Pictorial Review

European Grand Prix, Monaco
G.P. de Bordeaux, etc.
“Daily Express” Silverstone Meeting

Top: Surprise Victory for the Prancing Horse. — Trintignant on his way to an unexpected but extremely popular win for Ferrari in the European Grand Prix at Monaco. Driving one of the older long-chassis cars the Frenchman won at on average speed of 105.914 k.p.h.

Bottom, left: Practice Shot. — The very fast Lancia driver Castellotti, seen from above — compare this car with the Mercédès-Benz opposite.

Bottom, right: Looking Down on Fangio as he swings his Mercédès-Benz under the railway bridge at Monaco; note the hazards of kerb ond drain. Fangio set a new lap-record for this difficult circuit, of 110.568 k.p.h.

Parnell on Form. — Reg. Parnell was in great form at Silverstone and his 3-litre, disc-braked Aston Martin DB3S led the entire field except for Hawthorn’s D-type Jaguar and won by 93.58 m.p.h. when the Jaguar broke down.

Oil and Water. — Hawthorn was reminded at Silverstone that these fluids are essential inside a motor-car engine; the F.1 Vanwall sprayed his legs with oil and the D-Type Jaguar, seen above, with water, when he had the Sports-Car Race “in the bag.”

On the Way to Victory. — Hawthorn’s Mk. VII Jaguar kept well ahead of the field in Silverstone’s Production Touring-Car Race. Rumour had it that these cars had light-alloy bodies but then most of the competing vehicles were modified from standard.

Fierce Stuff. — Ivor Bueb’s Cooper 500 ahead of Jim Russell’s Cooper during the 50-mile half-litre race at the Daily Express Silverstone Meeting.

Steady Stuff. — Bira has a habit of finishing high up in races — like his third place at Silverstone — without apparent effort. In practice his Maserati spun off twice, but Prason was driving it.

Concentration in the part of Peter Collins winning the big race at Silverstone in the Owen-modified disc-braked 250F Maserati.

French Disc. — The Messier disc-brake used on the 1955 Gordini driven by Bayol at Bordeaux. In actual stopping power it showed little advantage over the drum brakes on Manzon’s earlier car, but it is possible that they might last longer.

Excellent! — describes the performance put up at Silverstone by Jack Fairman in the new F.1 Connaught; he held third place for 28 laps behind the Maseratis of Collins and Salvadori.

Britain’s F. 1 Hope. McAlpine’s Connaught, leads Collins’ winning O.R.M.A. Maserati, during the Daily Express International Trophy Race, with Salvadori’s Maserati coming up behind.

A Wonderful Display of speed and stability was put up throughout the Silverstone Production-Car Race by C.A.S. Brooks in the A.F.N. D.K.W. Sonderklasse. This car was standard except for exhaust-modifications costing but £50.

Production Touring Car? Ken Wharton put up an impressive display in this Ford Zephyr in the Silverstone Production Touring-Car Race, aided by a huge bucket of “dicing throne,” R.M. light-alloy, twin S.U. head, dual exhaust system, overdrive, rear-located battery and stiffer-than-standard suspension.

Close-Up! — Sports-car racing is becoming intense, as Leston’s expression testifies, while he “pushes” Anthony’s Lotus-Bristol round Copse Corner at Silverstone. He is followed, moreover, by Brooks’ Frazer-Nash and Bueb’s Cooper 1,100, both class-winners. Puzzle! — where is Brooks?

Gallant but Fruitless. — Bayol pushed the disc-braked 1955 Gordini back to the pits, but the damage to the transmission was irreparable and he had to retire when lying fifth at Bordeaux.

Driving Styles at Monaco. — left top, Trintignant; Right top, Castelloti; left bottom, Villoresi; right bottom, Frere.

Closing Up. — Fangio having been signaled to slow and let Moss close up, these two Mercedes-Benz run first and second in the European G.P. at Monaco at around half-distance.

Monaco, First Lap. — Fangio’s new short-chassis Mercedes-Benz takes Station Corner ahead of Moss and Castelloti, while behind stream Ascari, Behra, Musso and the rest. By the end of this first lap a large proportion of the cars has small dents in their tails, evidence of their proximity to each other.

Second Home at Monaco. — Castelloti in the Lancia which was beaten by Trintignant’s Ferrari. During the opening laps he overtook both Ascari and Moss, driving with a skill and determination that should take him to the top.

Follow-My-Leader through the sun-drenched town of Mote-Carlo, Manzon’s Gordini, Harry Schell’s Ferrari and Hawthorn in the lone Vanwall at Station Corner. Hawthorn managed to overtake Schell in the Ferrari before the throttle linkage on the Vanwall broke, causing him to retire.

Close Together. — Schell’s Ferrari follows Musso’s new Maserati at Monaco down and round the turn by the station.

Rosier’s Rear! — The veteran French driver continues after damaging the tail of his Maserati in the European G.P. This caused his ultimate retirement with a loose oil tank.

Stirling Moss at the wheel with Denis Jenkinson to guide him, tense, seconds before the start. On the left, wearing overcoat, is Castegnato, the organizer of this, the most gruelling of all races. Behind car on the right, wearing trilby hat, Neubauer, the Mercedes team manager and by side of ramp smiling confidently, Uhlenhaut, the designer of what we now know to be the winning car.

High-Speed Lorry. — This was said about Bentleys, but did they ever carry a G.P. car on their backs at over 100 m.p.h.? The remarkable Mercedes-Benz 300SL transporter, built as a technical exercise by the Daimler-Benz racing department. With a frontal area little more than a saloon car and 240 b.h.p. available, the performance can be imagined — see page 302.

Italian Artistry. — The very pretty open two-seater sports Lancia Aurelia 2 ½-litre as used by Jean Behra and Cesar Perdisa, the factory Maserati drivers, for their personal transport. This model is now in production and represents two major changes in the Turin firm’s policy, first an open model, and secondly the fitting of a left-hand driving position. All the mechanical components are the same as the Gran Turismo model.