31 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

 

Two well-dressed English racers having a good time. Compare that to the dressing habits of the current World Champion! But who is the photo journalist on the left?

 

Photo Credit: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 February 2016 - 04:32.

[raceannouncer2003]

If it helps, it looks like the rear fender of a 1957 Chev behind them.  Maybe Sebring 1957 or 1958?

 

Vince H.

[Collombin]

Hawthorn was 6'2", so Father Ted's lesson on perspective notwithstanding, the Big Friendly Giant?

[Stephen W]

Looks like it was taken at Oulton Park at Lodge Corner. It could be Francis Penn who was one of the Autosport photographers of the period.

[AAGR]

I'm guessing Wilson McComb, later an MG specialist, who wrote for Gregor Grant at AUTOSPORT at that period. and the period, by definition, must have been pre-July 1958.

.

[Rupertlt1]

Compare: http://ericdymock.bl...assic-file.html

 

RGDS RLT

[Alan Cox]

I'm certain it's not Oulton Park, Steve. That's not the Lodge building on the left (something far grander), and there was never a portal-frame building there like the one on the right

[Jack-the-Lad]

If it helps, it looks like the rear fender of a 1957 Chev behind them.  Maybe Sebring 1957 or 1958?
 
Vince H.

The Chevy, the bleachers, snow fence and shed on the right do recall Sebring, but the stone building on the left makes me think it isn't.

[Jerry Entin]

Remember how Ken Miles parked his 7-liter Cobra against the only tree at Sebring? Too many trees in the photo to be that location. We don't know where it is either, but the building on the left has a definite "old world" feeling about it. If not England, France perhaps?

[RS2000]

Belgium? Has a history of significant numbers of US cars sold there.

[Jerry Entin]

 

The photo originally came from the E.D. Martin Collection. E.D. never raced in England, but he did race a 250TR at Le Mans in 1958 and 1959.

Sadly, by 1959 Hawthorn and Collins were no longer with us, but they were works teammates and co-drivers at Le Mans in 1958.

 

The location is the scrutineering site in the centre of town used in those days. See the attached photo taken in the early sixties by John Hendy, in which the same two buildings are visible.

 

As for the unidentified journalist... if not English, perhaps French or Belgian?

 

 

photo: Copyright: John Hendy

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 February 2016 - 18:25.

[oldtransamdriver]

I remember watching E.D. Martin and his Ferrari at Watkins Glen in 1958 at an SCCA race, won by Bill Sadler.

 

It was my first time at the Glen.

 

Robert

[AAGR]

May I very gently suggest that we stop worrying about the background/setting, and concentrate on the 'mystery' journalist ? For sure it is not Francis Penn, who was a much older, shorter in stature, person and - somehow - I have to say that the clothing of all of them suggests that the picture was taken in France, at Le Mans (see Jerry Entin's response).

 

  In which case, Wilson McComb (I knew him quite well) is still a very good bet, for the time, the place, and the connection all seems to make sense. For sure it was none of the other British sporting regulars of the day - not Peter Garnier, not Gregor Grant himself, not Philip Turner, not John Blunsden, etc.

 

  Maybe another distinguished TNFer, Graham Gauld, might have an opinion .... ?

 

  That Le Mans town-centre shot was taken in 1960, by the way.

Edited by AAGR, 14 February 2016 - 19:33.

[Doug Nye]

That does indeed look like Wilson McComb to me, although I am not very confident of that. Hawthorn is not standing up straight but I'd be surprised if Wilson was taller than him.

 

DCN

[Odseybod]

The tie might help. I thought at first they were RAC logos, but maybe not.

[MCS]

I wondered about that too, Tony - but can't make sense out of the blobs.  Basically, it is a patterned tie (I think).

 

Even so, his haircut is interesting.  Looks "American" or, at least a "Forces" haircut and therefore growing all over the place - if actually allowed to grow, obviously. 

Edited by MCS, 15 February 2016 - 21:47.

[MCS]

Reading back, it's difficult to believe I have typed this.  Do we become more observant the older we get?  Do we see things we didn't previously?  God knows.

[Jerry Entin]

This is from Willem Oosthoek:

 

Apart from the haircut, what struck me was the belt, often used by Americans. I used to wear trousers by Daks, which never had loops for belts.

[Dipster]

 

 

The location is the scrutineering site in the centre of town used in those days. See the attached photo taken in the early sixties by John Hendy, in which the same two buildings are visible.

 

As for the unidentified journalist... if not English, perhaps French or Belgian?

 

I am convinced regarding the location. No idea who the gentleman is though..........

[wilsongt]

If the gent is american, the only american photographer with glasses, in Europe, Ferrari connection, I know of at that time was Pete Coltrin? Way off base?

Regards

Glenn 

[P.Dron]

If the gent is american, the only american photographer with glasses, in Europe, Ferrari connection, I know of at that time was Pete Coltrin? Way off base?

Regards

Glenn 

I think you may have hit the spot there. I think it is not McComb, whom I met a couple of times.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Yes, I also think it's Peter Coltrin. I never met him but the photo looks similar to other pictures of him that I've seen.

Edited by Jack-the-Lad, 16 February 2016 - 19:13.

[ReWind]

For comparison:

 

Source: http://www.targaflor...difotografi.htm

[Jack-the-Lad]

There's one of him with John Surtees here which may be more nearly contemporary with the photo in question

http://www.facebook.com/PeterColtrin

Sorry, I don't know how to move it onto this post.

Edited by Jack-the-Lad, 16 February 2016 - 19:47.

[Doug Nye]

If the gent is american, the only american photographer with glasses, in Europe, Ferrari connection, I know of at that time was Pete Coltrin? Way off base?

Regards

Glenn 

 

WAAAAAAAYYYYY off base.  Too tall, too slim, and nothing like him.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 16 February 2016 - 20:04.

[Simon Thomas]

To me it does look like Wilson. He certainly did have  a crew cut in the 1960s and his second wife was American maybe explaining his clothes? He used to visit my father in the 1960s when he returned to his native Belfast to see his aging mother. His brother Billy also came, he was a magician and a member of The Magic Circle who also appeared on tv. I still wonder how Billy always found a half crown behind one of my ears?

Simon

[P.Dron]

Well, I'll go with Mr Nye, who is rarely wrong. Funny thing re McComb, I vividly remember being told that he was somewhat irascible for no obvious reason but was really OK and when I met him he was just like that. However, I cannot recall his face. That photo did not help, but I met him more than 20 years later.

[Doug Nye]

Wilson could be irascible - he was an Ulsterman which may or may not be significant, but I got to know him through our mutual friend Cyril Posthumus, and at one stage he used to phone me occasionally to ask searching questions about other motoring journos of mutual acquaintance, often saying he'd heard that X had accepted a job offer from Y, or that A was contributing material to publication B and what did I think about that?  

 

He seemed almost obsessively interested in what we did as 'an industry' or as 'a trade'.  This was all total anathema to me. I loved racing, racing people and the cars. I couldn't give a flying wotsit about that kind of motoring journalism as a trade stuff, and after politely fielding a number of such calls and being terribly 'interested' upon a polite basis - which meant listening while Wilson talked - I finally ran out of patience and told him so.  This triggered a massive explosion which ended up with "Well I'll tell you how well I'm doing - I'm working as a shop assistant six days a week, that's how well I'm doing!", and he slammed the phone down.  And I realised what the problem had been all along.  And ever since I've felt rather guilty about having expressed my indifference...  Wilson did some great work on his specialist subject MG - and he deserved better.

 

  DCN

[cooper997]

For comparison here's a photo of Wilson McComb with Bruce and Graham in 1961.

 

image upload

 

Stephen

[Tim Murray]

Case closed, I think (he's even wearing the same tie). Here's an earlier thread about him:

http://forums.autosp...-wilson-mccomb/

which includes his birth and death dates, and the name of his wife. The fact that he married an American (although many years after the photo in the OP was taken) might corroborate the theory about his trousers (as Simon suggested).

I've often wondered what the 'F' initial in his name stood for - anyone know?

Edited by Tim Murray, 19 February 2016 - 05:00.

[Richard Jenkins]

Frederick.
As per the death index.

[Tim Murray]

Thanks Richard