Motor Sport memorabilia and gifts, January 2023
Whether hunting for gifts or buying for yourself, visit the Motor Sport shop at motorsportmagazine.com/shop and find a miscellany of track-friendly ideas
Ultimate Ferrari 250 GTO – The Definitive History
Think you know all there is to know about the world’s most desirable car? We’d wager you’ll still learn a thing or two from this incredible offering from Porter Press, which celebrates all things Ferrari 250 GTO. Produced across two volumes, author James Page – assisted by world-renowned Ferrari expert Keith Bluemel – has dug deeper into the history of the 250 GTO than ever before, with the first volume concentrating on the model’s forebears, development of the 250 GTO, its early racing exploits and its swansong 1964 season. Volume two is even more intricate, with detailed histories of each of the 36 chassis, all of which have survived. Add in hundreds of period images, many that have never been published before, and you have a true collectors’ piece. And it’s limited to just 750 copies, with each signed by Page and Bluemel. £450
Joel Clark BTCC wing mirror art
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since that all-time epic British Touring Car Championship showdown at Silverstone between Steve Soper, John Cleland and Tim Harvey. Mark the occasion with this wonderfully quirky artwork from Joel Clark, who has taken a Vauxhall wing mirror and filled it full of precision-cut vinyl to create the image of Harvey’s BMW homing in. It’s epic. And good thing it wasn’t from Soper’s car, or Clark would’ve needed more vinyl to model Cleland’s famous “I’m going for first” signal… £423.50
Six Appeal Tyrrell P34 print
Stuck for what to get that F1 fan in your life who seems to have everything? It’s likely they don’t have this! Tyrrell’s radical six-wheeled P34 shocked the world when the covers were pulled off it in September 1975, and it upset the paddock when it hit the track the following season. Winning only once – at the Swedish GP in the hands of Jody Scheckter – it wasn’t the most successful car, but it’s the most distinctive. This limited edition lithographic print is signed by Scheckter. £99.95
Classic Team Lotus Monza T-Shirt
Give the gift of cool this festive period with this awesome Team Lotus tee, depicting the John Player Special-liveried Lotus 72 driven by Ronnie Peterson in full flow. With gloriously retro 1975 Italian GP branding, it’s the perfect gift. Or, keep it for yourself. Nobody would blame you… £19.50
Scalextric Williams FW14B
We have a great range of Scalextric goodies up for grabs, including sets and individual cars in stock. Here’s one for turbocharged F1 fans – Nigel Mansell’s Williams FW11 from 1986, complete with everybody’s favourite moustachioed Brummie in model form in the cockpit. This was the car that scooped Williams nine wins across the season, with Mansell finishing two points shy of the world title. And now you can recreate the drama on your shagpile… £44.99
About the Motor Sport shop
With hundreds of special and unique racing-themed products, and many new items regularly added, the Motor Sport shop is aimed at both serious and casual collectors with a wide range of prices to suit your budget. Visit motorsportmagazine.com/shop
The expert view
McQueen’s lost lid
Even when you live and breathe collectibles, you never stop learning about them. I recently came across an item I knew little about, but one which comes with an interesting backstory.
Sometimes the Holy Grail of collectibles are those that appeal to more than one sector of the market, such as something that appeals to the sporting collector, the celebrity collector, the movie collector and more all at the same time. This Steve McQueen continuation Bell helmet, inset, is one of those sorts of items.
Firstly, it’s rare for Bell to make a true continuation helmet – which means it’s made the same way as the original but with modern materials. Secondly, it’s Steve McQueen, the King of Cool. And thirdly, it’s Steve McQueen out of hours.
This original design hails back to 1964 when McQueen’s star was on the rise – a year after The Great Escape. During filming of The Great Escape, Steve made friends with stunt rider Bud Ekins, who performed that jump.
Ekins owned a bike shop and was essentially a semi-pro off-road rider. He invited McQueen to take part in The Six Day Trial, which took place in East Germany and involved a series of off-road contests with teams by country. Steve became part of the first US entry, and this is the helmet design he wore.
The team didn’t do well, but the fact McQueen did the event at all, riding a Triumph 650, makes it super cool. It harks back to the days before his insurance company started to pull the strings over what he could and couldn’t do – remember them pulling the plug on his planned Le Mans entry for 1970?
Bell only produced a limited number of these continuations, of which this is No706. It’s sure to be a talking point.
Steve McQueen International Six Day Trial replica helmet, Motor Sport shop, £1500.
Andrew Francis is director at The Signature Store, thesignaturestore.co.uk