Orange Segment

914 in action in the AvD Histo Monte

The Porsche 914 was an unusual beast. When released in 1969 it was seen as out of step with Porsche’s thinking. Certainly very different from the fêted 911, initial reception was a little mixed: it didn’t look like a Porsche, it used VW parts, it was mid-engined, and it only came with with a targa top.

Even professional drivers were put off by its twitchiness when pushed to the limit. But that didn’t stop this quirky Porsche taking-on the big boys. And winning. In Europe, 914s came home first in their class and took overall victory numerous times, and repeated the feat in the US. 914s were driven to at least 41 class wins, in addition to a minimum of 71 podium positions. They’re still winning, with 914s regularly used across the US and Europe to this day.

The 'original' 914

Cast your mind back to 2016, and you may recall the release of Roy Smith’s Porsche: The Racing 914s. This comprehensive study of the motorsport exploits of the 'funny little car' created as an entry-level Porsche proved much more popular than we ever imagined, gaining a place in BookAuthority's Best Car Racing Books of All Time. Originally a hardback limited to 1500 copies, we've decided to bring this great book back to the bookshelf in paperback format.

If you're not familiar with the 914's origins, or Roy's book, you'd do well to take a look at our 2017 interview with Roy – watch it on the book page over on our website, or here …

As chance would have it, and whilst working on the new edition, we received a message from a customer, Tolo Palmer, enquiring if the book was being reprinted. Nothing too unusual there; we get such enquiries all the time. What is unusual, though, is that Tolo’s friend owns a couple of 914s, including one in Roy's book. 

Tolo (centre), and Dominik (right) with co-driver Gerd Ottenburger in 2015,
after his fifth win in Mallorca.

We simply couldn’t resist sharing some of Tolo's story. Over to you, Tolo …

I grew up in Mallorca, and one day in 2003, being 11 years old and a little ill, my mother took me to see the doctor, followed with a visit to a local town bakery. While taking my medicine, I started to feel the ground shake and hear a loud noise. But it wasn’t the medicine: I turned my head to see a beautiful, original, orange Porsche 914/6 GT. I immediately ran behind the car, which stopped to turn at the next junction, and saw a line full of stunning classic cars behind it –  a 911ST driven by Walter Röhrl, and a 911SR driven by Jürgen Barth, to name just two.

 

I was so excited that as soon as I got home I told dad what had happened. He told me that there was a Classic rally going on, and that we could go and see it on Saturday. The day came, and we went to the race track, spending the whole day there. Ever since then, I’ve been a classic car lover.

 

The rally was held again the following year, so I went to see some of the stages. Sliding around the track, and smoothly driven – and driven hard – was an orange 914/6 GT, similar to the one I saw last year. On the last day of the rally, again at the track, the orange 914, driven by Dominik, took the overall win in the Trofeo Baleares Clasico, part of the European Rally Championship.

 

I had a photo taken of me leaning on the car (right), and hoped to see it again the following year. Sadly, that didn’t happen, but in 2008 Dominik returned to Mallorca with a beautiful 911 3.0 RS. Being just a teenager, my English was pretty poor, but I was very curious and went over to Dominik to ask for his autograph, which he supplied with pleasure.

 

On the second day of the Rally, Dominik saw me in the service area and came over to chat. I was very shy but couldn’t resist asking him if he still had the orange beauty that won in 2004. That put a big smile on is face, and after an interesting conversation he offered for me to spend the final day of the Rally with his service crew at the track.

 

On that day, I took the photo of me and the 914 to show Dominik and the crew: they loved it. Better still, Dominik won the Rally, and jumping out of his 911 afterwards, handed me his gloves as a memento. I put them on and sat in the car in tears of joy! Our good friendship has grown ever since. In 2009 he brought me a set of his first race overalls as a memento, and won the Rally Mallorca once again.

 

Going back to the 914, I went to Germany for a few years, where a 914 replica was being worked on. Dominik said that when the car was ready (it was finished in 2014), he was going to use it at the Eifel Rallye Festival – so, of course, I went. Dominik had owned an original 914 since 1999, but it sat idle in Dominik's workshop until 2015, when it was raced for the last time at the AvD Histo-Monte Rally – and won!

 

In 2022, for my 30th birthday, Dominik took me on a rally stage in the 914. I have quite a lot of experience around cars, but this all new to me; I couldn’t even put my seatbelt on. All I can say is that before we crossed the finish line, I was in tears. So many emotions came together for me, a mix of nostalgia and, I think, love. But that car is very special; as special as my friend Dominik. And that’s how I came to befriend a very special 914 and its very special driver.

Now, that’s a story all us petrolheads can relate to. Dominik’s original 914 was special for a number of reasons, not least of which being its appearance in Roy's book. But his replica is equally special. Following his 2015 win, and after being offered a lot of money for the car, Dominik had something of an epiphany. It dawned on him that, should he total the 914, he wouldn’t simply be destroying any old car, he would be destroying a very important piece of Porsche history. 

The replica 914, Mallorca 2014

Dominik decided to make a clone of his original 914, which he still owns, but is now retired from competition. So began a journey of discovery, as Dominik built-up a 914 road car shell into a machine suitable for the rallying circuit. Originally, the replica was intended to be a straight copy, but studying the FIA's historic racing regulations, he soon realised that there were many areas of the car that could be changed without falling foul of the rules. 

The build that followed involved a deep-dive into the nitty gritty details. The end result? A car with 250 shorter, lighter or smaller replacement components, and a 140Kg weight saving over the original car – an 800Kg rally rocket. The car has even been catalogued as 'the best rally Porsche 914 ever made.' The work Dominik undertook, and the racing exploits of this 914, deserve a book of their own; we don't have that, but, fortunately, in 2018 Petrolicious penned this great piece on the 914: take a look here. 

We’d like to thank Tolo for sharing his photos, his story of friendship and two very special 914s. We wish Tolo, Dominik, and, of course, the orange 914 many long and happy races in the future!

Hi-ho Silver!

It'll come as no surprise to hear that Roy has a 914 of his own, it is his second 914 and its a tad special. Incredibly, the paperwork trail verifies nearly every year of its life – not something many classics can boast. And this is no ordinary example. The car left the factory almost exactly 53 years ago – the 12th October 1970. The 13th car produced that day, this was a special order, specced with black paint, tinted windows, 1.7-litre 4-cylinder engine, and sporting factory Minilites, pus a rarely requested limited-slip diff option. 

The car was ordered by an American Porsche-loving couple. They wanted a car to run in motorsports events across the US, and ended up winning several Porsche Club of America awards. It was later sold to another couple who continued to compete with the car. They even took it to Italy, while the husband was stationed with the US military there, before returning to the USA in the 1980s.

Brought to the UK in 1990 by non-other than Henry Pearman, of Eagle fame (you really must check out his collection), it was sold by the Lenham Motor company, Kent, to its first UK owner, whose partial restoration included changing the colour to silver. In 1994 it was acquired by a 914 fan and made several appearances in magazines during his 25 year ownership, before it was acquired by Roy in early 2020.  

Roy commissioned Greatworth Classics near Banbury, to install a fresh, period 6-cylinder Porsche 2.7-litre engine, with high compression heads, polished ports and a reprofiled cam, fully balanced, its 5-speed 'box retaining the limited slip diff. Body and chassis are original, apart from the usual work needed to keep a 53 year old car in perfect condition, and now of course has uprated suspension, and brakes. 

So, there is the tale of some very special 914s. You can discover even more of the 914's racing exploits and successes in Roy Smith’s Porsche: The Racing 914s, reprinting in paperback format, and available in the UK early next year. Keep your eyes on our social channels for more details closer to publication, or head over to our store and pop your email in the Notify Me field to get an email when the book is available to buy.

Porsche
The Racing 914s

Roy Smith

The remarkable little car that turned into a big hearted racer. A study in pictures, statistics, factory information, and interviews, that show the Porsche 914 in a whole new light.

£40 UK 🇬🇧 $65 USA 🇺🇸 $78 CAN 🇨🇦

V5934 • Paperback • 22.5x22.5cm • 320 pages • 452 pictures
ISBN: 978-1-787119-34-5 • UPC: 6-36847-01934-1

Click here to find out more

If you’ve an interesting story to tell us, get in touch by email, or send a message on social; we’d love to hear it.

The first female F1 driver in over 40 years ... ?

For the first time in 43 years, a female driver is poised to race in Formula 1.

Tatiana Calderón is a test driver for the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team, and this year was signed by BWT Arden to drive for them in the current FIA Formula 2 Championship – the first woman to drive in the championship. The 26-year-old Columbian knew from a young age that she wanted to race cars, having grown up attending races, and taking part in kart racing as a hobby.

Courtesy: Motorsportpic.de

Teammate to the late Antoine Hubert, Calderón is helping to pave the way for a new wave of female drivers – she is an ambassador for the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission, an advocate for Dare to be Different, and is a part of the W series, the ground-breaking racing series for women launched last October. 

There have only been a handful of female drivers who have driven at Formula 1 level, with Desiré Wilson being the only woman to ever win a Formula 1 race, winning at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 championship in 1980. Driven by Desire, published by Veloce, recounts Wilson's incredible and unique career, from grassroots racing, to Formula 1 and the IndyCar World Series, this fascinating story shows that a woman can, and did, fight her way to the top of motorsport. 

Calderón will be staying in Formula 2 for the rest of this year and, if there are no upcoming chances to join Formula 1, she'll seek a sponsor so she can drive in Formula 2 for another year. 

Speaking to Forbes: "My goal is to 100 percent get to Formula 1. I know I can do it. It is just about putting everything together in the right moment."

Our latest Formula 1 books,  Formula One: All The Races – The First 1000 (limited to 1000 numbered copies, exclusively available from our dedicated website) and Formula 1 The Knowledge (signed copies available) contain all the facts, figures and statistics that you could possibly want to know when it comes to Grand Prix racing. And who knows, maybe in future editions of these books, there could be more female drivers appearing in those stats!

New exhibition at the Louwman Museum

Here at Veloce, we are rather fond of Mercedes Benz, having published many titles on this iconic marque. This summer, the Louwman Museum, in the Netherlands, will host a special exhibition dedicated to a racing classic. 

Following the successful 'Silver Arrows 1934 - 1939' exhibition held in 2012, the Louwman Museum, in close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Classic in Stuttgart, Germany, is proud to host an exhibition of the legendary Mercedes-Benz racing cars from the 1950s during the summer months (July 7 to September 2). The seven unique cars represent one of the most heroic periods in the history of motor racing. 

All the cars have earned their place in the motor racing history books. However for Dutch enthusiasts, the No. 8W 196R featured in the key visual of the exhibition is extra special. 

Then reigning Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in this car, finishing just 0.3 seconds ahead of his teammate Stirling Moss. This was just one month after Moss' and Fangio's legendary one-two victory with the 300SLR racing sports car in the gruelling Mille Miglia. Film footage will be shown to illustrate these epic races. 

Probably the most valuable car in the world, the 300SLR 'Uhlenhaut-Coupé', will be on display in Holland for the first time. 

This coupé version of the 300SLR (W196S) never actually took part in an official race, but it is regarded as the first supercar of the era: a two-seater thoroughbred racing car featuring a roof and gull-wing doors. Based on the extremely successful W196R Formula One car, it had a top speed of almost 300km/h (186mph): a sensational speed – not only at the time. 

Just as special is the 'Blue Wonder', the racing car transporter, which was built in 1955 to transport and service the Mercedes-Benz racing cars during long-distance races. This ultimate service vehicle was based on both the 300 S and 300 SL and had a top speed of 170km/h (105mph): the fastest racing car transporter ever. 

The 'Silver Arrows, Mercedes-Benz Racing cars of the 50s' exhibition includes Formula One cars and sports cars that won not only Grand Prix events, but also long-distance races, such as the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio within the sports car championship. The link between racing and series production is demonstrated by two 300SL 'Gullwing' exhibits: the W194 racing car from 1952 and the W198 production car which was derived from it. All of the cars have an extensive racing history, involving such famous racing drivers as Juan Manual Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann. 

The cars in this temporary exhibition are without exception first class exhibits from the permanent collection of Mercedes-Benz Classic in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Robert Ackerson's limited edition book Two Summers – The Mercedes-Benz W196R Racing Cars explores the Mercedes-Benz W196R's historic roots, development, and its place in Grand Prix racing, detailing its triumphs, struggles and disappointments, as well as the spirited challenges from Maserati, Ferrari, Gordon and Lancia. If you can't make it over to the Louwman Museum this summer – and you really should, as it is an excellent place, full of a huge array of fantastic cars! – then this book would be perfect for those who want to learn more about this historic icon.

BTCC 2018 at Thruxton

This year, the MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) celebrates its 60th anniversary. The last event took place at Thruxton on the weekend of the 19th-20th of May, and our director Jude went along to take in some of the action!

Thruxton held its first BTCC race back in 1968, and with 11 corners over 2.36 miles, this track sees the highest average speed of any circuit visited by the BTCC. 2018 saw new records set for the circuit, with Matt Neal setting a new fastest qualifying lap with a time of 1min 15.612s (112.17mph), and Tom Ingram setting a new fastest race lap with a time of 1min 17.060s (110.06mph) – beating Yvan Muller's 2002 longest standing lap record recorded on the BTCC calendar. 

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan moved to the summit of the BTCC standings with victory in the final race in front of a record crowd, following on from points scoring finishes in the first two bouts in Hampshire. 

Matt Neal claimed the early bragging rights as he converted pole position into a race win, before Josh Cook scored his second victory in as many meetings with victory in the next contest. Halford Yuasa Racing's Neal produced a commanding lights-to-flag performance in the opening race, after seeing off race-long pressure from team BMW's Colin Tarkington.

Despite the season so far largely being dominated by a number of young drivers, it was the multiple BTCC champion duo of Neal and Turkington that fought back at the UK's fastest circuit. Neal took a maiden pole position for the all-new Honda Civic Type R during qualifying on Saturday, and he duly converted that advantage into a 62nd career victory. Turkington pulled his BMW 125i M Sport alongside the Honda off the line, but Neal hung in at the Complex as all 32-cars made it through for the first time. Turkington kept Neal honest throughout the 16-lap duration, but their positions remained the same until the finish. 

The Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford Focus of Sam Tordoff hounded down Dan Commish's Honda for the final place on the podium, but the latter fended off every advance, and grabbed the second outright rostrum of his debut season. Power Maxed TAG Racing's Cook then followed up his recent Donington Park success with another stellar display at the Hampshire speedbowl. 

Pole-sitter Neal couldn't hang on off-the-line as Turkington's BMW blasted ahead of the Honda Civic Type R on the run down to the Complex. Commish's Honda bogged down at the start, which allowed Tordoff's Ford Focus and Andrew Jordan's Pirtek Racing BMW by in a tussle for third. 

Progress was soon being made behind, however, as the Power Maxed TAG Racing duo of Cook and Senna Procter slipped past Team Shredded Wheat with Gallagher's Tom Chilton. Procter's advances were halted at that point but teammate Cook was on a charge as he saw off Tordoff and Jordan in quick succession. 

Cook's Astra then surged around the outside of Neal's Honda at the final chicane and by lap 10 the local hero was challenging for the lead. The moment of truth came at the end of the next tour as the Bath driver pulled an almost identical move on Turkington's BMW 125i M Sport.

Team GardX Racing with Motorbase's Tordoff held onto fourth from Jordan and Procter. Morgan's second win of the season came in dominate fashion as he commanded the final race from start-to-finish in his Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The Lancastrian driver got a good getaway from pole position and he was able to defend well from an early attack from the Vauxhall Astra of Procter. 

Morgan's job was made slightly more comfortable when a charging Jack Goff hauled his Honda onto the back of Procter's Astra, and a squabble for second ensued. Goff made his move stick on Procter in the final third of the contest, but it was too late to make any inroads into Morgan's advantage. The 29-year-old took the chequered flag and with it the lead in the overall driver's standings. 

Tordoff completed a solid day for Team GardX Racing with Motorbase by taking fourth, whilst team BMW's Turkington fired himself back into championship contention with another top five finish, following on from his double podium earlier in the day. 

Morgan leads the standings by just a point from Cook, with previous championship leader Tom Ingram a further ten points in arrears. Speed works Motorsports' Ingram endured a challenging day after a non-finish in the opener, but the Toyota star provided some respite with a seventh place and a brand-new lap record in the finale.

Results

Round 7

1. Matt Neal (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 16 laps
2. Colin Turkington (GBR) Team BMW +0.860s
3. Dan Commish (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +3.699s
4. Sam Tordoff (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +4.040s
5. Tom Chilton (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +5.290s
6. Andrew Jordan (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +8.922s
7. Senna Procter (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +9.361s
8. Brett Smith (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +9.725s
9. Josh Cook (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +14.929s
10. Chris Smiley (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +15.436s

Round 8

1. Josh Cook (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing 16 laps
2. Colin Turkington (GBR) Team BMW +1.325s
3. Matt Neal (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.285s
4. Sam Tordoff (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +6.287s
5. Andrew Jordan (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +6.595s
6. Senna Proctor (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +7.005s
7. Adam Morgan (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +7.419s
8. Jack Goff (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +7.816s
9. Tom Chilton (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +9.114s
10. Chris Smiley (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +10.203s

Round 9

1. Adam Morgan (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport 16 laps
2. Jack Goff (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +2.433s
3. Senna Proctor (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +3.147s
4. Sam Tordoff (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +5.045s
5. Colin Turkington (GBR) Team BMW +5.994s
6. Josh Cook (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +6.544s
7. Tom Ingram (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +6.922s
8. Matt Neal (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +7.722s
9. Chris Smiley (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +12.985s
10. Rob Collard (GBR) Team BMW +13.205s

The next rounds of the BTCC take place at Oulton Park, on the weekend of the 9th-10th of June. 

What a race!

Here's hoping we aren't in for a Bank Holiday washout, as this year's Donington Historic Festival will be celebrating an iconic Formula 1 race ...

One of the most memorable events in the history of Donington Park, the rain-soaked 1993 European Grand Prix will be celebrated at this year's Donington Historic Festival – which runs from the 4th to the 6th of May – with on-track F1 car demonstrations on the Saturday and Sunday, plus static displays on all three days. In addition, DHF visitors will be invited to get involved by sharing their own memories of the race before and during the Festival.

The 25th anniversary activities add a further exciting dimension to the event, where visitors can enjoy three days of world-class historic motorsport from an outstanding line-up of grids featuring an incredibly diverse range of racing machines spanning nine decades!

The Festival's anniversary theme celebrates that unforgettable day in April 1993, when the crowds flocked to Donington Park as the circuit played host to its first Grand Prix in 55 years – and the first European Grand Prix in eight years. Torrential rain made the track treacherous, as, starting from 4th position, Ayrton Senna battled it out with Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher to win by an incredible 80 seconds.

The F1 cars on show pay tribute in particular to Ayrton Senna, and were either driven by him or against him during his career up to 1993. They include:

• The Toleman TG-184-01 Hart Turbo in which Senna caused a sensation for Friday practice at the 1984 British GP
• A Camel Lotus/Judd 101/3 campaigned in 1989 by Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima
• Gerhard Berger's 1992 Canadian GP-winning McLaren MP4/7A-8 (courtesy of the Donington Collection museum)
• A 1993 Benetton B193B raced that year by Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese
• The McLaren MP4/8 was Senna's test car for the 1993 Donington Park race (courtesy of the Donington Collection museum)

The McLaren MP4/8

DHF visitors will be invited to share their memories of that famous race on display boards at the Festival and, prior to the event, motorsport fans will be invited to send in their own images and memories of the race, which will be printed out and put up on a 'scrapbook' board for everyone to enjoy. 

Do you have fond memories of that race on Easter Sunday, 1993? Be sure to share them with us in the comments below!

Happy Birthday Enzo Ferrari!

This Sunday just gone would have seen the 120th birthday of one of the most influential men in automotive history ... 

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari, son of Alfredo and Adalgisa, was born in Modena on the 18th of February, 1898. As a child, he showed an unbridled passion for cars (his father, after all, had a workshop ... ), and as an adult he went on to become not only a great car manufacturer, but one of the world's greatest representatives of Italian spirit. He was also one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century.

To celebrate his 120th birthday, a photographic exhibition has been organised at Enzo's birthplace, within the complex that now houses the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena. It includes images taken throughout his life: from childhood to adulthood, from his career as a driver, to that of a manager and manufacturer, alongside unforgettable motor racing champions such as Nuvolari, Castellotti, and Villeneuve.

The museum also houses the former workshop of Enzo Ferrari's father, which has been meticulously restored and now contains the Museum of Ferrari Engines, where visitors can see the Prancing Horse's most experimental power units as well as the perfect engines that equip the track and race cars that have given such satisfaction to both Ferrari and its fans.

"It seems incredible to think that Enzo Ferrari was born in the 19th century," says Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne. "His lesson is more relevant than ever and his modernity unquestionable. He was a man with extraordinary vision and ability to manage people and resources, as well as a strong entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional courage. One wonders what he could have achieved if he had had access to today's technical resources and knowledge. The mark that he left on the world remains a source of pride for all of us at Ferrari, and for the whole of Italy."

We have a variety of books on all things Ferrari, available on our website, and if you fancy finding out more motoring history tidbits, This Day in Automotive History is the book for you!  

New Release: Powered By Porsche

Just delivered to Veloce HQ is award winning author Roy Smith's latest book, Powered By Porsche. 

Limited to just 1500 copies, Powered By Porsche– The Alternative Race Cars is the first book of its kind, detailing the non-Porsche racing cars that utilised Porsche engines throughout history, illustrated with some never-before-published pictures that will give you a whole new insight into the world of Porsche.

Reviews for this tome have just starting reaching us, and we thought we'd share a few with you ...


"Porsche must be the most over-catered-for marque in motoring literature. However, this makes Roy Smith's stunning 466-page, meticulously researched tome on, in effect, Porsches that aren't Porsches, thoroughly welcome. 
"It takes an unusual decade-by-decade A-Z format, which causes the timelines to ping about a bit, but finds itself dividing naturally into two halves – the Porsche-engined specials from the earliest days of Ferdinand's engineering consultancy and nascent marque, and the further developments of its super successful sports-racers of the Seventies and Eighties.
"In many ways its the American Porsche-based cars that make for the most interesting and colourful reading, and which help to reinforce the understanding that often what were seen as factory efforts by the public owed much to the ingenuity of the likes of Brumos, Kremer and Holbert. There's also plenty of madness in here, with twin-engined racing cars, Porsche-eninged aircraft and road going Group C cars. Limited to just 1500 copies, [it is] beautifully presented and and incredible feat of research."
– Classic Cars



"At 468 pages and boasting 799 pictures, the Powered By Porsche – The Alternative Race Cars book is a hardback your coffee table will feel as it lands with a mighty thud. The first book to cover those non-works cars that raced with Porsche engines, the book has been put together by Roy Smith, a man with a passion for historic motorsport tales. Spanning the birth of the hybrid car in the 1890s, to the Daytona Prototypes, it is full of encyclopaedic details. It includes lots of unpublished images, anecdotes and insight you won't have come across before, it might even answer a few burning questions you may have."
– GT Porsche



"In his 15 years as an author Roy Smith has differentiated his works by studying areas that other historians have tended to neglect. Now in Powered By Porsche, Smith looks at other racing cars which have used Porsche engines and often chassis and running gear as well.
"Powered By Porsche is an encyclopaedic work unearthing any number of Porsche racing projects and contributes a great deal of background to half a century of Porsche auto racing competition. It will be of particular interest to North American readers, for as the author shows, most of the teams using Porsche motive power were here and he has clearly researched them in considerable detail. Roy Smith's latest offering is a veritable treasure trove for marque historians and an immersive pleasure for general fans."
– Kieron Fennelly



Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Roy to the office once again, to sign some copies of the book for those who helped him compile this impressive work. Complete with interviews with team owners, drivers, and the people from Porsche, as well as answering questions that Porsche fans have always wanted to know, this book is not to be missed, and would make the perfect Christmas gift of any automotive fan!

You can order your copy direct from us, but make sure to be quick, as this limited edition book is sure to be a popular one!

The Racing 914s – A Review

Just in this month is this review from Doug Lloyd of Porsche Panorama, Roy Smith's limited edition book, Porsche – The Racing 914s. Here's the review in full.

"Dense, detailed, and comprehensively illustrated with 452 colour and black-and-white images, Roy Smith's Porsche – The Racing 914s is a rich history of the Porsche 914, in particular the 914/6 GT that raced in Europe and the US in the 1970s.

"With an introductory chapter that discusses the advantages of mid-engine racing cars as being more balanced and better handling that their front-engine brethren, the book continues to a history of the gestation of the 914. Originally a VW-Porsche joint project, the 914 was conceived as a 'people's Porsche' that should not diminish 911 sales but would also be suitable for racing. Succeeding chapters delve into 914/6 GT development and racing, including the 1970 and '71 seasons in Europe and privateer team efforts through the early '70s.

"As racing in Europe at the time was so much more than simple road course competition, there are also sections on hill climbs and rallying. A particularly interesting chapter is devoted to Herbert Linge's efforts to promote safety in auto racing, and blessing from Porsche for his team to develop a 914 into essentially the very first race-speed safety car, including emergency equipment, fire extinguishers, and other safety gear. Prior to that time, tracks had little interest in safety and its attendant costs, with some at best having an on-site retired fire truck. 

"Later chapters discuss 914 competition in the United States, and later private and vintage efforts leading up to modern times. 

"It is clear that Smith is very well-versed in his subject, as the detailed information in the book is meticulously researched, including numerous interviews with the racers, mechanics, and team owners. The last chapter is simply race records from the period. He also covers marketing and promotional challenges, and shares his thoughts about what could have been if perhaps the 914 had been better developed and made more powerful. 

"Porsche – The Racing 914s, is beautifully illustrated, but it is not really a coffee table book: Rather, it is a comprehensive historical look at the 914 and its place in Porsche's racing history."

Sound like a good book to you? You can purchase your copy here; hurry, they are limited editions!

For more on Roy Smith and his Racing 914s book, check out our full interview we did with him ack in December of last year, over on our YouTube page. 

John Surtees: legacy of a legend

John Surtees, MBE, OBE, CBE

John Surtees at Goodwood Revival, 2011. 

John Surtees is a name that most fans of motor racing will be familiar with. His racing career spanned 20 years, starting in 1952, but his involvement in racing continued until the end. A regular figure at race meets, circuits, and on TV, Surtees' trademark wide smile, enthusiasm, and energy won him many friends and fans. He won no fewer than 8 title wins, achieved – remarkably – on two and four wheels: a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated in the modern era of motor racing.

Surtees was born into a family already mad about motorsport, and his first racing appearance came in the sidecar of his father's Vincent – a race that they won … but later disqualified for, for being too young. At 15, he raced in grasstrack competition, and, a year later, went to work for Vincent as an apprentice. The following year, he caught the attention of race goers and works teams alike, by keeping Norton's Geoff Duke honest and on his toes during a race at Thruxton.

With Norton's interest piqued, he was offered sponsorship by its race chief Joe Craig, and Surtees duly responded by beating Duke at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Despite Norton's racing success, and partly due to it, the company faced financial difficulties, so Surtees accepted an offer from the more financially stable MV Agusta.

In 1956, he won the 500cc world championship, only partly assisted by a six-month ban for Geoff Duke, incurred from Duke's support of a riders' strike for more starting money. Whilst the following year only saw a third place finish for Surtees, Gilera and Moto Guzzi's retirement from GP racing at the end of '57 saw him pilot an MV Agusta to a further three 500cc titles, in 1958, '59, and '60 – as well as the world championships in the 350cc class in the same three years.

Surtees' astonishing career, which aside from his hat trick of class doubles, had seen him claim 250 race wins from 352 starts, had also made Surtees' known to a wider audience, and in 1959, he won BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He is still the only motorcycle racer to have been awarded the honour.

Surtees at the Isle of Man TT. This was his final TT win, the 1960 Senior. When he switched to four wheels, his place at MV Agusta was taken by Gary Hocking. From Racing Line.

In 1960, and despite his initial scepticism, Surtees switched to cars, in part due to MV Agusta's refusal to allow him to ride any other two-wheel marque. Racing against Jim Clark at Goodwood in Formula Junior, a rookie error led to him losing his chance of victory – but he was noticed by Colin Chapman, who signed him up to race in F1: a jump that modern F1 racers would find incomprehensible.

Surtees was immediately competitive, aided by the Lotus 18 of Chapman, but a falling out with Chapman, and fellow driver Innes Ireland, over who would drive beside Clark in '61, saw him walk from Lotus.

Stints for Yeoman Credit Cooper and Bowmaker Lola teams over the next few seasons enabled Surtees to continue to compete. Ferrari had already contacted Surtees, who felt it was too early in his career to drive a 'cavallino rampante.' Despite being told by Enzo Ferrari that he would not ask him again, at the end of a difficult '62 season, Enzo did just that, and Surtees accepted.

Surtees' first F1 win came at the Nürbergring. It was in 1964, however, following victories in the German GP and Monza, that he won his first F1 world championship, in the new V8 Ferrari 158, wearing the livery of NART (North American Racing Team).

The 1964 Mexican Grand Prix saw Surtees take second place,
behind Dan Gurney, and just ahead of team-mate Lorenzo Bandini. From Formula One – The Real Score?

The following year was a disappointment for Surtees, with no victories on the track. In September '65, Surtees crashed whilst practicing in his own Lola T70 at the Mosport Park circuit, Canada, and was in a life-threatenting condition for several days. Amazingly, he recovered enough to be back behind the wheel the of the Ferarri by the start of the '66 season.

Political machinations, and a long-sour relationship with team manager Eugenio Dragoni, eventually led to Surtees jumping ship mid-season to Cooper, whos Maserati V12-powered T/81 took him to victory in Mexico … he even managed to finish second in the title fight to Jack Brabham.

1967 saw a switch to Honda for two seasons, with whom he gained his last world championship success, at the Italian GP at Monza. A 1969 BRM stint left Surtees frustrated, and he decided to develop his own F1 cars. With Cosworth engines, the cars showed much promise – enough to coax another two-wheeled legend, Mike Hailwood, to its team … Hailwood went on to win the 1972 European Formula Two championship.

Surtees pilots the V12 Honda RA300. From Grand Prix Ford.

The team finally closed shop in 1978, and Surtees retired from the competitive racing circuit. Surtees held the vice-presidency of the British Racing Drivers' Club, a position he used to help continue and encourage British involvement in international motor sport.

Following the death of his son, Henry, caused by a freak accident at a relaunched F2 vent at Brands Hatch, he devoted his time to supporting the Henry Surtees Foundation, an organisation that helps young people with accident injuries, and develop their capabilities.

The charity became Surtees' main work in recent years, and has raised thousands of pounds for air ambulance services, and head injury research. It was in this capacity that Surtees attended many grass-roots events such as Goodwood, leading him become one of the most familiar, popular, and loved figures, even into his ninth decade. In 1996, John was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He was awarded an MBE in 1959 , OBE in 2008, and CBE in 2016.

On March 10th 2016, John Surtees passed away at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife Jane, and daughters Edwina and Leonora.

To find out more about the Henry Surtess Foundation, follow the link below:

http://henrysurteesfoundation.com

John Surtees photo courtesy Supermac1961 from CHAFFORD HUNDRED, England (Sir John Surtees Uploaded by Sporti) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons