HISTORICAL '53-'55 (356) RACING VIDEO

[Bob Kierejczyk]

The back story:

Ernie Spitzer was a neighbor of ours before passing away some years ago.
Ernie was the founder and past president of the Mercedes Benz Gullwing Group.
Along with his MB 300SL Gullwing Ernie was a Porsche and VW guy.
After his death and prior to the family settling his estate we were fortunate enough to acquire all of his automotive related items
including parts, pieces, literature, trophy's, manuals, etc., etc., etc.,...... Lots of stuff!!!!... According to my wife "to much stuff".
We were recently going thru some boxes of odds & ends and came across 30+/- cans of 8mm films, mostly unlabeled.
On a whim we randomly chose four (4) to have digitally reproduced onto one (1) video to get an indication as to what may be on them.
We just watched the 1st 19 minute video and were pleasantly surprised as they were films (silent) of what appears to be SCCA races from '53 - '55 +/- taken at various Northern California racetracks (Pebble Beach, Sonoma County Airport, Golden Gate, Moffett Field, etc.)
The overwhelming majority of this film (see link below) has to do with Porsches including Speedsters, Coupes, Americas, 550 Spyders, etc...
There are also many images of the actual drivers and participants - none of which I recognize but I assume were popular back in the day?

Would welcome any input………….. ENJOY!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pp8bysfhmkz1e ... 1.mp4?dl=0

Bob
bob@adart.com

[Alex Mestas]

Bob
Thanks for sharing that. It’s amazing how they raced with abandon with virtually no protection. You don’t normally see VW’s in the mix that often.

[Norm Miller]

Early in the film, I had to laugh at the pre-A with its lousy rear shocks bouncing down the track!
The youngsters on the forum are likely wondering where all the Gullwings came from!
There is the driver/mechanic tweaking his carbs. in a dress shirt and tie, Wow!
It certainly brought back pleasant memories for me.

[Warren Bender]

WOW !!!! Great show- thanks a lot
Warren

[Alan Hall]

Loved it! Thanks for sharing Bob. Being a No. Cal quy I recognizes some of the cars but didn't know the drivers. Hope we get a chance to see more of the films of races.

[George Walling]

Bob thanks for sharing. When I bought my speedster I was told it raced in SCCA circuit in Ca. but never got the name of who raced it so wonder if my speedster might be one in the film. I was told it was raced from 1955 thru 1958. then sold. and was brought to Oregon some time around 1960 buy buyer and I bought it in 1965.
Thanks again for sharing

George

[Al Zim]

The first and the last race were at a military airfield. I did not see the dirigible hangar so it cannot be Moffat field. Most important in this movie is the open car that won the race. This is probably a Gmund coupe that has had the top cut off which would make it the car that Johnnie VonNuman drove. This car was the one that placed in the first outing that Porsche did at Le Mans. None of the Porsche cars had tear drop tail lights, begging the question did anyone race a speedster when it was brand new? The middle race with the trees was at Torry Pines on the Monterrey Peninsula my guess in the summer of 1958. The corvette was a 1957 car. 58 had 4 headlights and different tail lights. I would hope that the registry would have this film restored and offered to its members on a DVD. al zim
How did that VW go so fast? It had to have an Okrasa kit.

[Ronald Sieber]

These films certainly capture the spirit of those early postwar days of racing. It's too bad that no signs were made to identify each race sequence, so the airports may be hard to pinpoint.

Given that you have only sampled the collection, I am wondering whose image might be imprinted on those films that a forensic study could uncover. Considering the time period of these films, it is likely that there are captured moments with Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby, and maybe even James Dean.

I look forward to seeing more of these. Thanks for sharing!

[Dan Haden]

In the last airport race there is a glimpse of a hangar with Sonoma County Airport on it. Great stuff. Frenched taillights on the one Speedster.

[Frank Barrett]

Recognized a few cars, including Ken Miles in his Flying Shingle. A good video person could probably enhance these. Whatever, these and the other films should be preserved in a good archive. Contact SCCA's national archivist or someone at the Petersen Museum, and they can guide you.

[Vic Skirmants]

Dan; not a speedster. That is the chopped-top Gmuend coupe of von Nuemann after he sold it. As identified by Al Zim.

[Spencer Harris]

Great video Bob. Thanks for sharing it!

Dan; not a speedster. That is the chopped-top Gmuend coupe of von Nuemann after he sold it. As identified by Al Zim.

More on John von Neumann & his chopped-top Gmund coupe here - with mention of Ernie Spitzer:
http://www.hillmanimages.com/912/030818-3542.html

714b48f1039052f32cfe299a847d6ea6.jpg (71.01 KiB) Viewed 1962 times

[Dan Macdonald]

The first and the last race were at a military airfield. I did not see the dirigible hangar so it cannot be Moffat field. Most important in this movie is the open car that won the race. This is probably a Gmund coupe that has had the top cut off which would make it the car that Johnnie VonNuman drove. This car was the one that placed in the first outing that Porsche did at Le Mans. None of the Porsche cars had tear drop tail lights, begging the question did anyone race a speedster when it was brand new? The middle race with the trees was at Torry Pines on the Monterrey Peninsula my guess in the summer of 1958. The corvette was a 1957 car. 58 had 4 headlights and different tail lights. I would hope that the registry would have this film restored and offered to its members on a DVD. al zim
How did that VW go so fast? It had to have an Okrasa kit.

Al, Are you sure that's not Pebble Beach, rather than Torry PInes? Looks a lot like it to me.

[Dan Haden]

Vic - thanks for the clarification. I saw Al's mention of the chopped top Gmund, and then I forgot to look for it when I watched the video.

[Vic Skirmants]

Vic - thanks for the clarification. I saw Al's mention of the chopped top Gmund, and then I forgot to look for it when I watched the video.

It's in almost every frame; punched-in nose, tape on nose, cockpit detail. Somebody associated with the car was apparently running the camera.