Welcome to my latest Newsletter – as the historic racing season has come to life with the 80th Members Meeting at Goodwood, and then the Donington Historic Festival. The festival saw my first outing of the year, with the Connaught ALSR in the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy series of Motor Racing Legends.
Although this was my first race of the year, I have been busy with historic car mediation and expert work as well as presentations. Most recently was a dinner event at Coutts Bank in The Strand and my presentation of ‘When is the History Not the Whole Story?’
I include below a collection of some recent posts on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin. And I am pleased to say that sales of The Past And The Spurious – The Case of Legitimacy in Historic Cars continue strongly, and to all corners of the globe. Thank you.
Best wishes
Paul
An award for my racing!
The Annual Awards Dinner of @motorracinglegends at the Pall Mall headquarters of @royalautomobileclub included the prizes for competitors in the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy. And I was properly chuffed to receive the prize for Class 1 in the Connaught ALSR.
Image – Rob Cadman
Having looked at the question of ‘Art or function?’, I have been examining more recently the theme of ‘Team-mate or enemy’. These images begin with a example of the antipathy between Enzo Ferrari, who had the best car that year, and Juan Manuel Fangio, who had the most talent every year – a maestro and a master manipulator of men. Next is an image from the Klemantaski Collection which captures the fury of Giuseppe ‘Nino’Farina after the Swiss Grand Prix in 1953 when he considered his Ferrari team-mate Alberto Ascari to have disobeyed team orders in denying Farina the race win. Last is an image from the 1961 film The Green Helmet in which Greg Rafferty’s continuing to race after losing his nerve at Le Mans meant that his younger brother Taz had to delay his own career. Perhaps more notable than this sibling rivalry was the film’s wrecking of Lister Costin chassis BHL 126 – a car that years later came to feature in the 2006 case of Lloyd v Svenby. But most notable of all, certainly for this fan of the Carry On films, was the unlikely appearance of Sid James as Richie Launder – Rafferty’s co-driver in the Mille Miglia!
What do you think?
Buy my book to enjoy more of the debate!
Images – Universal History Archive/UIG/Bridgeman Images, MGM/Giles Chapman Library
Talks Day 2023 at the BDC Clubhouse at Wroxton – an annual event of the Bentley Drivers Club and the WO Bentley Foundation. It was a pleasure to join the speakers for the packed event and to present ‘When the History is Not the Whole Story’ to such a knowledgeable and engaged audience.
A proud moment with the maestro at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. He passed away on 12th April 2020.
RIP Sir Stirling Moss.
A recent meeting of the DVLA’s Historic Vehicle User Group was generously hosted by @royalautomobileclub. The Seagrave Room was a splendid setting and gave a rare opportunity to spend time with the British Grand Prix Trophy. This is permanently housed at the RAC and is awarded each year to the winner of the British Grand Prix.
It is engraved with the names of all winners, from Nino Farina in 1950 to @carlossainz55 last year. And it is the name of @lewishamilton that appears most often with eight wins.
To mark the launch of The Past And The Spurious – The Case of Legitimacy in Historic Cars the Pall Mall headquarters of @royalautomobileclub kindly hosted an evening under the title of: ‘Handshakes, Snakes and Possibly Fakes: Salutary Tales For Classic Car Owners’
The gathering saw a panel of Gregor Fisken, Michael Squire, Matthew Collings KC, Neil Twyman and Eddie McGuire moderated by Simon Taylor in a discussion of some of the issues raised in the book.
Watch the video above to hear the first reactions.
