RE: Fangio at Monaco: Time For Tea?
Friday 23rd May 2014
In case you weren't aware, there'll be a gathering of has-beens and limelight hoggers in Monaco this weekend, showing off their leathery skin, gin palaces and awful facelifts while a small motor race will take place around the streets of the principality. Not like it was back in the good old days.
Even with those pontoons Ascari's D50 didn't floatWhich is why we've dug out a clip of Grand Prix legend Juan Manuel Fangio getting in a bit of practice aboard a 1950s Ferrari D50. Only Fangio's laps aren't on a closed course. As his Ferrari's 285hp 2.5-litre V8 barks, the sound bouncing off the nearly deserted urban streets, the Argentinian skates his D50 around, threading it between rows of parked cars and a fully open harbour side.
Fangio at Monaco: Time For Tea?
When men were men and 'protective clothing' meant little more than a T-shirt and inner steel
Even with those pontoons Ascari's D50 didn't float
No prisoners taken here, even though his good mate Alberto Ascari put a similar car in the drink the year before, suffering just a broken nose. And, best of all, Fangio does it in nothing more than a T-shirt. With two monstrous pontoon fuel tanks mounted either side of him, we'd want a bit more incendiary protection than some leather driving gloves and an old lid, given the way he makes the D50 dance round Rascasse and the old Lowes hairpin.
Click the kettle on, grab the nearest ashtray for your best Monaco simulation (it'll become obvious when you watch the vid...) and enjoy some gratuitous slow-mo, 1950s style.
Still photos: LAT Photo
Discussion
Fantastic video!
It isn't period though, it was part of a documentary made in the late 60s or early 70s. giveaways are the quality of the colour footage, and the fact that some of the parked cars in the street weren't in production until the 60s. Oh, and the fact that Fangio looks older!
It isn't period though, it was part of a documentary made in the late 60s or early 70s. giveaways are the quality of the colour footage, and the fact that some of the parked cars in the street weren't in production until the 60s. Oh, and the fact that Fangio looks older!
ChemicalChaos said:
Fantastic video!
It isn't period though, it was part of a documentary made in the late 60s or early 70s. giveaways are the quality of the colour footage, and the fact that some of the parked cars in the street weren't in production until the 60s. Oh, and the fact that Fangio looks older!
One of the standout things for me was the fact that there were cars on the street at all, incredible driving and bravery regardless of when it was filmed.It isn't period though, it was part of a documentary made in the late 60s or early 70s. giveaways are the quality of the colour footage, and the fact that some of the parked cars in the street weren't in production until the 60s. Oh, and the fact that Fangio looks older!
Fangio,one of my hero's. The man drove like an artist, and by all accounts was a true gentleman. He was obviously playing to the camera,as he was well known for winning at the slowest possible speed,to save the car.
Can you imagine the modern health and safety crowd allowing parked cars,while doing demonstration runs at a race circuit. And driving in a t shirt!
Can you imagine the modern health and safety crowd allowing parked cars,while doing demonstration runs at a race circuit. And driving in a t shirt!
goneape said:
I found an onboard clip of Graham Hill at Monaco in 1970, shows how much the circuit has changed over the years.
There was a discussion going on in the "fantastic motorsport photos" thread recently, a picture from the 1970 race showed the run down from the chicane to tabac appearing to be downhill. By looking at old track maps and footage, it strangely appears that the track has been re-routed along the top of the harbour wall rather than on the harbour itself. This is why that bit is now flat instead of a down-and-up, and why the chicane is now a left-right-right-left rather than a plain left-right kink. The bit that got me, however, was how much the tunnel has changed from both the Fangio and Hill clips - nowadays it stretches pretty much all the way from Portier to the crest of the run down to the chicane, whereas back then it seemed only about 1/3 as long and didnt even reach the corner that is now in it!
Just watched the latest M-B "Train" in Monaco, just not the same anymore. I preferred watching the original with The Maestro and S.M. in attendance (usually 3 feet behind!!!) J M-F was the epitome of how a racing driver should be, and, an absolute gentleman into the bargain. How times change.
ChemicalChaos said:
goneape said:
I found an onboard clip of Graham Hill at Monaco in 1970, shows how much the circuit has changed over the years.
There was a discussion going on in the "fantastic motorsport photos" thread recently, a picture from the 1970 race showed the run down from the chicane to tabac appearing to be downhill. By looking at old track maps and footage, it strangely appears that the track has been re-routed along the top of the harbour wall rather than on the harbour itself. This is why that bit is now flat instead of a down-and-up, and why the chicane is now a left-right-right-left rather than a plain left-right kink. The bit that got me, however, was how much the tunnel has changed from both the Fangio and Hill clips - nowadays it stretches pretty much all the way from Portier to the crest of the run down to the chicane, whereas back then it seemed only about 1/3 as long and didnt even reach the corner that is now in it!
The tunnel was extended to allow the building of the Loews Hotel above it.
Real cars ... real drivers ... real racing ... those were the days.
The parked cars and the music say 70's to me.
This must be an early D50 though, as when Lancia withdrew from racing and handed all their cars, etc. over to Ferrari, the first thing they did was relocate the fuel to the traditional Ferrari position, in the tail. Now empty, the sidetanks had only the rerouted exhausts running through them, plus small oil tanks. It can clearly be seen in the film however, that this car has the tanks separate from the body as on the original Lancia, rather than faired in as on the later Ferrari.
Indeed I'm wondering whether this might actually BE a Lancia, painted to look like a Ferrari (I'm pretty sure all the Ferraris were scrapped at the end of the '56 season - another thing they wouldn't do now! - whereas two out of the three original Lancias are still in existence).
The parked cars and the music say 70's to me.
This must be an early D50 though, as when Lancia withdrew from racing and handed all their cars, etc. over to Ferrari, the first thing they did was relocate the fuel to the traditional Ferrari position, in the tail. Now empty, the sidetanks had only the rerouted exhausts running through them, plus small oil tanks. It can clearly be seen in the film however, that this car has the tanks separate from the body as on the original Lancia, rather than faired in as on the later Ferrari.
Indeed I'm wondering whether this might actually BE a Lancia, painted to look like a Ferrari (I'm pretty sure all the Ferraris were scrapped at the end of the '56 season - another thing they wouldn't do now! - whereas two out of the three original Lancias are still in existence).
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