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Texaco signwriting on Lotus 72


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#1 PeterElleray

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Posted 28 May 2016 - 11:56

Whilst looking back through some old magazines i noticed -fourty four years after i would have first seen it! - that the Texaco Stickers that used to be positioned on the Lotus 72 rear wing endplates, and the integrated Texaco decal that was positioned just below the screen leading edge , were missing from the cars at the 1972 French GP at Clermont Ferrand.

 

In the case of the screen sticker, a piece of black tape had been placed over the word Texaco although the surround and pin striping, which i believe was painted on along with the rest of the JPS livery, remained.

 

The sticker was there at the previous round, Nivelles, and reappeared at the British GP at Brands Hatch.

 

Interestingly, in the French GP edition of Aurtosport the report carries a frontal shot of Emerson's car showing the taped over decal a couple of pages after a Texaco advert hailing his 2nd place in the race on 'free' Texaco !

 

The Texaco decals were in place at the following years French GP and also on the McLarens  when racing in France in the following years of the Marlboro/texaco sponsorship.

 

So what was the reason? Cheque in the post? Marketing clash in France with another brand?

 

We need to be told...



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#2 MartLgn

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Posted 28 May 2016 - 12:08

 

 

In the case of the screen sticker, a piece of black tape had been placed over the word Texaco although the surround and pin striping, which i believe was painted on along with the rest of the JPS livery, remained.

 

 

 

 

 


 

I have just pulled out Autocourse 1972 to have a look for pictures of the Lotus at that race and lo and behold the picture of Emmo on the cover is from the French GP, black tape in place on the cockpit cover!



#3 PeterElleray

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Posted 28 May 2016 - 13:31

Indeed - i have owned that book since 1973 and noticed it for the first time a day or two ago!



#4 f1steveuk

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Posted 29 May 2016 - 16:42

I don't know, but  I  can offer the following!

 

It's quite well known that the gold lines, wording etc on the JPS cars was hand signwritten. Peter Warr told me once how many "books" of real gold leaf were used to do each car (and that the reason that from 1974 onwards, a biege paint used instead, was the shear cost!!).

 

In Argentina of 1972, the cockpit front "Texaco" was, read and white, and looked like a sticker. I bet it didn't sit well with Chapman, but it ws unlikely it could have been done properly in South America. I wonder if the bodywork was being updated, piece at a time, and it's just that it wasn't quite finished yet. I know, bit of a long shot!!



#5 PeterElleray

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Posted 29 May 2016 - 20:08

The bodywork was indeed being updated Steve, with the John Player Special moving from the lower chassis side onto the cockpit surround on Emerson's chassis 7 between the French and Britich GP's, which would have necessatited redoing the Gold signwriting and Texaco decal. But it still doesnt explain why it was taped over in France , where the original surround was used?

 

As far as the rear wing endplate is concerned and the decals removed from there, this was the period in which the switch over was made to the F2 based short chord rear wing, and shorter endplate. You can see in pictures taken at Vallleunga , two weeks prior to the French GP that there isnt really enough space on it for the Texaco, Ford and Firestone decals, the Ford and Texaco overlapping slightly. 14 days later in France Texaco has gone, and 14 days later again, at Brands, there is a revised endplate and what look like smaller decals back in position!

 

Emerson was 'only' 2nd at Clermont, i haven't found that many decent pictures of the car, i wonder if the decal was plonked on elsewhere as a temporary measure?

 

(Texaco decals appear to have gone black and gold between Argentina and S.Africa. there was clearly some disquiet betwen Texaco and Lotus over this, and Peter Warr explains in his book how the 1973 Texaco Star F2 car was a partial result of the loss of Texaco corporate identity on the 72's.)


Edited by PeterElleray, 29 May 2016 - 20:17.


#6 chr1s

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Posted 29 May 2016 - 22:12

Was it blanked out on Dave Walkers car too?



#7 PeterElleray

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 09:07

Yes, found a pic of Walker's car on the grid and it has the same piece of tape.Can't find a picture of Walker's car side on, but he ran the earlier rear wing there.



#8 f1steveuk

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 13:00

Ok, my earlier idea was wide of the  mark, so I  offer now, was Texaco sold under a different name in France at the time, or that the event was sponsored by a rival.

 

The only other thing i can offer is, has anyonelooked in the Marlboro Grand Prix Guide for that year, too  se what those pictures cough up?

 

Promise, I'll stop thinking about it now!


Edited by f1steveuk, 30 May 2016 - 13:04.


#9 PeterElleray

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 15:01

I've checked Autopsort, M.News and Autocar race reports, Autocourse, The J.P.S and Marlboro yearbooks, "A Very Special Year", Mike Olivers 'Lotus 72', Doug Nye's Theme lotus, and on line... No mention of the missing decal. Any reference in Autosprint of the German press (or French?!)

 

My money is on a clash of brands in France, this would have been the first year Texaco sponsored a car in the GP there (i think?), so maybe if that was the case the clash was resolved in 1973, or wasn't a clash anymore.

 

Wikipedia doesnt support this  though, it tells me Texaco was an independant brand at that time, parent co The Texas Oil Company.

 

Help...



#10 Roger Clark

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 16:11

The week before the Grand Prix, Fittipaldi won the Formula 2 race at Rouen with prominent Texaco stickers.



#11 PeterElleray

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 17:27

That negates the clash theory then.

 

Well, all i can say is that in my own experience i have only ever seen a major sponsor's logo removed for one other reason!

 

The irony is that in the 40 years that have followed the brain has become so programmed to that Texaco sticker as an integral part of the JPS colour scheme in 1972/3 that it compensated for  taping over the word Texaco by reinstating it!



#12 Michael Ferner

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 20:01

Gentlemen, couldn't it have been something simple & straightforward like unpaid sponsorship money? Nothing like a good natured reminder to pay your bills...

#13 PeterElleray

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 20:36

Yes Michael, that is actually the reason i was refering to above and the origin of my 'Cheque in the Post' comment in post 1!

 

If that were the case, odd that nothing ever leaked out into the press, especially the British press, at the time



#14 chr1s

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 21:29

Anyone looked at the Motorsport report from that race? That's the sort of thing that Jenks would have picked up on.



#15 PeterElleray

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Posted 30 May 2016 - 21:59

Forgot to look there earlier, and have just done so. Jenks didn't pick up on it either...



#16 arttidesco

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Posted 18 December 2016 - 21:43



 

(Texaco decals appear to have gone black and gold between Argentina and S.Africa. there was clearly some disquiet betwen Texaco and Lotus over this, and Peter Warr explains in his book how the 1973 Texaco Star F2 car was a partial result of the loss of Texaco corporate identity on the 72's.)

 

After appearing in a Moonraker Power Yachts Lotus 69 at Pau, DNF, Emmo made three appearances in an F2 Texaco Team Lotus 69 at Rouen, as already mentioned where he won, Österreichring, which he also won and Hockenheimring, DNF, in 1972.

 


My money is on a clash of brands in France, this would have been the first year Texaco sponsored a car in the GP there (i think?), so maybe if that was the case the clash was resolved in 1973, or wasn't a clash anymore.

 

Wikipedia doesnt support this  though, it tells me Texaco was an independant brand at that time, parent co The Texas Oil Company.

 

Help...

 

001_programme_wordpress.jpg

 

There was indeed a clash of brands, but the ELF, Shell and Gulf brands were still visible on the Tyrrells, Chris Amon's Matra and the McLarens for example, BP sponsored BRM in 1972 IIRC.



#17 BMWTeamBigazzi

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Posted 19 December 2016 - 11:46

I've checked Autopsort, M.News and Autocar race reports, Autocourse, The J.P.S and Marlboro yearbooks, "A Very Special Year", Mike Olivers 'Lotus 72', Doug Nye's Theme lotus, and on line... No mention of the missing decal. Any reference in Autosprint of the German press (or French?!)

 

My money is on a clash of brands in France, this would have been the first year Texaco sponsored a car in the GP there (i think?), so maybe if that was the case the clash was resolved in 1973, or wasn't a clash anymore.

 

Wikipedia doesnt support this  though, it tells me Texaco was an independant brand at that time, parent co The Texas Oil Company.

 

Help...

Try this on for size.....After a little research I have come up with this theory. After all we are talking about a decade where gaffer tape was more widely used for covering up sponsor logos than anything else!! and around this time France were producing some pretty damn good racing drivers at the time even some of the best i'd say!!, and the French at the time pretty much did anything for maximum exposure of their star men!! No disrespect to the rest, but Francois Cevert (ELF) is the star man here and you also had Depailler also (ELF) and of course you could include Stewart (ELF).

 

So my theory goes in the way, it was ELF and the French that made Lotus cover up the Texaco Logos (on what effectively was Elf's rival that year!) for the French round, thus to gain the most Maximum exposure and Maximum publicity on home ground.....

 

I came across an interesting article on M-Sport which may or may not help back my theory, i'll let you decide..

 

http://www.motorspor...rmula-one-scene

 

but who knows??? there's thousands of reasons possible!! but that's my tuppence worth and solid candidate after my detective work lol

good luck with your quest and you will tell us when you discover the real reason!! :)


Edited by BMWTeamBigazzi, 19 December 2016 - 11:47.


#18 john winfield

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Posted 19 December 2016 - 12:15

Try this on for size.....After a little research I have come up with this theory. After all we are talking about a decade where gaffer tape was more widely used for covering up sponsor logos than anything else!! and around this time France were producing some pretty damn good racing drivers at the time even some of the best i'd say!!, and the French at the time pretty much did anything for maximum exposure of their star men!! No disrespect to the rest, but Francois Cevert (ELF) is the star man here and you also had Depailler also (ELF) and of course you could include Stewart (ELF).

 

So my theory goes in the way, it was ELF and the French that made Lotus cover up the Texaco Logos (on what effectively was Elf's rival that year!) for the French round, thus to gain the most Maximum exposure and Maximum publicity on home ground.....

 

I came across an interesting article on M-Sport which may or may not help back my theory, i'll let you decide..

 

http://www.motorspor...rmula-one-scene

 

but who knows??? there's thousands of reasons possible!! but that's my tuppence worth and solid candidate after my detective work lol

good luck with your quest and you will tell us when you discover the real reason!! :)

 

Nice idea Bigazz, but if Elf were that powerful (and as artii pointed out, BP sponsored the programme/race) I think they would have covered the Matra and Ferraris in tape as well! But photos show Chris Amon and Jacky Ickx swooping around Charade with plenty of Shell advertising still visible.

 

I enjoyed the DSJ article. I thought he might be referring to the Belgian GP,  Kent cigarettes and Jacky Ickx's change from Kent sponsorship to Marlboro over the winter of 1972/3, but I'm not sure. 'Marlboro is  just a better cigarette' said Jacky, if I recall, although he didn't smoke himself.....! 



#19 BMWTeamBigazzi

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Posted 19 December 2016 - 14:29

Nice idea Bigazz, but if Elf were that powerful (and as artii pointed out, BP sponsored the programme/race) I think they would have covered the Matra and Ferraris in tape as well! But photos show Chris Amon and Jacky Ickx swooping around Charade with plenty of Shell advertising still visible.

 

I enjoyed the DSJ article. I thought he might be referring to the Belgian GP,  Kent cigarettes and Jacky Ickx's change from Kent sponsorship to Marlboro over the winter of 1972/3, but I'm not sure. 'Marlboro is  just a better cigarette' said Jacky, if I recall, although he didn't smoke himself.....! 

 

Yeah I was just looking at from a brand/image perspective, it was all kind of new to all companies, that in creating a brand, finding the right image to was just as important . It was new territory for companies back then and a lot of skullduggery went on in the ways they tried to promote their brands and image, especially in F1 and Motorsport as a whole!!

So in '72 it was really a straight fight between Elf and Texaco!!, no other teams were really capable of taking on Lotus and Tyrrell for the championship that year so no matter what fuel they used, there was little threat so Elf and Texaco already had bragging rights that they had better fuels than anyone in '72. 

 

How many people went and bought a pack of Marlboro's after Jacky Ickx saying that lol?? :lol:  Such was the power back then, big brands and sponsors really had cart blanche to promote/advertise in any way they saw fit, even if it did involve skullduggery or dirty tactics :)


Edited by BMWTeamBigazzi, 19 December 2016 - 14:29.


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#20 Michael Ferner

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Posted 19 December 2016 - 14:30

Lovely article.

... but whatever happens to BRM it can't get any worse than it was in 1974.


Really, Mr. Jenkinson?


 ;)

Edited by Michael Ferner, 19 December 2016 - 14:31.


#21 arttidesco

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Posted 19 December 2016 - 16:12

Lovely article.


Really, Mr. Jenkinson?


 ;)

 

Obviously an eternal optimist... and in that he was not alone.

 

I also still look forward to Mr Nye's final volume on the story there .... :wave:



#22 EDWARD FITZGERALD

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Posted 21 December 2016 - 10:23

nothing in the Marlboro Guides , JPS not given great coverage , strange that , photos too small



#23 PeterElleray

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Posted 21 December 2016 - 12:12

It does look rather like the world missed this at the time doesn't it? Particularly odd as the JPS livery seemed to provoke a lot of comment in the press at the time, and there are contemporary reports of the Texaco decals going from black and gold to Red White and Black and back again! So its not as if nobody was looking. But then someone comes along and hastily applies a strip of insulation tape over the top of the most prominent Texaco sticker on the car- and not a whisper.. Maybe Emerson has the answer - is Ricardo watching?



#24 MartLgn

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Posted 21 December 2016 - 18:31

I also still look forward to Mr Nye's final volume on the story there .... :wave:

We all are!  I'm sure Doug will let us loose on it when he's had time to finish it :lol:



#25 Zoony

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Posted 16 January 2022 - 13:13

I'm a bit late joining this; I've only just come across it. I have a slightly whacky theory...

 

On page 64 of the 1974/75 edition of Autocourse there is a photo of Bernie playing cards with a John Goossens of Texaco.

 

The caption reads that Bernie lost, and so Texaco stickers appeared on the front of the Brabhams in the 19754 South African Grand Prix.

 

Suppose Mr Goossens had a similar game of cards with Colin Chapman in 1972, which Colin won...?

 

Slightly off-topic, Johnny Tipler's book Black & Gold, makes a fairly big thing about Texaco wanting their branding on the JPSs to be in red & white. The first photos of a '72 in JPS livery, taken in November 1971 at Hethel, do indeed feature red & white Texaco branding, and the logos on the large rear wing end-plates (which never made another appearance as far as I know), were particularly large, and -in my opinion- spoilt the overall effect of the black & gold JPS livery.

 

Of course, when Texaco signed up with Lotus it would have been with Gold Leaf Team Lotus, and the livery of the cars was basically red & white so the Texaco logos wouldn't have looked out of place at all. And Texaco were quick to move with Marlboro to McLaren, sorry, Marlboro Team Texaco, in 1974 onto red & white coloured cars.



#26 chr1s

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Posted 17 January 2022 - 23:10

Interestingly the Texaco logos were not blanked out on the drivers overalls. 



#27 AJCee

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 12:15

Purely from memory so please forgive, but during the 70s and early 80s there are quite a few pictures of drivers with things like tobacco sponsors visible on overalls when they weren’t on the cars. Given that the usual treatment was just to stick gaffer tape on the overalls/helmet (isn’t there some issue with the adhesive and the shell material?) they could easily just wear off.

#28 Nigel Beresford

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 16:53

Given that the usual treatment was just to stick gaffer tape on the overalls/helmet (isn’t there some issue with the adhesive and the shell material?) they could easily just wear off.


I believe that was just a problem for polycarbonate shells.

#29 arttidesco

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 21:58

Purely from memory so please forgive, but during the 70s and early 80s there are quite a few pictures of drivers with things like tobacco sponsors visible on overalls when they weren’t on the cars. Given that the usual treatment was just to stick gaffer tape on the overalls/helmet (isn’t there some issue with the adhesive and the shell material?) they could easily just wear off.

 

Some of those instances, particularly at the British GP, of logo removal were voluntary for race day only but not adhered to during practice which might have muddied the water on that one.

 

Going back to the Texaco logos was there not a scene at the Rothmans 50,000 where Colin removed the JPS logo's from the 72s, until Players coughed up another suit case full of cash ?


Edited by arttidesco, 18 January 2022 - 22:25.


#30 chr1s

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 23:06

I went through all 697 photographs from this race on Motorsport Images, hoping to find a paddock shot showing either the teams transporter, some churns or cans,  also with the logos covered up, but I only found one paddock picture and no Texaco branding. What i did see though, and I know this is a long shot, was Dave Charltons' SASOL sponsored car being prepared along side the works cars. Is it possible that at this race, for some reason, Team Lotus were also using SASOL oil? Just a thought...



#31 TecnoRacing

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Posted 19 January 2022 - 02:20

I went through all 697 photographs from this race on Motorsport Images, hoping to find a paddock shot showing either the teams transporter, some churns or cans,  also with the logos covered up, but I only found one paddock picture and no Texaco branding. What i did see though, and I know this is a long shot, was Dave Charltons' SASOL sponsored car being prepared along side the works cars. Is it possible that at this race, for some reason, Team Lotus were also using SASOL oil? Just a thought...

Yea doesn't make much sense, but I was wondering the same. :wave:

Good shot of the chassis R3 (Charlton) with Emerson's cockpit surround (with taped-over Texaco) propped up next to it

CjDaRu.jpg


Edited by TecnoRacing, 19 January 2022 - 02:21.


#32 arttidesco

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Posted 19 January 2022 - 04:44

I went through all 697 photographs from this race on Motorsport Images, hoping to find a paddock shot showing either the teams transporter, some churns or cans,  also with the logos covered up, but I only found one paddock picture and no Texaco branding. What i did see though, and I know this is a long shot, was Dave Charltons' SASOL sponsored car being prepared along side the works cars. Is it possible that at this race, for some reason, Team Lotus were also using SASOL oil? Just a thought...

 

Except ofcourse Dave ran with the same sponsorship in South Africa, Britain and Germany without disturbing Texaco on the works cars.



#33 chr1s

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Posted 19 January 2022 - 20:39

Except ofcourse Dave ran with the same sponsorship in South Africa, Britain and Germany without disturbing Texaco on the works cars.

Yes i'm aware of that,  but my point is did they have to use a different oil supplier ( not necessarily Sasol, I just picked on that because Charltons' car was in the picture,  but it could just have easily been Elf or Shell )  for this one race due to unforeseen circumstances and so as to avoid any potential repercussions, decided to simply cover up the Texaco logos?



#34 Gary C

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Posted 20 January 2022 - 12:43

I thought I'd mention this in here too, as some of you may not have seen it, here's the (short) Motors TV version of my Lotus 72 documentary:
https://m.youtube.co...7HFOnDOiDLPz5dI

#35 Steffen

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Posted 27 January 2022 - 14:36

I might have found the answer in Heinz Prüller's book "Grand Prix Story '72", Page 110:
Following his report of the Belgium Grand Prix, Prüller inserts a chapter about Lotus and Peter Warr. After a general introduction of Warr he writes about this situation:

"Der einzige Interessenkonflikt entstand aus Fittipaldis Vertrag mit Bardahl, einer brasilianischen Benzinzusatzfirma. Ein ganzseitiges Farbfoto in "Autosport" mit Bardahl-Reklame auf Emersons Helm, verärgerte den Lotus-Sponsor Texaco. Zum brasilianischen Grand Prix war Warr grimmig entschlossen, das Bardahl-Abziehbild von Emersons Helm zu entfernen. [...] Die Affäre wurde erst nach einem Streit geklärt."

"The only conflict of interest arose from Fittipaldi's contract with Bardahl, a Brazilian gasoline additives company. A full-page color photo in "Autosport" with Bardahl advertising on Emerson's helmet angered Lotus sponsor Texaco. For the Brazilian Grand Prix, Warr was determined to remove the Bardahl decal from Emerson's helmet. [...] The affair was only clarified after a dispute."

The only thing that doesn't make sence to me, is the long time between the Brazilian and the French Grand Prix.
Prüller has a habit to be slightly inaccurate if it makes the story more interesting. I could imagine Warr removed the advertising way before the conflict arose, and the picture was published at a later point.
Having done a picture search, I can at least confirm that Emerson had Bardahl advertising on his helmet in 1972 at one point:

 

https://www.shutters...500-tw-1959785a



#36 AJCee

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Posted 27 January 2022 - 15:29

With Texaco on his arms…

That’s an interesting photo with the large Emerson Fittipaldi sign writing on the cockpit side where it was usually John Player Special. The caption says it is at Brands Hatch. For both the British Grand Prix and The Race of Champions it looks from photos that the cockpit side carried John Player Special.

I wonder if this is a promo photo??

#37 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 28 January 2022 - 07:08

"The only conflict of interest arose from Fittipaldi's contract with Bardahl, a Brazilian gasoline additives company. A full-page color photo in "Autosport" with Bardahl advertising on Emerson's helmet angered Lotus sponsor Texaco. For the Brazilian Grand Prix, Warr was determined to remove the Bardahl decal from Emerson's helmet. [...] The affair was only clarified after a dispute."

 

To clarify, Bardahl is based in Seattle, Washington, but has plants in Brazil and elsewhere.

 

Vince H.
 


Edited by raceannouncer2003, 28 January 2022 - 07:09.


#38 BRG

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Posted 28 January 2022 - 12:22

With Texaco on his arms…

That’s an interesting photo with the large Emerson Fittipaldi sign writing on the cockpit side where it was usually John Player Special. The caption says it is at Brands Hatch. For both the British Grand Prix and The Race of Champions it looks from photos that the cockpit side carried John Player Special.

I wonder if this is a promo photo??

See the photo here scroll down to win #2 Spain 1972, where Emerson's name is on the side of the car



#39 Zoony

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Posted 30 January 2022 - 13:16

Regarding the photo posted by Steffen above, the 72s ran with two slightly different liveries in 1972. For the first half of the season they ran with deeper windscreens and the drivers' names in large letters along the sides of the cockpit surrounds, pretty much as they had done in the later Gold Leaf days. In that form 'John Player Special' appeared on the side of the monocoque below the JPS monogram, as in the photo above taken in the Clermont-Ferrand paddock.

 

From the British GP onwards the windscreen transparency was made much shallower* to allow for 'John Player Special' to appear below it, where it remained for the rest of the 72's service. This arrangement also allowed the JPS monogram on the side of the monocoque to be enlarged.

 

So that photo was not at the British GP at Brands. Here is a link to a Getty image taken at the RoC, held in March 1972 before the change in livery, and the car does have both the deeper windscreen transparency and the Bardahl sticker on Emmo's helmet. https://www.gettyima...-photo/79655276

 

Still doesn't solve the blanked-out Texaco stickers enigma, though.

 

* Rather unbelievably in these days of so much driver protection, the entire cockpit surround on the Lotus 72s was made of perspex (plexiglass), and the bit underneath the windscreen was just painted red or black...


Edited by Zoony, 30 January 2022 - 13:23.