Probably displaying my gross ignorance here, but does anyone know if there was any significance of cars running white numbers on black roundels in the 50's and 60's, rather than black on white?
The F3 Lotus 41s amongst others were liveried such in 1967, and I've seen the same on E-types and similar GTs.
Did this denote a particular trophy or was it just aesthetic?
It'd be good to know, if only to quote at the more pedantic scrutineers who wave the MSA Blue Book race-number regulations at entrants.
Black roundels
Started by
willga
, Feb 27 2006 02:55
7 replies to this topic
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#2
ensign14
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Posted 27 February 2006 - 06:15
In "It Was Fun!" Tony Rudd mentioned that he had a run-in with scrutes somewhere (Monaco?) over the BRM use of white numbers on dark green because there was not a white roundel on the car for black numbers. He pointed out that the British racing colour was officially green with white numbers so really the other cars were wrong. I wonder whether some British owners who used black roundels were being totally pedantic themselves, just in case?
#3
RAP
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Posted 27 February 2006 - 12:55
In the 50s at club level it was quite common for numbers to be painted (in whitewash?) onto the car, whatever colour the car was (I'm looking at a grid photo in 55 and there is not a roundel to be seen) so I assume that the only "rule" was that the timekeepers could read the number.
#4
ianselva
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Posted 27 February 2006 - 13:47
It wasn't whitewash , you always had to use petrol to wash it off. I think at the time the regs merely stated they should be on a contrasting background . In fact I have several pictures of my own racer in 67 when it was light grey with Black roundels and 68 when it was a dark blue with white roundels.Originally posted by RAP
In the 50s at club level it was quite common for numbers to be painted (in whitewash?) onto the car, whatever colour the car was (I'm looking at a grid photo in 55 and there is not a roundel to be seen) so I assume that the only "rule" was that the timekeepers could read the number.
#5
Ruairidh
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Posted 27 February 2006 - 14:12
Didn't we have a similar thread on roundels/numbers on cars? Not necessarily directly on the white on black as opposed to black on white question. It would have been in the last 6 months and a search will find it.
#7
Sharman
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Posted 28 February 2006 - 14:35
You are quite right it was not whitewash. We always used tennis shoe cleaner. No roundels because it was not "good form" to run roundels on a road car (which was what a lot of us were using as race cars)
#8
Gokart Mozart
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Posted 28 February 2006 - 17:02
Well whatever the case, as a tribute to Denny's 1967 Can-Am season, I went with the white on black...
