The Classic Racing Line
HSCC Thundersports at The Classic 2021
As sponsors of the HSCC Thundersports series, we were pleased to see such an exciting 15-lap race at the 2021 Silverstone Classic over the weekend despite the poor weather.
Driving impressively powerful machinery in slippery conditions, first and second were separated at the flag by the narrowest of margins.
Moss, Jenks and the Mille Miglia
Sixty-six years ago on May 1st 1955, a British racing driver named Stirling Moss and a bearded and bespectacled motor racing journalist called Denis Jenkinson, set off in their silver Mercedes-Benz 300SLR for the Mille Miglia endurance road race.Theirs wasn't the fastest or most powerful car in the field, but it was in the hands of a supremely talented driver and it also carried a navigating passenger with a home-made secret weapon.
Bluebird and the Campbells (Part 2)
Like his father before him, Donald Campbell lived for speed - achieving 7 world speed records on water and 1 on land after harnessing jet propulsion. As many will know he was killed in 1967, shortly after reaching 328 mph in his Bluebird K7 powerboat on Coniston Water.
Read more about Campbell's pursuit of speed in the concluding part of this article.
Bluebird and the Campbells (Part 1)
Sir Malcolm Campbell set no fewer than 9 land speed records between 1924 and 1935 in a variety of aero-engined cars all named 'Blue Bird'. Not content with being the first person to drive at over 300 mph with his last record, he turned to the water and set 4 more speed records in Blue Bird K3 and K4 hydroplane powerboats.
Read more about Campbell's pursuit of speed in Part 1 of this article.
HSCC Thundersports
We're very pleased to be sponsoring the Historic Sports Car Club Thundersports race series in 2021. The series provides competition for various classes of sports, GT and touring cars that would have competed in endurance events prior to 1980.
Read more about the series and our involvement.
Claude Storez: A prince among racers
Considered one of the best French racing drivers of the 1950s but largely unknown today, Claude Storez was most accomplished in endurance racing and long distance road rallies. Tipped for even greater things, Storez was tragically killed 62 years ago this month going all out at Reims in his Porsche Zagato, whilst chasing down the race leader. This is his story.
Burt Munro (1899-1978)
Burt Munro was a motorcycle racer from New Zealand whose speed record exploits on the salt flats of Bonneville late in life were immortalised in the 2005 film The World’s Fastest Indian starring Anthony Hopkins.
Read more about his life and record-breaking exploits.
Creating the Spirit of Ecstasy
In February 1911, the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine was first presented to Rolls-Royce by the sculptor Charles Sykes. It quickly became the marque's official bonnet mascot and today is recognised world-wide as a symbol of perfection.
We take a look at why the ornament was created and what, or who, was its inspiration.
Board Track Racing
Popular in the United States in the 1910s and ‘20s, board track motor racing was conducted on a steeply banked circular or oval race track surfaced with wooden planks. Based on European velodrome designs, the board tracks were originally constructed for motorcycle races and later adapted for racing cars.
Read more about this exciting but dangerous era of American motor sport.
Monte Carlo or Bust!
On this day, 110 years ago, twenty-three cars converged on the Principality of Monaco to compete in the first Monte Carlo Rally. We take a look at why this blue riband event was created and how it has evolved over the decades.
January On Speed
Whilst the pursuit of speed in a motor car is almost as old as the motorised carriage itself, excessive speed in the wrong setting is never clever and will often attract the attention of the law.
January is an interesting month from a speeding point of view, as during this month in history a number of notable speeding events occurred. Here are just five of them.
Motor Racing Under The Influence
There is a long-standing but tricky relationship between motor racing and alcohol that continues to thrive despite efforts by the World Health Organisation and others to outlaw the promotion of any so-called ‘sin substance’; as they have with tobacco. Although clearly the consumption of alcohol is incompatible with driving and racing safely, let’s take a look at some of the ways that they have happily and successfully co-existed.