1950's GP car numbering

[Voldemort]

So I was surfing wiki and looking at the 1950 Monacco GP page. Did you know it was a 100 lap race?

Anyway, I noticed the car numbers are given and they are all even numbers.



Why no odd numbers? Anyone know?

[nicanary]

I don't know the answer for sure, but Continental race organisers sometimes used unusual numbering as a method to combat counterfeit programme selling.

[Voldemort]

Sounds crazy enough to be true! Did this mean that cars/drivers were given different numbers from race to race within the same season?

[nicanary]

Voldemort said:

Sounds crazy enough to be true! Did this mean that cars/drivers were given different numbers from race to race within the same season?

You're clearly a young 'un - before Ecclestone got his money-grabbing mitts on the sport, it wasn't homogenised like today. Each GP was organised by that country's official body, and entries were invited. All the teams had to fill in application forms to take part, and were allocated race numbers on arrival at the track. Each race would see the usual regulars, plus other entries from teams which could only afford to fly to certain countries, and also from locals who had a car which was suitable.

It was the Golden Age - you have no idea how sh*te F1 is nowadays. I just wish we could all club together and buy back our sport. I'll give a tenner.

[nicanary]

Just an update - quite simply, I haven't been able to solve this. I thought the answer might be that the "odd" numbers were allocated to the F3 cars in the supporting race, but they had "even" numbers also. What I have found out, and you will see this on the entry list, is that numbers were allocated according to nationality. Thus the first two entries are for Argentinian drivers - remember that the alphabet will be for the French spelling (German would be Allemagne eg).

It's all indicative of how things were done in those days. No central organisation like FOM telling you what you can or cannot do. Each race organiser did things their own way. (Interesting footnote - Harry Schell competed in the early F3 race as #6 with a 500cc motor, then changed engines in the break to a 1100cc motor and competed in the GP as #8 - can you just see Bernie's face if you tried that today?)

I've just noticed two anomalies - Fangio and Sommer are incorrectly numbered according to "the system".

Edited by nicanary on Saturday 2nd November 10:22

[tapkaJohnD]

Numbers? What numbers? Toady you can only tell the difference between two team cars by the colour of the rivets on the camera pod. Or the helmet.
JOhn