14 replies to this topic

[gommaire]

Hi everyone,

I have asked in a Lotus Elise Forum, but it seems no one can answer my question so I ask over here...

Last sunday I bought a book about James Hunt on a fleamarket, the seller didn`t know what he was selling
to my amazement it is signed by Hunt, Lauda, Pironi, Stuck, Larousse, .... all in all 20 GP driver/team owner...
aaand Colin Chapman, my hero
so to my question, I think I heard somewhere that Chapman, hasn`t signed often a book or something similar, can anyone confirm it?

cheers

Gom

[LittleChris]

Do you have any more details eg book title, author ?

[gommaire]

it's this book, it's from 1977

why do you ask?

[LittleChris]

it's this book, it's from 1977

why do you ask?

Out of interest really as pretty much the only book published about James in the UK during his lifetime that I'm aware of was Eoin Youngs Against All Odds in 1977

If you have Cimarosti's Complete History of Grand Prix Racing and want to validate the signature of Colin Chapman in your book, there's a copy of his signature at the start of the chapter on 1962.

Edited by LittleChris, 04 September 2012 - 21:32.

[LittleChris]

Out of interest really as pretty much the only book published about James in the UK during his lifetime that I'm aware of was Eoin Youngs Against All Odds in 1977

If you have Cimarosti's Complete History of Grand Prix Racing and want to validate the signature of Colin Chapman in your book, there's a copy of his signature at the start of the chapter on 1962.

Just realised that Pari Gagne is the french translation of Eoin Youngs book ...

[gommaire]

If you have Cimarosti's Complete History of Grand Prix Racing and want to validate the signature of Colin Chapman in your book, there's a copy of his signature at the start of the chapter on 1962.

I am more than shure that I have real signature of Chapman, my question was more to know how rare one of him is...

[Arjan de Roos]

He was approachable compared with today, I mean he walked freely up and down the paddock. Most signature hunters will have focussed on the drivers, and ACBC kept a distance with the fans (not on purpose) as he was always immaculately dressed and busy running around. So I guess its slightly rare.

[biercemountain]

I am more than shure that I have real signature of Chapman, my question was more to know how rare one of him is...

I'd Google around to find some good signature sellers and contact them. You can probably get a good idea on the scarcity/value by acting like you're interested in buying Colin's signature.

[Emery0323]

I'd Google around to find some good signature sellers and contact them.

This discussion piqued my curiousity - This is just one data point I found with google, and it doesn't necessarily mean that it will actually sell for the asking price. However, it gives a rough idea of what the valuation might be:

http://www.brandesau...aph-signed.html


Jimmy Clark's signature on this one clouds the issue of the value of what Chapman's would be by itself, but it is an interesting item:

http://www.ebay.co.u...S-/230820848992

[Lee Nicolle]

Having just had a typical Monday signing for deliveries and writing cheques for some of them I guess that Chapman would have done the same20 times a week at least.
In the context of the book with a good few drivers it is very rare and very defenitly a nice nostalgia piece.

[gommaire]

I asked about the rarity in a Lotus Forum, no replies... I think Arjan is right in saying that most signature hunters
focused on the drivers... I know the Lotus scene quite well, and all I can say is, I never saw a Chapman signature...

here are at last the pictures, sorry for the delay




Pillette, Surtees, Stuck, Lunger, Jones, Gérard Crombac, Giacomelli, Larousse, Colombo





cheers G.

[nicanary]

I've just seen a Chapman signed programme for sale on E-Bay - motor racing memorabilia, programmes section, auction at 1.52pm GMT. Two bids at present, up at £75.

[lotus74]

Colin Chapman signed my Lotus Europa workshop manual. Met him in 1978 at the US Grand Prix in Watkins Glen. Lotus won the constructors and drivers championship that year with Mario Andretti. Crowd in the paddock area was huge, I raised my manual above my head, when he saw it he waved me over. We spoke for about 5 minutes, wished me the best of luck with my Europa. I'm not interested in what it's worth, it will be passed on to my grandson with my Europa.

[Robur]

Guys, any help with the last autograph there? Could it be Colin Chapman?

The others are David Morgan, Tony Brise, James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

The starting list from this race meeting is incomplete or not helpful.

https://www.racingsp...03-31-5374.html

[D-Type]

That bears no resemblance to the autograph in Cimarosti which spells out his name as Colin Chapman in full.  But ACBC may well have changed to something easier and quicker to sign.