wiscombe Park receive the same thoughtful attention. Here we present a selection of these photos.

Racing through Europe bookRacing through Europe

The Motorsport Photography of Brian Joscelyne

by David Tremayne

Published by Palawan Press
From £400

Jim Hall's UDT Lotus-BRM 24 on the Nurburgring in 1963

Nürburgring

August 1963

The Targa in a nutshell, as the Alpine A110 of Jean-Pierre Hanrioud and Jean-François Piot slams through one of the many villages scattered around the 45-mile route, in which locals cheered the cars – or cannibalised them in moments if they stopped with mechanical problems.


 

Oulton Park

June 1961

Sandy Murray’s ERA is prepared in the paddock for the Seaman Memorial Trophy Race by Vern Skirrow, who also shared the driving duties on occasion. This is chassis R1A, the original car to emerge from the company founded in 1933 by Raymond Mays, Humphrey Cook and designer Peter Berthon.

Sandy Murray's ERA Is prepared in the paddock for the Seaman Memorial Trophy Race at Oulton Park in 1961

Rouen

July 1962

High jinks in Clères as Rivers Fletcher intercedes to smooth over an ‘incident’ between a Chevrolet Corvette and a Georges-Richard. Graham Hill gesticulates with support from Jo Bonnier while wives Betty and Marianne look on.

Rivers Fletcher Graham Hill and Jo Bonnier in Rouen in 1962


Start of the 1971 international sports car race at the Portuguese Vila Real track

Vila Real

July 1971

The 4.3-mile Vila Real track in Portugal generated excitement and trepidation in equal measures in drivers and was not for the faint of heart. During the international sports car race, Mike Coombe’s Lola T70 starts another lap with Ed Negus alongside in his Martin BM8. Negus would finish fifth.

Le Mans

June 1958

Brian Joscelyne snapped many moments of great camaraderie. Here the works Aston Martin drivers fool around near the team’s headquarters at the Hotel de France in La Chartre. Jack Brabham, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori are the horses, Stuart Lewis-Evans is the pusher, while Maurice Trintignant keeps the sun off passenger Stirling Moss’ head.

Jack Brabham, Caroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori pulling a cart with Stirling Moss and Maurice Trintignant

Pau

April 1969

Mike Beuttler gives rivals Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud a kerb-crashing headache during an F3 race as he spins his Brabham BT28 exiting
the tight La Gare right-hander in the scenic Pyrenées town. The 1.7-mile street circuit has hosted most single-seater categories up to grands prix

Mike Beuttler spins in front of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Jean-Pierre Jassaud in a 1969 F3 race in Pau

Cars line up for the 1960 Formula Junior Monaco Grand Prix support race

Monaco

May 1960

The support race for the Monaco GP, at this point for Formula Junior, was always heavily oversubscribed as drivers saw it as a chance to show their talents to F1 team managers. In the foreground, the Stanguellinis of Henri Grandsire (140) and Juan Manuel Fangio’s protégé Juan Manuel Bordeu (58)


 

Montjuïc

October 1971

Set on a mountain in the outskirts of Barcelona, Montjuïc Park offered very different scenery, but Derek Bell and Gijs van Lennep in their 917 have no time to appreciate the architectural beauty. This non-championship race was the penultimate outing for the monstrous 5-litre sports cars.

Porsche 917 of Derek Bell and Gijs van Lennep in Montjuic Park 1971

Le Mans

June 1962

One of the works Simca-Abarths gets a tankful of essence during practice. Le Mans has always been hugely important to trade suppliers who can benefit just as much as car manufacturers from the publicity surrounding the world’s most famous endurance sports car race

Simca Abarth refuels from an Esso tanker at the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours

Sierre – Crans-Montana

August 1964

Ludovico Scarfiotti hurls his Ecurie Filipinetti Ferrari 250LM towards victory in the Grosser Bergpreis der Schweiz. This challenging seven-mile hillclimb, a round of the European championship, involved a series of climbing and plunging hairpins between two Swiss towns, with a stunning mountain backdrop

Ludovico Scarfiotti's Ferrari 250LM drives to victory under a railway bridge in the 1964 Grosser Bergpreis der Schweitz


Graham Hill’s BRM P57 leads Jack Brabham’s Lotus 24 in the 1962 Grand Prix de Reims

Reims

July 1962

In the non-championship Grand Prix de Reims, Graham Hill’s BRM P57 leads Jack Brabham’s unloved Lotus 24. Despite his feelings for the car the Australian led for four laps and was for a while part of the four-man group battling for the lead before Bruce McLaren made a break in his Cooper T60 to win by eight seconds


Rob Walker stands next to his Lotus 24 at Spa Francorchamps ahead of the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps

June 1962

Rob Walker stands thoughtfully next to his Lotus 24, now ready for Maurice Trintignant in place of Stirling Moss, still in a coma in hospital following his Goodwood crash. But not for nothing was his occupation listed in his passport as ‘gentleman’ and as in everything Walker conducted himself with resolute decorum

Le Mans

July 1961

Dramatic and aerodynamic lines for this OSCA Sport 750 – somewhat spoiled by the mandatory deep windscreen the regulations demanded. Scrutineering officials are checking whether the car clears the minimum ride-height block.

Scrutineers check the OSCA Sport 750 at the 1961 Le Mans 24 Hours

Crystal Palace

May 1970

Small-bore cars were often the most potent weapons round the tight confines of Crystal Palace’s narrow tree- and sleeper-lined track, London’s only circuit. In the fifth round of the RAC Sports Car Championship, Jeremy Richardson’s Daren (20) is on pole with Roger Nathan’s Astra (3) and Brian Martin’s Martin BM7 (7) for company.

Start of the RAC Sports car championship race at Brands Hatch in 1970

You may also like

Related products