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The Denis Debois memorial helmet thread (merged)


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#1 cjpani

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 02:10

Reading past threads, I´ve found similar topics, but none refering to the drivers helmets.
I would like to know your preferences.
My vote goes like this:
1.- Graham Hill´s
2.- Damon Hill´s
3.- Stefan Johanson´s
4.- Nigel Mansell´s
5.- Ricardo Rodriguez

BTW, do yow know where can i find pictures of such helmets???
Best Regards,
cjpani

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#2 Wolf

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 02:18

Does anyone know about those arrows on Graham's helmet (I guess I know about Damon's :))? I quite liked Dan Gurney's black helmet, and Moss' pot-like helmet (made him easy to spot :)). BTW, I remember a thread on 'arry Schells helmet. What was the pic on the top of it?

#3 MoMurray

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 02:52

The design of Graham Hill's helmet was that of the London Rowing Club. Damon's is the same.

I always liked Ricardo Patrese's helmet design.

Mo

#4 Mike Argetsinger

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 03:51

Jean Behra's helmet was very distinctive. Denise McCluggage was publisher of Competition Press&Autoweek and incorporated the Behra helmet in to the weekly's logo/banner. At that time Competition Press was a tabloid format much like Motoring News. It has changed hands many times and now for many years has been a Crain's publication. It's now just called Autoweek and it's a glossy magazine. But the Behra helmet remains on the cover.

#5 Keir

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 05:00

There aren't many pictures out there, but Ignazio Giunti, who drove for Ferrari in '70 and '71 before his untimely death, had the most distinctive helmet I have ever seen.

Of course, being me, Chris Amon had a great lid!!!

#6 Gil Bouffard

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 06:26

Lets start with the Hill family. Graham was a member of the London Rowing Club, yet he had to get their permission to use their design. Damon had to get the rowing club's permission also.

Chris Amon's helmet design was because he was the subject driver for "Pete Ahren," in the film Grand Prix.

In the old days of the Herbert Johnson "pot," there wasn't much you could do to it to make it distinctive. Hawthorn's helmet had a white bill under his white face shield.

Harry Schell's helmet had a U.S.A emblem on it and when he drove for BRM he added their distinctive emblem to the top of his helmet.

Bob Bondurant's helmet was neat with its basic blue with white trim. I liked von Trips, Scuderia Colonia emblem in 1961. Jackie Stewart's tartan. Mario Andretti's (Michael's also) helmet design started when he drove for Parnelli Jones and was sponsored by Viceroy Cigarettes. The design is the Viceroy design.

Ronnie Peterson's helmet, Emerson's, Nelson's and Roberto Moreno's are classic.

H.J. Stuck had stars around the opening..

Gil Bouffard

#7 dhc

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 09:35

My favorites are Jackie Stewart's and Chris Amon's helmets.

David

#8 Megatron

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 10:21

Mario Andretti, and Michael's is about the same but with the US flag at the bottom.

#9 dbltop

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 10:28

the idea of a good helmet design is to stand out from the rest? if that is the case then Tony Maggs did the trick as well as Reine Wiselle. Wilson Fittipaldi's also stood out.none of them were great to look at but you sure knew it was them coming down the track at you

#10 tombe

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 10:34

dbltop - As I've never seen a colour pic of Maggs, could you please describe his helmet for me.

Tom Berge

#11 dbltop

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 10:46

it was as bright orange could get before dayglo was invented

#12 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 14:07

Hey Mr. Argetsginer...


I dont see a helmet on my autoweek :(

#13 rolando

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 16:18

These are my picks.

1. Ricardo Rodriguez ( the one with the cavallino )
2. Gilles Villeneuve
3. Jean Alesi
4. Ayrton Senna
5. Pedro Rodriguez

By the way, Johansson changed the black color of his helmet for dark blue, because he was told that black color was an unlucky one. Carlos Pace changed the arrow of his helmet for the same reason, a mexican witch's advice, sadly he was killed just a little time after that.


#14 mhferrari

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 16:26

1. Ayrton Senna
2. The Hills
3. The Andrettis
4. Alessandro Nannini
5. Gerhard Berger

#15 Timm

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Posted 09 December 2000 - 17:34

Greg Moore and Alex Tagliani had/have great helmet designs

#16 Mike Argetsinger

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Posted 10 December 2000 - 01:56

I always liked the simplicity of Dan Gurney's plain black -unadorned - helmet. So much so that when I started racing in Europe I adopted the same as a mark of respect and admiration. To this day that is color of helmet I wear. So Ross - when you see a black helmet in your mirrors it is either me or Dan himself coming up to lap you!

Ross - thanks for pointing out that Autoweek has apparently dropped the Behra helmet logo in its' banner. I was so used to seeing it there that I didn't realize it was gone! Since I don't save my back issues of Autoweek I will have to wait till next week's edition arrives in the mail so I can see it (or rather not see it) for myself.

#17 Gil Bouffard

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Posted 10 December 2000 - 04:50

Megatron,

"Mario Andretti, and Michael's is about the same but with the US flag at the bottom." You are right.. It has become an Andretti family design. I think I remember Jeff (Mario's younger son) with the same helmet design.

However, before he drove the Viceroy car, Mario's helmet was a plain silver with no design. The red arrow bordered by black on a silver helmet came about because of the Viceroy sponsorship.

Regarding the flag on Michael's helmet. That addition was a boardroom decision by Ford and committee.

Gil

#18 fines

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Posted 10 December 2000 - 12:27

Jean Alesi's helmet design is actually a copy of Elio de Angelis'. And the flag on Michael Andretti's helmet wasn't added until 1993.

#19 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 10 December 2000 - 14:59

Mike I seem to recall what you're talking about though, from autoweek tv commercials on video tapes of races long gone

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#20 mhferrari

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Posted 10 December 2000 - 19:13

I think I remember the helmet, but could you please describe Behra's helmet.

#21 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 02:19

Wasn't Behra's much the same as Ireland's, with a band of chequer around it?
Larry Perkins has retained his F1 helmet design to this day, and it's quite good looking. Emmo's was likewise, but more distinctive.
Mansell's always told you where he stood, of course, and was distinctive. Alan Jones had a good one with that pinstriping on plain white. Probably reckoned it would be more reflective in the sun while still looking different.

#22 Mike Argetsinger

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 03:52

Exactly Ray. Behra and Ireland's helmet designs were very similiar although not identical. Both had two bands of checker board running around the base of the helmet -although I think the pattern on Behra's was somewhat more intricate. Also, Innes had a stripe going from the front to back in the middle of the helmet. Behra's had some kind of a flourish on the bottom rear of the helmet. Perhaps someone who knows how to scan in photos could give us a representation of each. In the meantime I am still searching for an answer of what happened to the Behra helmet logo that appeared for so long on the cover of Autoweek (see posts above from myself and Ross Stonefeld).

#23 ZippyD

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 21:25

From looking at color(colour) photos of Graham's helmet I believe it was dark green, not black.
I liked Piquet's helmet. Nice flowing, geometric pattern.

#24 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 21:45

Graham Hill's helmet, do you mean? It was a very dark blue.

#25 ZippyD

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 22:02

Ray,
Iv'e seen color pictures where it looks very dark green. It shows as black in black/white pics.

#26 kartman

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 22:14

My favourite helmet is that of Francois Cevert!! Then Ayrton Senna`s and Graham Hills

#27 Piquet_1

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 22:42

In no particular order

1. Piquet
2. Stewart
3. Patrese
4. Andretti
5. Fittipaldi (black - his Troy Lee design with the cliched spiderweb wasn't so great. IMO, Troy Lee destroys any and every helmet he touches, what with all the aweful chrome and busywork - an artist is often judged on when he/she knows a work is done; obviously Troy Lee is not an artist. I wish he'd stick to motorcyclists only - or only they'd stick with him - whose helmets rarely struck a chord anyway)
6. Hill
7. Senna
8. Lauda (particularly 1982 with red on white)
9. de Angelis
10. Tambay

Hill's helmet was/is midnight blue, just bordering on black

#28 Ray Bell

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 22:43

Zip, not only have I read that it's blue on many occasions, but I've held it in my hands. It's blue, believe me...
But it is dark enough to reflect other colours, perhaps that's what's influenced the pictures you've seen.
The amazing thing about this thread has been the lack of pictures posted...

#29 MoMurray

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 23:02

Bira says we're not allowed...so there!

BTW, I just bought from another AtlasF1 member a full scale replica of Eddie Irvine's old (better) helmet. Up close and in full scale this thing is pretty cool looking. I also have one of Emmo's speedway (Bell Feuling) helmets (which BTW were painted by Cleber and not Troy Lee). Emmo signed this one for me and it started me collecting Helmets. Works of art really.

Mo...

#30 mhferrari

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 23:21

Thank you Ray and Mike, now I remember.

#31 Barry Boor

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Posted 11 December 2000 - 23:21

I've been away, or rather my computer has, being upgraded. I have just found this thread and being a BIG helmet colours fan I must chip in.

Firstly, Tony Maggs helmet was NOT bright orange, it was yellow! Exactly the same as Trevor Taylor's. The only orange helmet around at that time was Peter Arundel and his was dayglo orange.

My own favourite? Well, it has to be Dan Gurney. Not the Dan Gurney from 1960, by the way, when he added a white stripe for some unaccountable reason. Plain black - superb.

Imagine my disappointment when I saw Dan driving the 1962 F1 Porsche at John Surtees' 60th birthday meeting at Brands, and he put on a white one............

I think modern helmets are, in the main, far too fussy and fiddly, especially for we modellers to paint! Best of the current crop I probably like Junqueira best.

The Hill's helmets were absolutely, definitely 100% dark blue. It is, as stated, the London Rowing Club colours which Graham was entitled to wear because he DID row, but I don't know if anyone has actually mentioned it but the white bars (there are 8 of them) represent the 8 oars in the largest of the racing boats.

#32 jmcgavin

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Posted 12 December 2000 - 12:31

I'd go for Senna, seemed to work when he was lapping people (expect Irvine)

#33 quintin cloud

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Posted 12 December 2000 - 14:56

I would say
1 Bergers flag helmet which he used once only.
2 Schumachers 1999 colured helmet.
3 Eddie's new Jagaur helmet.

#34 William Dale Jr

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Posted 12 December 2000 - 15:19

Can anyone point me to a picture of the Gerhard Berger helmet mentioned by Quentin?

On my favourites, the Hill's have got to be up there too, but my favourites have to be:
1. Ayrton Senna
2. Paul Tracy (with or without Troy Lee's Design)
3. Stefan Johannson
4. Nigel Mansell
5. Johnny Dumfries
Others I could include are Johnny Herbert's, Alan Jones's (simple, designed by a friend and the first race he wore it he won, or that's what I heard) and the Andretti family helmets, John not included and Christian Fittipaldi's helmet (again, simple, the same design of his dad's but with the colours reversed).

#35 SB

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Posted 12 December 2000 - 15:33

Originally posted by William Dale Jr
Can anyone point me to a picture of the Gerhard Berger helmet mentioned by Quentin?


I cant find it but I remember the helmet was used in 1994 Portugal GP. Berger has worn some special helmet also. In 1986 he used one to fit his Benetton sponosor, and in 97 San Marino with half Berger-half Alesi to celebrate their partnership.

SB

#36 luislega

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Posted 12 December 2000 - 20:54

I'd have to say that Senna's helmet is on the list of most of you and I agree. Yet, it wouldn't be at the top of mine. Being that the first Ferrari World Championship victory I had the pleasure of enjoying was Schumacher's, his'd be at the very top of mine. This would possibly not be because of the beauty of it (it's not at all nice, as a matter of fact), but for the significance that it has to me.

#37 KzKiwi

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Posted 14 December 2000 - 09:06

Favourite helmets

# 1. Eddie Cheever
# 2. Patrick Depailler
# 3. Johnny Herbert
# 4. Elio DeAngelis

Regards,

Kirk

#38 SteveB2

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Posted 14 December 2000 - 13:29

I've always liked Thierry Boutsen's. The dark blue (Black?) with the thin red and yellow stripe wrapped around it are really visible and distinctive.

After that, I'd say
Johnny Herbert
Senna
Piquet
Innes Ireland
John Surtees

#39 William Dale Jr

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Posted 14 December 2000 - 21:19

SteveB2, you might want to take a look at Stefan Bellof's helmet, his design was very similar to Boutsen's. In fact, they drove together in sportscars at one stage.

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#40 oldtimer

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Posted 14 December 2000 - 22:07

Originally posted by jmcgavin
I'd go for Senna, seemed to work when he was lapping people (expect Irvine)


Fangio had a most boring helmet, but no one got in his way. Didn't fall over people either.

#41 Barry Boor

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Posted 19 December 2000 - 22:12

We have just had a thread about the best helmet colours, but this one is slightly different.

As I am currently constructing a gridful of slot-racers based around the mid-fifties, I have been searching for the helmet colours of some of the drivers on my list.

Obviously some are very well known, (i.e. Fangio, Moss, Hawthorn, Ascari) and do not alter from year to year. Others seem to vary from one race to the next, let alone from year to year.

I am particularly keen to learn what colour helmets the following drivers wore.

Roberto Mieres, Carlos Menditeguy, Cesare Perdisa, Onofre Marimon, Robert Manzon, Jacques Pollet,
Ken Wharton

Having seen the amazing depth of knowledge this Forum generates, I guess this one will be easy.

#42 fines

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Posted 19 December 2000 - 22:37

Sorry Barry, only b&w pics!

Mieres - dark (red?)
Perdisa - light (white?) with black horizontal stripes on forehead
Wharton - dark (green?)
Manzon - white

#43 Barry Boor

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Posted 19 December 2000 - 22:43

Thanks, Michael. I've got some b&w pics too. That's the point though - both of us are only guessing!

What we need is one of these guys with a limitless library, and nothing better to do!

#44 Marcor

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Posted 19 December 2000 - 23:29

Robert Manzon, Monaco 1956, white helmet (no logo).

Fred Wacker (but you didn't ask),1954 Italian GP, white helmet.

Maurice Trintignant: 1953 ACF GP, white helmet + blue strip on forehead).

3 colour pictures from Gordini un sorcier, une équipe.

Of course, lot's of pictures were in B & W. Can't help you more now...

#45 Gil Bouffard

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Posted 20 December 2000 - 03:37

Hey Barry, I found a couple more pictures of Richie in the 246 rear engined Ferrari..

Onofre Marimon's helmet was a copy of Fangios. He was the maestro's pupil after all.

Just what period are you looking at for your cars..

Gil

#46 Barry Boor

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Posted 20 December 2000 - 07:48

As it's a fictitious series I plan to run I am including car/driver combinations from 1954/5/6. This allows me to use Super Squalo Ferraris, Lancia D50's, 250 F's and Mercedes W196 amongst others.

#47 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 20 December 2000 - 18:14

The only ones I know are Cesare Perdisa - a predominatly white helmet with a red band around the bottom, going all around the helmet & on the front, a green band - thus from the mirrors, the driver ahead would see a horizontal version of the Italian flag.
Jacques Pollet's was completely white - no logos, no stripes, nothing.
The others, like yourselves, I have only black & white photos.

#48 Barry Boor

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Posted 20 December 2000 - 22:50

Thanks for that one, Richie. A friend, John Abraham, tells me that Menditeguy's helmet was red with a broad white stripe. I know the helmet he is referring to, but as I had only ever seen it in b&w I always assumed it was blue and yellow as per Argentine racing colours. It just shows how wrong one can be!

#49 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 22 December 2000 - 00:11

The documentary made of the 1955 British GP at Aintree is in colour. If you have it on tape you may pick up some clues as to whose helmets were what colour. It's too late for me to start looking at my copy tonight but I might get a chance over the Christmas break.

#50 Barry Boor

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Posted 22 December 2000 - 07:45

I have that one too. Without looking at it, I guess the problem is that only the top guys are featured, although I know we get a good view of Mike Sparken leaving the grid.

Come to think of it, Monaco and Zandvoort are on that tape too. I'll have to watch it again.

Thanks for the reminder, Eric.