21 replies to this topic

[Formula Once]

Who was driving what on the road (apart from the road car they got to drive as part of their contract with a car manufacturer)? In other words: what were their cars of choice?

I know for example that Niki Lauda bought a Bentley in the mid-seventies (or was it a Rolls?) and later had a 288 GTO and a Mini Cooper S, while Gilles Villeneuve had his Ford Bronco shipped over to Monaco in the late seventies, Rosberg had a 308 and some sort of Cobra, Regazzoni bought a 365 GTB (not from the factory) and many F1-drivers bought a Mercedes in the eighties as they got quite some discount.

It would be interesting to know more.

Thanks!

[Bjorn Kjer]

Use the Search function or go through the threads , it has been here before.

[Michael_Delaney]

Jean Behra drove a Lancia Spider and later a Porsche 356.
Sterling Moss had for some time a Facel Vega.
Eddie Irvine had a 288 GTO.


Regards

MD

Edited by Michael_Delaney, 30 December 2009 - 20:46.

[RA Historian]

In the 1980s, among many other cars, Mario Andretti had a Ferrari F-40. Michael Andretti had a Lagonda for a while.

Errr, Michael, it is Stirling Moss!

Tom

[scheivlak]

This is an earlier thread: http://forums.autosp...mp;hl=road cars

[Tony Matthews]

Mario Andretti had a Lotus Esprit and a Ferrari 308GTB/S? Maybe the Lotus was a company car but he had the Ferrari at the same time.

Must have been a toss-up as to which was the least reliable...

[Formula Once]

Thanks everybody and sorry for not finding the other thread first (I did try...)

[D-Type]

Twinny,
Time for a merger methinks

[Thundersports]

Damon Hill had a company Renault Safrane which he got caught speeding in on the M40 in the mid 90s.

[kayemod]

When Michael Schumacher was at Benetton in their Renault phase, the car that went with the job was a 3 litre Luguna, the lucky devil... He had a much publicised crash on an autobahn, in which he rear-ended a truck. Coming shortly after their Hockenheim misunderstanding where Damon ran into the back of Schumacher's car, Damon commented that the truck driver "Must have braked too soon". I think Damon alleged something similar about Herr Schumacher's on-track behaviour, but surely he'd never do anything as unsporting as that?

[john aston]

Once encountered Mark Donohue at petrol station near Silverstone in 1975 in his black Carrera 2.7 RS.Oddly , he didn't comment on the Hesketh stickered Riley 1300 I was filling up at same time.

[Tony Matthews]

Once encountered Mark Donohue at petrol station near Silverstone in 1975 in his black Carrera 2.7 RS.Oddly , he didn't comment on the Hesketh stickered Riley 1300 I was filling up at same time.

Probably ashamed of his car, John.

[RobertE]

Ayrton Senna had a Mercedes 2.3-16 as a road car when he was with Lotus - it was recently for sale. Jack Sears had the same type - indeed, still has it. I know this because he refused to sell it to me! The late, great Don Moore also had one, as, I believe did David Coulthard. Surtees had a Mercedes 6.3 (amongst other things), which was a popular choice, unsurprisingly (Amazing cars). Stirling had a 220A when he worked for them in 1955; I believe that Daimler-Benz offered (possibly still do) a fairly serious discount to recognised drivers.

[kayemod]

Sir Stirling has had several Mercedes, I saw him a few years ago driving a 350SL, and given their joint history, I doubt if he paid very much (if anything) for any of them.

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

IIRC in 1983 I saw Roberto Moreno at Silverstone driving a worn out BMW 2002.

[garyfrogeye]

John Sprinzel's only road car is still a Mk1 Sprite (Speedwell blue of course)

[longhorn]

I recall seeing Mansell in an F40 and doing doughnuts in the pitlane during a break at a Silverstone tyre test day in 1990. Wasn't it part of the payoff for Prost becoming his team mate at Ferrari that year?

Enzo Ferrari had a Cooper S.

[kayemod]

Enzo Ferrari had a Cooper S.

Yes, and he also drove small Fiats, but that's mainly because Italian traffic law banned him from driving his own cars on the road, there's a capacity limit past a certain age, so no big engines.

[Michael_Delaney]

Surtees had a Mercedes 6.3 (amongst other things).

Surtees bought a BMW 507 when new (!) - and still owns it today!

MD

[John Ginger]

Not anything exotic and just about on topic

Guy Edwards' BMW 3.0Si in Silverstone paddock sometime in the 70's (Embassy Hill team) which I was tasked with retrieving keys from locked vehicle

I was apprentice at nearby BMW dealer, got me out of work and over to GP practice for the day

Tough job, but somebody had to do it

[longhorn]

Yes, and he also drove small Fiats, but that's mainly because Italian traffic law banned him from driving his own cars on the road, there's a capacity limit past a certain age, so no big engines.

I wasn't aware of that aspect of Italian law.

Speaking of small Fiats, we saw Graham Hill with a Fiat 126 in Embassy colours after the 1974 International Trophy at Silverstone. He was in the paddock trying to start it, without success and, as it churned over, we poked fun at him. Hill remained taciturn, until it fired up, whereupon he burst into laughter and waved as he drove away.

Pedro Rodriguez had the Bentley Continental at a very cold International Trophy in 1970 and girlfriend Glenda stayed in the warm whilst Rodriguez signed autographs after the race.

[canon1753]

Enzo Ferrari had a Cooper S.

I seem to remember that it was a very special Cooper S- it was one of two or three automatic Cooper S made. (IIRC)