Wheel Men...Drivers of the Lotus 49

[Lou Drozdowski]

Enzo coined the term "Gara-gistas"...or garage boys.

Those smaller teams not formally backed by a manufacturer, that not only raced but, rented and sold their cars.
In 1967 you had...BRM, Brabham, Cooper, Lola, Protos, Eagle, LDS, Matra and the still enduring McLaren team.

Two classic pics for you...Get you goggles ready! ld     

[Roger]

BRM and Matra would not have been garagistes by Enzo's reckoning. They built their own engines, transmissions, etc. They didn't buy them in and assemble them into cars.

[Lou Drozdowski]

BRM and Matra would not have been garagistes by Enzo's reckoning. They built their own engines, transmissions, etc. They didn't buy them in and assemble them into cars.

Roger...Ok, but...Enzo was asked to "compare" everyone else to Ferrari. " We make every thing except the tires."
Neither BRM or Matra were producing road and race cars at the time.
 
Check out the sneaky nose!...Hill shows the 49 with it's first wing sprouts.
Can you name the who's trailing in the lower picture...ld 

[BDA]

I'll take a wild guess. The car is light blue which I believe was the color of Matras. I can't see the helmet very well but it looks like it could have a stripe of some kind (maybe a plaid?) around it above the visor. I'll guess Jackie Stewart.

[blasterdad]

Siffert...

[BDA]

Nah. Siffert is #16 with the Swiss cross on his helmet.

[blasterdad]

Nah. Siffert is #16 with the Swiss cross on his helmet.

I just typed in what it said under the picture, lol.
So I'll guess Mario Andretti....?

[Lou Drozdowski]

I'll take a wild guess. The car is light blue which I believe was the color of Matras. I can't see the helmet very well but it looks like it could have a stripe of some kind (maybe a plaid?) around it above the visor. I'll guess Jackie Stewart.

Excellent!...It was Sir Jackie driving the Matra MS10/Cosworth.

A great weekend indeed for team Lotus at the 1968 Mexican Grand Prix. Siffert snagged pole and fastest lap for the Rob Walker entry but, Hill powered the 49B to win by 79 seconds and almost lapped the entire field. The story of the race however was Oliver's charge thru the pack, starting from 14th and finishing 3rd...Siffert hung on to finish 6th while Stewart was 7th. ld

[Lou Drozdowski]

 Jochen Rindt's first victory for Team Lotus was in the 49 at Watkins Glen in 1969.
 He brought the 49 home again for it's last win at Monaco in 1970. The lower photograph shows the 72 in testing form during qualifications for the race with the winning 49 beside it. ld

[Lou Drozdowski]

Some shots of Rob Walker's mates...Siffert and Hill and the Brooke /Bond /Oxo liveried 49. ld

I like the decal of the car on the car...

[BDA]

You also notice the huge advancements in safety. Check out the height of Siffert's helmet compared to the height of the roll bar!

[Lou Drozdowski]

Can't say enough about this great man...Mario Andretti

There is a petition in circulation to award Mario the Presidential medal of Freedom. One hundred thousand signatures are needed.
 
Please go to, http://wh.gov/ib4gg  and cast your vote. ld

[HealeyBN7]

I met Mario a few years after he stopped racing.  Very down to earth.

Thought you would enjoy this from our friends a CarBuilderIndex.  Posted today...When you were not a factory member, you brought your car to the track the old fashion way...  enjoy these great photos.

http://www.carbuildindex.com/42096/vw-kombi-transporter-vintage-race-car-hauler-photos/

Dean

[BDA]

It really is amazing to look back and view the state of the art of various things back then. To see that F1 race cars weren't transported on anything more sophisticated than what club racers used seems so out of place! As your post shows, teams big and small were pretty much in the same camp. I remember seeing a picture from 1966 of the Chaparral tow vehicle (a pickup truck with tool boxes on either side of the bed such as any plumber at the time might use) towing a 2E, with wing and all, into the grass paddock area at Road America.

[Bainford]

very cool pics at that link, Dean. I had seen the Pete Lovely Lotus 49 + hauler photo before, but many of the others are new to me. I love the contrast of Pete Lovely with his 49 on the back of his VW, and the Gold Leaf Team Lotus hauler in the background.