Yellow Race Cars - I Got a Bunch of B&W Photos!? - Page 2

Ian Anderson · 06-21-05, 04:50 PM

last one

Mitch D · 06-22-05, 12:42 PM

Ron - looks like chassis 1027 was one of the few cars originally painted yellow ("Belgium Yellow" actually). This was also the car owned and used by MGM studios for some filming duty in the movie "Grand Prix". The pictures from this site are not to be copied, but here's the link to have a look for yourself if you interested.

http://www.grandsportcorvette.com/gt/1027.htm

Mitch D

Mitch D · 06-22-05, 05:14 PM

Duh on me! Someone had already posted the link to see 1027. So in reply to my last reply - never mind!

Mitch

BenL · 06-28-05, 12:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I like 1025 that is in the Allen book, but don't know much about the car as far as track/race use and there are few photos of it. Any info that people have would be helpful.

[/ QUOTE ]

1025, 1030, 1035, and 1036 are an odd set of cars. They were completed by FAV in December 1965 as rolling chassis and then sent to Shelby in the US. After some period of time they went back to England, still rolling chassis. There are various theories about why Shelby never completed them (mechanical problems, issues with getting caught playing games with chassis numbers by customs, or my favorite theory, they were sent to the US as rolling spares for Sebring and Daytona)

In the summer of 1967, Shell approached Ford to borrow three GT40s for an advertising campaign. Ford said how about four? Ford agreed to complete the cars and loan them to Shell, if Shell would pay the road tax. The cars were fitted with 289 HiPo/TransAm engines and painted light blue. When they arrived in Italy, Shell decided that it didn't want four identical cars and repainted three of them yellow (1025), red (1030), and green (1035). The cars painted solid colors, no stripes or rondels. As part of the ad, each car waw fitted with parachute that "SHELL" written on it in large letters. As far as I know the ad was never actually used. My guess is that by the time the ad was finished, GT40s and Gulf were linked in everyone's mind. (if anyone has a copy of the ad, I'd love to see it).

Afterwards the four cars were sold to a dealer in London who sold them to private individuals. The cars were used in local races. It wasn't until they were restored that they got the stripes and rondels.

If you want to see what they looked like originally take the pictures at the back of the Ronnie Spain book, or take a look at the only b&w picture in the Allen book (The Legend Lives On).

PaulB · 06-28-05, 12:43 PM

Is the #39 car in the photos the car that got heavily stuffed at Goodwood last year?
If so, I know it's current whereabouts where it is being repaired.

Andre40 · 07-04-05, 11:18 AM

Hi Ron,

I took pics of a yellow GT40 at the 2003 Goodwood Revival Meeting. I can’t remember the chassis number but I recall someone posting them all shortly after Goodwood. No doubt our walking encyclopedia friend, Rob Beddington, will come to the rescue! It was quite a sight to see seven originals lined up side by side.

In the pic below are GT40 enthusiasts and experts, Robin Sundt (left) and Chris Melia.

Regards,
Andre 40

Andre40 · 07-04-05, 11:22 AM

Another pic of the same yellow GT40.

I hope the guy on the ground isn't looking for the engine up front!

Andre40 · 07-04-05, 11:31 AM

Chris Melia with the replicas he built of the three 1966 Le Mans cars.

It will be recalled that for the Goodwood Festival of Speed two months earlier the three cars were displayed way up in the sky in almost vertical positions mounted an aluminium grilles. Perhaps Chris could tell us how that achieved.

On Chris's right is forum member, Brian Magee and to his left Roy Snook.

Andre40 · 07-04-05, 11:35 AM

Hi Ron and all,

Talking of yellow GT40s.

In September 1968 my brother and his wife visited us in London and I took the opportunity to organize a joy ride for him in golf course designer, Commander Harris’s yellow GT40 with Borrani wire wheels. I don’t have Ronnie Spain’s book in front of me but will check chassis number and will post.

We headed down to Surrey and Harris junior was asked to drive the car. Along the A3 close to the spot where Mike Hawthorn was killed in 1959 and with the needle on 120 mph there was a sudden and unexpected traffic build up with cars at a crawl. The Dunlop DS11 pads were cold and when the brake pedal was applied with a vengeance the car swerved and bounced all over the road. Harris kept his cool and ducked to the left of the queue bringing the car to a halt quite a way down from the last car in the line.

When the yellow GT40 burbled up the driveway of the Harris mansion my brother crawled out with a huge grin in his face but with a pale complexion that would have done a Brit proud!

Despite the baptism by fire he was obviously hooked on GT40s and the following year he assembled a Revell kit and painted it in the Malcolm Guthrie colours of dark metallic grey with maroon stripe. Guthrie’s car was chassis no 1009 on which there have been previous posts.

In the 1968 Kyalami Nine Hour Guthrie crashed the car shortly after Mike Hailwood had handed over to him. As he headed up the steep rise to Leeukop (lion’s head) bend a rear wheel came off and the car ploughed into a bank.

In the 1969 Nine Hour, co-driver was Paddy Driver and within the first hour Guthrie spun and was hit from behind by Phil Porter in a works Renault Gordini R8. Both cars were badly damaged but the drivers weren’t injured.

Anyone know where the Harris and Guthrie cars are today?

Regards,
Andre 40