117 replies to this topic

[Flaminiasupersport]

Dear Readers,

These pictures show Peter Collins during the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix. He married in 1957 with Louise (Cordier or King?) but is this the same girl?

He truly "liked girls" as you can read on his bumper sticker, so it might be any girl!









Wonder what they're talking about...



Behind the two lovebirds on the wooden wall Eugenio Castellotti's suitcase and helmet...

Strange to see all these objects lying there, while nowadays they would be unvaluable collector's items.

Musso was there with a girlfriend, Fangio was there with Beba, Peter with this girl but Eugenio was there with his mother!

[cdrewett]

It's not Louise, Peter met her on February 4th 1957 and they married one week later. Incidentally she was our guest of honour at last August's Shelsley Walsh meeting. She was delightful and enjoyed every minute. I'm sure someone can post a photograph.
Chris

[Flaminiasupersport]

Yes that would be great!

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Flaminiasupersport

These pictures...

And the copyright for those photographs belongs to...?

[Paul Parker]

Just look at that waist, something like 22 inches I'd wager.

I wish women/girls looked and dressed like this today.

In photo 4 the head nearest the camera is surely Alfonso de Portago.

[Arjan de Roos]

Picture 1: Ferrari mechanic Carlo Madessi checks the spark plu collection. Musso is behind with the black baret.

Pic 2: Luigi Musso signs autograph (?) for competitor mechanic.

Pic 4: Among others Ferrari capo mechanic Adelmo Marchetti (facing Collins).

[F1Snapper]

Paul you are a true romanticist!
we have a client who only orders F1 photos showing 'girls' in the 60s/70s (more than 50 different photos until now), it's a very special theme indeed. hope things are going well with you, cheers to lisa

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by cdrewett
It's not Louise, Peter met her on February 4th 1957 and they married one week later. Incidentally she was our guest of honour at last August's Shelsley Walsh meeting. She was delightful and enjoyed every minute. I'm sure someone can post a photograph.
Chris

Louise Collins-King being driven up the hill by David Nursey in his Jaguar XK120.

[Paul Parker]

Dear Boris,

Nice to hear from you again and my regards to Rainer.

Incidentally Mrs Joslin Parker informs me that her Christian names are Sarah Jane Frances!

[F1Snapper]

sorry, paul, for my bad name memory

[Vicuna]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
Just look at that waist, something like 22 inches I'd wager.

if that

[Bauble]

In photo 4 the head nearest the camera is surely Alfonso de Portago.

I would not argue Paul, but my first thought was Castellotti?

[Manel Baró]

Originally posted by Bauble
In photo 4 the head nearest the camera is surely Alfonso de Portago.

I would not argue Paul, but my first thought was Castellotti?

Paul is right. Portago did not raced.

[starlet]

Indeed, Paul is right ... that it is de Portago...

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Picture 1: Ferrari mechanic Carlo Madessi checks the spark plu collection. Musso is behind with the black baret.

It's Carlo Amadessi. And with the beret, it's not a driver but another mechanic Bruno Solmi.

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Pic 2: Luigi Musso signs autograph (?) for competitor mechanic.

I stand to be corrected but for me it is Musso with André Simon.

[Arjan de Roos]

Originally posted by starlet
Indeed, Paul is right ... that it is de Portago...

It's Carlo Amadessi. And with the beret, it's not a driver but another mechanic Bruno Solmi.
I stand to be corrected but for me it is Musso with André Simon.

Indeed, Amadessi. Really Solmi? Musso is more often seen on pics with the black baret.
I doubt about Simon.

[SEdward]

What's the car in third photo? It hardly seems befitting for a dashing young Grand Prix driver!

Edward

[David McKinney]

A Ford Zephyr

[Ted Walker]

Just noticed the bumper sticker !!!!!!! and the answer to "twinnies "post.............

[kayemod]

Originally posted by David McKinney
A Ford Zephyr

Consul?

[Slurp1955]

Peter, like my good self, was from Kidderminster, and his father had a Ford Dealership on Worcester Road in the town. The Ford in the photo has a Worcestershire plate on it "RNP"

[Terry Walker]

There's a Zephyr badge on the back of the car.

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
There's a Zephyr badge on the back of the car.

So there is. (Just testing the car spotters among you).

[Ray Bell]

Looking very much a posed photo...

Wonder if the pic was part of a deal to get the use of the car or something? If so, I would have hung out for a Zodiac!

[Paul Parker]

From my now long distant childhood I seem to recall that Ford had a 1950s model badged Zephyr Zodiac.

[Robin Fairservice]

Why is everyone discussing the car, and not the question - who was the girl?

[fines]

Because she'd be in her eighties now?

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
From my now long distant childhood I seem to recall that Ford had a 1950s model badged Zephyr Zodiac.

ISTR the Mk1 was the Zephyr Six and the posh version the Zephyr Zodiac, but by the time of the Mk2 they were simply Zephyr and Zodiac. But I've been wrong before...

[Paul Parker]

Robin Fairservice

Why is everyone discussing the car, and not the question - who was the girl?

Who indeed but then unless someone on here actually knows/knew her or she is still alive then I fear she might remain forever just another pretty young woman from long, long ago immortalised courtesy of Agfa etc.

[Geoff E]

Originally posted by David McKinney

ISTR the Mk1 was the Zephyr Six and the posh version the Zephyr Zodiac, but by the time of the Mk2 they were simply Zephyr and Zodiac.

That's right. I think one of the distinguishing features was that the Zodiac was two tone. Your £968-17-0 still bought you a car with vacuum operated windscreen wipers though.

[Bloggsworth]

And the Cortina was more properly the Consul Cortina.

The girl looks stylishly Italian to me (and quite short....................)

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
The girl looks stylishly Italian to me (and quite short....................)

Speaking as someone who has ogled women all over Europe, I'd have said French, mainly because of the hairstyle.

[SEdward]

I agree. Definitely French. Maybe Peter picked her up somewhere between Calais and Monte Carlo.

Edward

[Odseybod]

Digression from female form back to Ford form. That's a Mark 2 Zephyr (1956-62) - this would be the earlier version, rather than the even more stylish Lowline model that came out in 1959. Given that he was on the Continong with exotic females hovering, pity they didn't give him the convertible version. This (plus the proletarian Consul and plusher two-tone Zodiac - also all available with soft-tops) were succeeded by the Mark 3 Zephyr 4 and 6 (referring to number of cylinders) and Zodiac with its extra rear quarterlight instead of a solid panel (1962-66) and the Mk IV Zephyr 4/6 and Zodiac with independent rear suspension and new V4 or V6 engines (1956-72). No more Zephyrs and Zodiacs after that - just Consuls (briefly) and Granadas.

Anorak now going back into storage

[bradbury west]

[i]Originally posted by Paul Parker
Why is everyone discussing the car, and not the question - who was the girl?
Who indeed but then unless someone on here actually knows/knew her or she is still alive then I fear she might remain forever just another pretty young woman from long, long ago immortalised courtesy of Agfa etc. [/B]

A stylish reminder of a halcyon age.( Removes rose-tinted glasses)
Perhaps SCM recalls her identity, or John Campbell Jones, both have razor-sharp clarity of recall and it was a small world then.
Roger Lund

[Tony Matthews]

Originally posted by fines
Because she'd be in her eighties now?

Michael, some old birds are much more interesting than some old cars...

[Duc-Man]

I wish they would still build cars and women like that today...

[bradbury west]

Originally posted by Odseybod
[ That's a Mark 2 Zephyr (1956-62) - this would be the earlier version, rather than the even more stylish Lowline model that came out in 1959. [/B]

Lower roofline, different grille and larger, revised tail lights. OT a bit; the Farnham estate was a nice concoction too, IMHO. I had a Consul 375 estate in 70/71, disc brake job, RTK 378, blue over blue. Surprisingly versatile car. Talking of the convertibles, a chap my father knew, Herbert Sutcliffe, as in Yorkshire cricketer, a real gentleman of the old school, had an ivory Zodiac conv., with red upholstery, 61/62 , which I thought was a wonderful machine.
Roger Lund

[Bloggsworth]

Originally posted by kayemod


Speaking as someone who has ogled women all over Europe, I'd have said French, mainly because of the hairstyle.

Can't be French. she doesn't look bored.............

[RS2000]

"NP" registration (Worcestershire), so from the Collins family Ford dealership Kidderminster Motors?

... the car, not the girl...

[Paul Parker]

Back to la femme fatale she definitely looks French to me in both style and actual physicality, although of course Italy is very close.

If these pictures get sufficient airing then somebody just might know the answer. Meanwhile I too wonder whose images these are as this kind of stuff is so much more interesting to look at from a general viewpoint than the usual racing stuff, in my opinion.

They capture the atmosphere of the period so well, no corporate sponsors, no obvious bullshitters, busybodies, pompous officials and control freaks, or sour faced, pressurised and stressed out personnel. Ye Gods relaxed smiling faces even, then compare to latter day F1.

Now I will put on the rose tinted glasses!

[Kingsleyrob]

Originally posted by Paul Parker

They capture the atmosphere of the period so well, no corporate sponsors, no obvious bullshitters, busybodies, pompous officials and control freaks, or sour faced, pressurised and stressed out personnel. Ye Gods relaxed smiling faces even, then compare to latter day F1.

Now I will put on the rose tinted glasses!

Completely agree Paul And no "celebrities" either! In fact part of the charm of these photos is the mystery of the femme fatale! And wow, that waist...

Perhaps it is better if the mystery remains unsolved...just an ordinary French/Italian girl beguiled by PC's dashing looks and English savoir faire...

Rob

[mkv23]

More great photo's and stories in Peter Collins "All about the boy!" found here:

www.mercianmanuals.co.uk/books

[klemcoll]

Here is a photo from our archive by Louis Klemantaski taken at Maranello just before the 1957 Mille Miglia. It shows Peter Collins and his wife Louise with their Ford station wagon. Louise told me many years ago that after 57 Sebring they went up to Cincinnati Ohio and got the car from a Ford dealer, Edmund "Eby" Lunken, who was also a racer whom they had met at Sebring where Lunken had driven a Ferrari 500TR.

[Rob Miller]

It's a Mercury.

[RTH]

Originally posted by Flaminiasupersport


These pictures show Peter Collins during the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix.

These are lovely photographs and the girl with the incredibly tiny waist very much has that 50s Audrey Hepburn look.

The pictures do look very professional ,taken with top class equipment and they really do look as if they were posed with the co-operation of all those involved. I wonder if this was a commercial enterprise for a fashion magazine perhaps, or for some advertising purpose?
You might snatch one candid shot but surely not 5 like that ?

Do we know how tall Peter Collins was? That would give a guide on just how small or otherwise the girl was, could she have been a fashion model ?

[Lee Nicolle]

She is a stunner, but probably to short for a model. She seems about 9" shorter than Collins in heels.Even then models had to be moderatly tall. Who is she is the question!

[Roger39]

Is that a wedding ring on her finger in the first picture...her left hand is perhaps convienently hidden in all the other photo's. What a stunner though..she was probably 5 inches shorter with her belt off!

[Paul Parker]

I would estimate Peter Collins to have been about 5 feet 9 inches, perhaps a tad less, so la jeune fille is indeed tiny.

As for the status of the pics, if it was a contrived set for a magazine/newspaper there would have been many more and it would have been, I suspect, for a continental publication, not a British one.

These pictures do look professional bar one, although there is some intrusion into the frame by third parties and objects that a professional staging a scene would not allow. Additionally with a decent camera and good light, as here, such clarity was/is relatively easy to achieve with static scenes using b/w film.

Personally I believe these were opportunistic shots taken by someone competent made possible by the easy access. So who did take them Flaminiasupersport? Do you in fact know?

[Jean L]

These pictures come from the site of Life.
http://images.google.com/hosted/life

[Kingsleyrob]

Originally posted by Jean L
These pictures come from the site of Life.
http://images.google.com/hosted/life

Do you mean the Peter Collins pictures come from the site of Life? If so I couldn't find them. Plenty of other nice images though.

Rob