05 Vintage Race Photos - Mid-50s Sports Cars And Drivers, At The Nurburgring

Old amateur photos -5-

First page, scans of Mid-50s Nurburgring racing
from slides by Bill Bean

Photographed on May 27, 1956 while he was in Europe with the Air Force. Bill said in that era the Sports Car Championship was at least as important as Formula One. To see others of Bill's photos, look at Riverside International Raceway Midget Auto Road Racing. It's obvious Bill's skills are several cuts above those of previous 'amateur' photographers represented here.

Gil Bouffard sent some information: "All of the photos were taken on the return side of the track, behind the pits. The cars are going through Hatzenbach which leads out into the forest."

Set out in the order of machine-applied numbers on slide mounts

My original "Who-is" guesses are set out straight
The correct answers are italicized
Seems to me "DNP" means Did Not Practice (in this car)
Fast Lap: Juan Manuel Fangio in 10:05.3

Thumbnail: Red coupe at Nurburgring Alfa Romeo, maybe?

Thumbnail: Mike Hawthorne in the D Jaguar at Nurburgring

No second clickem on this one. Just the thumbnail and its large counterpart. Click the photo for the bigger one. Looks like an Alfa to me.

Here's Mike Hawthorne in a wrinkle-nosed, tail-finned Jaguar D-Type. I'm sure it's Hawthorne because of the distinctive helmet. I'll be interested in learning how the noselift came about. Three clickems: the photo for a big view, the car for a close-up, and upper left corner for a view of the helmet.

Albert Ringgenberg, Heini Walter / CH; Alfa Romeo Giulietta SV; 12th overall, finished 43 laps to the winner's 44; 2nd GT/T1.3.

Mike Hawthorn, Desmond Titterington / GB; Jaguar D-type XKD601; qualified 5th, DNF drive shaft; 43 laps.

Aston-Martin, brown-helmeted driver up. It's the lower A-M numbered car, and I believe it's Stirling Moss. I hope it's Moss. If not, then I feel some motive to go back to my Sebring page and declare the stander-on-the-wall "Roy Salvadori". Picture and car clickems.

Ferrari, I bet. When I looked at this I thought of several drivers of the era, and might have picked one. Now I will hesitate and research before committing. Picture and car clickems.

Peter Collins, Tony Brooks / GB; Aston Martin DB3S DB3S/5; 5th overall, 43 laps; 4th S+2.0.

Gil Bouffard: "Re: the Aston Martin DB3S Number 9. Both Tony Brooks and Peter Collins wore brown helmets."

Phil Hill / USA, Alfonso de Portago / E - DNP, Olivier Gendebien / B - DNP, Ken Wharton / GB - DNS; Ferrari 290MM 0626M; 3rd overall, 44 laps; 10 minutes 1.4 seconds back; 3rd S+2.0. Qualified 3rd.

(This car is remarkable for its Argentine colors on the nose, even though entered by Scuderia Ferrari for an American and a Brit. A month earlier Fangio had driven it to 4th in the Mille Miglia.) (Gil Bouffard wrote to say the nose-colors are Spanish.)

Portago and Gendebien qualified 8th, started Ferrari 860 Monza (?) 0628M, DNF at 9 laps, "assistanc."

Thumbnail: Once again, the #9 Aston Martin

The (I hope) Moss car again. Same deal: picture and car clickems.

Wrong, wrong, wronnnngggg . . .

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