In celebration of the Le Mans events, I’ve painted up a few of our new Classics from this week’s Nurburgring Booster Pack. Each is my shot at a replica paint, with a little history of the car and driver I’m depicting.
car: 1956 Lotus Eleven
paint: 1957 AllisonHall
GT: bob qoq
Type: Racing
Type: Realistic
Key words: 1957 Allison & Hall #55
The Lotus Eleven body style we have here, with its aero fin behind the roll bar, is the one driven by Cliff Allison and Keith Hall in the Grand Prix d’Endurance at Le Mans in 1957. #55 ran its 746cc Coventry Climax engine to victory in the 750cc Index of Peformance class.
Lotus enlisted an American team in Herbert McKay-Fraser and Jay Chamberlain to drive the #62 to an 1100cc class win in this same race. Robert Walshaw/John Dalton and Andre Hechard/Roger Masson ran 1100cc Lotus Elevens to 2nd & 4th, to round out a remarkable 4-for-4 by the Lotus Eleven.
In the 1956 Grand Prix d’Endurance 24 Hours at Le Mans, Allison and Hall had driven an 1100cc Lotus Eleven #35 but were sidelined after 89 laps, while their teammates in #32 took the 1100cc class win, as the Lotus Eleven went 1-for-3 finishing the 1956 race.
#55 made it into the 1958 race, and its 202 laps provided Team Lotus’ best result. (Cliff Allison had moved up to the Lotus Mk15 for 1958 but managed only 39 laps.) Finishing 1-for-3 in the 1958 Grand Prix d’Endurance, the Lotus Eleven sealed its legacy as an able qualifier for 3 straight years.
car: 1967 Brabham BT24
paint: 1967 Hulme 2
GT: bob qoq
Type: Racing
Type: Realistic
Key words: 1967 Hulme #2 Nurbrg
The Brabham BT24 had an epic F1 year in 1967, with Denny Hulme taking the season championship. Presented here is my take on the #2 he drove to the win at Nurburgring on August 6, 1967. (It would be more accurately portrayed with just 2 stickers on the right front panel; the third is my “artistic license”.)
Jack Brabham drove his cars as well, gracing many of the same leaderboards as Hulme. Denny Hulme gets my first realistic BT24 paint to honor his Nurburgring win; it helps his car had a little more on it, while Jack kept his very simple. I’ll keep looking for a well-decorated paint from another race piloted by Brabham himself.
car: 1939 Maserati 8CTF
paint: 1938 Tripoli #18
GT: bob qoq
Type: Racing
Type: Throwback
Key words: Goffredo Zehender #18
The Maserati 8CTF made its debut in 1938, on that year’s Grand Prix circuit. #18 was driven by Goffredo Zehender in Tripoli and in Monza. While it didn’t help that WWII was looming, the car somehow couldn’t keep up with more-sophisticated German makes from Mercedes and Auto Union. Its mechanical difficulties led to the sale of a car and engine to Boyle Racing; America’s sweeter fuel was just what it needed. Wilbur Shaw drove it to back-to-back Indy 500 wins in 1939 and 1940, and led most of 1941 when an unbalanced wheel’s disintegration pulled him into the wall.
car: 1967 Brabham BT24
paint: Old 37
GT: bob qoq
Type: Racing
Type: Throwback
Key words: faded OEM green 37 sponsored
This “throwback” paint is a fantasy shot, what a Brabham might have looked like as a 1980’s barn find: wipe it down, sign a few modest sponsor deals, upgrade the tires and go!
cheers
bob