Great Read
Only four Indianapolis 500 rookies in 100 years have started from pole: Teo Fabi in 1983 is one. Prematurely balding and softly spoken, his puppy-ish face often apparently bemused, occasionally…
Great Read
The World Championship of Makes in 1977 was a rather disjointed affair, consisting of nine events including classics such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 1000Km of Nürburgring and…
When the Beatrice Formula 1 team ground to a halt at the end of 1986, Alan Jones welcomed the chance to spend more time at home in Australia. But he…
The rear wing was wound down and the boost wound up. Duct tape was strapped across almost every bodywork orifice and some brave soul was strapped into the cockpit. The…
Great Read
The Porsche 917 is one of the machines in the running to be named Race Car of the Century; will it get your vote? Click below or scroll to the…
The writing was on the wall. Thousands of British enthusiasts made the ritual visit to the famous Restaurant des Hunaudieres, to find that this bastion of French cuisine, right alongside…
Great Read
Michael Burn is 92, a former Times correspondent, poet and playwright. But when Henry Birkin met him he was a young student who had never written anything. A mere three…
There is still great warmth in the way Peter Collins is recalled, 48 years after his passing. It’s more than the fact that he was a successful driver, with three…
This, the greatest race for cars in touring trim, took place at Le Mans on June 20th, 1925, finishing 24 hours later. Arriving at the circuit six days before the…
Great Read
The sharknose Ferrari was every schoolboy's epitome of the early 1960s Formula 1 car, and it still has a place in the affections of the man who won the 1961 World…
Great Read
A wintry day at Oulton Park in 1962 seemed unlikely to be the stuff of racing history. The chill wind of recession was biting. Club events had yet to feel…
In May 2022, one of only two Mercedes 300 SLR Coupes was sold for €135m (£114.5m) at private auction, making it the most expensive car ever known to have changed…
Great Read
Were someone to achieve something similar today, their accomplishment would likely be obscured by a blizzard of hype. But it was different then. Taken out of context, Eric Thompson’s World…
The one nightmare shared by Jaguar's board members was the possibility of defeat at Le Mans. Last year the three entries were prepared beautifully, but lasted only 16 hours effectively,…
Great Read
Sports car racing assumed a distinctly transatlantic flavour in the 1960s when hybrids of European chassis and American V8s began to appear on US race circuits in significant numbers. In…
Great Read
Before Williams and BMW tied the knot in Formula 1 they underwent a trial marriage in sports car racing. Unlike the F1 enterprise it quickly proved successful, adding a Le…
