9 replies to this topic

[Allan Lupton]

Someone, writing in another place, has asked if the Shell History of Motor Racing series is available on DVD.
Knowing the enthusiasm of TNF members for DVDs, I searched this forum and found nothing - only a few references to video tape versions, and even then the links had died in the meantime.
Can any of you DVD enthiusiasts (particularly in the USofA, where the enquirer lives) help?

[Vitesse2]

A DVD version was announced some time ago, but never materialised:

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=82316

Duke still list Vol 3 (only) on VHS, the first two now apparently having been deleted.

Oh - and a review of the VHS on Amazon from 2006 concludes with the words: "It is now well overdue for release on DVD."

[Allan Lupton]

That's more or less what I found.
When you see what ephemeral stuff is available on DVD, it's surprising that these films have yet to be transferred.

[Pils1989]

Shell Belgium still had some video tapes 5-6 years ago. I have two video tapes, somewhere, with IIRC Auto-Union race footages in the UK (possibly the track with a dangerous stone bridge?)

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Pils1989
Auto-Union race footages in the UK (possibly the track with a dangerous stone bridge?)

i.e. Donington, which is the only place in the UK they raced.

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by Pils1989
Shell Belgium still had some video tapes 5-6 years ago.

The original questionner lives in the USofA where video recording and television systems are different from European. He has a home-made DVD (transferred from a tape) and just wants to buy real DVDs as they would be better quality and would play without conversion.

[Pils1989]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton

The original questionner lives in the USofA where video recording and television systems are different from European. He has a home-made DVD (transferred from a tape) and just wants to buy real DVDs as they would be better quality and would play without conversion.

Oh sorry, didn't spot the USandA part:)

[Doug Nye]

These films were the late Bill Mason's masterpiece. They were produced for Shell Oil. Personnel change. Attitudes change. Nick Mason - Bill's son - tried hard to persuade Shell's modern regime to approve re-issue of the work. Confronting assorted copyright issues proved beyond their capacities. David Weguelin has tried equally hard with them over a lengthy period to break the log jam. Efforts are ongoing. Don't hold your breath. It's a compex situation.

DCN

[ReWind]

Maybe it is of interest that there at least two Bill Mason obituaries on the WWW:
here & there.

[Allan Lupton]

Thanks, Doug. It is rather as I suspected.
Presumably had they been issued as part of some company's prime activity it would be different.
Hey-ho.