Imaginative Honda painting

Sir,

I believe I can answer Bill Boddy’s query regarding the painting of the Honda F1 car in the rain (November issue). It was used on the cover of the December 1966 edition of Model Cars, a copy of which sits before me, and depicts the 3-litre Honda of that same season.

The painting is by Latuie Bagley, who provided a large number of the cover illustrations for this magazine and its predecessor, Model Maker. As to this painting’s content, it is purely speculative, as the editor commented:

‘On the cover: We make no apologies for depicting the new Honda holding off Ferraris and the like in the rain at a circuit somewhere in Europe.

‘Before you all write in to say that it never rained when the Honda ran this season, we are going to claim artistic licence! [The] Man responsible for the downpour was Laurie Bagley, at our suggestion.’

In the published version the Ferrari is renumbered as 6.

To add to your speculation as to the blue car depicted, how about it being French privateer Guy Ligier at the wheel of his Cooper-Maserati? I know he did not race against the Honda in this car as he had broken his kneecap at the Nurburgring prior to the Honda’s debut at Monza. But perhaps I can claim artistic licence, too.

I AM, YOURS ETC,

Nigel Wood, Langar, Nottinghamshire