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Graham Hill's first F1 championship win - 50 years ago today


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#1 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 09:11

I believe today is the 50th anniversary of Graham Hill's first Formula One World Championship victory, at the 1962 Dutch GP. This was the first of four F1 WC victories on the way to his first World Championship. In honour of this, I have unpacked a model of his winning car, the #14 BRM P578 '5781', and have it on "display" in our hotel room in Rome, where we are on the last part of our European trip (yes, I did see the Mille Miglia cars on Friday night). I have some good photos from the 1962 Dutch GP in the Ted Langton-Adams collection, and will post some after we get home on Wednesday.

Vince H.

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#2 Tim Murray

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 09:36

A memorable race also as it marked Trevor Taylor's only podium finish. It doesn't really seem like 50 years ago to me.

#3 Barry Boor

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 09:40

Seems like only yesterday, or maybe the day before.

A nice moment to remember.

#4 Gary C

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 10:17

well done, Graham!

#5 Roger Clark

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 10:35

It is also, of course, the 50th anniversary of the Lotus 25, which, arguably, changed Grand Prix racing more than any other car.

In late June we should be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Georges Boillot's first win in the Grand Prix de l'ACF. I find it frightening to think that Hill's win is as long ago now as Boillot's was then.

#6 Paul Parker

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 11:09

It is also, of course, the 50th anniversary of the Lotus 25, which, arguably, changed Grand Prix racing more than any other car.

In late June we should be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Georges Boillot's first win in the Grand Prix de l'ACF. I find it frightening to think that Hill's win is as long ago now as Boillot's was then.


I would say depressing more than frightening.

Meanwhile do we think that racing cars per se advanced more during the 50 years that separated Boillot from Hill or the next half century that has passed sinced Zandvoort '62?

#7 jj2728

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 11:36

It really does not seem like 50 years on. Will hoist a dram this eve.

#8 Bloggsworth

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 14:32

I have pulled out my ORMA membership card in honour of the occasion...

#9 paulhooft

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 14:40

I wonder is the NTS/Eurovison TV report of this historic Race still Exsist?
Or is it lost in Time?

I have pulled out my ORMA membership card in honour of the occasion...



#10 Doug Nye

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 22:11

Posted Image

Photo posted in respectful memory of two great Britons - Graham Hill, who drove the car - and Geoffrey Goddard, who captured the moment...

Photo Strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN

#11 LittleChris

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 22:44

3 months after my birth and my first hero :up:

#12 jj2728

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 23:52

Posted Image

Photo posted in respectful memory of two great Britons - Graham Hill, who drove the car - and Geoffrey Goddard, who captured the moment...

Photo Strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN


Excellent. What a wonderful photo.

#13 David Birchall

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 01:54

He appears to be in danger of losing a pipe from the left bank!

#14 Andrew Fellowes

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 02:15

Same year, different place. http://www.eafa.org....atalogue/143169 and the first motor race I went to. Very distinctive sound from GH's car and a short interview at the end.

#15 Pat Clarke

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 03:29

Posted Image

Photo posted in respectful memory of two great Britons - Graham Hill, who drove the car - and Geoffrey Goddard, who captured the moment...

Photo Strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN


Must be early in the race Doug. It still has seven exhaust stacks :-)

Pat

#16 B Squared

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 12:05

Jim Clark keeps his 1962 championship hopes alive by beating Graham Hill to the finish by nine seconds in the 1962 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Hill's BRM teammate, Richie Ginther, is seen entering the frame from the right. He would retire on lap 35 with engine problems after qualifying second for the race.

photo: courtesy of Michael Argetsinger/ IMRRC
Posted Image

#17 Doug Nye

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 18:22

Same year, different place. http://www.eafa.org....atalogue/143169 and the first motor race I went to. Very distinctive sound from GH's car and a short interview at the end.


What a wonderfully evocative piece of film. If nothing else it shows what a makeshift venue Snetterton was in those days...

DCN

#18 Barry Boor

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 18:29

I didn't realise that the top hairpin was such a quick corner.

#19 MCS

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 18:36

I didn't realise that the top hairpin was such a quick corner.


Me neither. Did it change?

The quality of the film on a relatively big PC screen is actually really good. Wonderful. More please!!!


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#20 Barry Boor

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 18:39

The map of Snetterton in my Austosport Directory 1955 does show the corner to be quite a wide radius but even so, those cars seemed to go pretty quickly through there.

#21 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 19:23

The map of Snetterton in my Austosport Directory 1955 does show the corner to be quite a wide radius but even so, those cars seemed to go pretty quickly through there.


And it didn't seem speeded up. Great camera position too. In fact overall the camera locations were excellent

Rare to hear Jimmy speak - his Scottish accent is surprisingly slight.

#22 Andrew Fellowes

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 20:51

What a wonderfully evocative piece of film. If nothing else it shows what a makeshift venue Snetterton was in those days...

DCN

At the end of the day we ignored protesting officials and drove round part of the circuit to get out as did one or two others, makeshift indeed as even in road car the track was incredibly bumpy.

#23 AAGR

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 20:51

Excellent. What a wonderful photo.



Count the number of exhaust stacks ? Wasn't the 1962 BRM famous for shedding individual pipes during long races ?

GRAHAM R

#24 jj2728

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Posted 21 May 2012 - 21:38

Count the number of exhaust stacks ? Wasn't the 1962 BRM famous for shedding individual pipes during long races ?

GRAHAM R


Looking closely at the photo it seems as if all 8 stacks are still there, I think it's just the angle of the photo, but for sure the second stack from the rear on the left bank looks as if it's almost ready to drop.

#25 Gary Davies

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Posted 22 May 2012 - 04:48

Count the number of exhaust stacks ? Wasn't the 1962 BRM famous for shedding individual pipes during long races ?

GRAHAM R


I've always wondered that. Indeed, in the first motor race I attended, the International Trophy on May 12 1962, I recall Graham Hill slithered across the line with, iirc, five of the original stacks still in place.

One day when I'm wealthy, I mean to purchase that apparently excellent three volume series on BRM, The Saga of British Racing Motors. Bet the answer's in there. Wonder who the author is. He might be kind enough to enlighten us...


#26 DogEarred

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Posted 22 May 2012 - 06:46

And it didn't seem speeded up. Great camera position too. In fact overall the camera locations were excellent

Rare to hear Jimmy speak - his Scottish accent is surprisingly slight.



I too was surprised, the first time I heard him. - quite 'puritanical' I thought. I never managed to see Jim Clark race although he was my hero. (Like so many of us, of course) I never saw anything other than a few film clips & bits of TV races from 1967. So it wasn't until I stumbled across TNF a couple of years ago, that I began to realize there was so much more to see & hear. The excellent film event by Michael Oliver & Gary Critcher also helped to answer my curiosity, albeit 40 years late.
Well done everybody.

#27 Allan Lupton

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Posted 22 May 2012 - 12:19

At the end of the day we ignored protesting officials and drove round part of the circuit to get out as did one or two others, makeshift indeed as even in road car the track was incredibly bumpy.

Yes, and one turned left into the filling station half-way along the Norwich Straight, and thence on to the A11 heading South West!

#28 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 27 May 2012 - 04:39

As promised...

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

Photos by Ted Langton-Adams, copyright Eric Faulks

Vince H.