42 replies to this topic

[Nick Wa]

Just watching the Australian G.P. intro telecast, the drivers walk along a line of fans and just scribble a mark. I noticed a non super star just sign a careless just legible JP. (Tennis stars have perfected this initial business). However the tv commentator remarked that Jackie Stewart spent an hour and ten minutes signing yesterday and I noticed he signed his name and you could read it.

When I was a fan I once timidly handed my book to Fangio. He signed with a smile and then with a nudge to his mate handed my book to Gonsalez. I had to walk round the cars to get Collin's.

Access and Gentlemen

[Michael Ferner]

What's in it for you, having someone else write his name?

[Slurp1955]

Jackie Stewart is severely dyslexic. Early on in his race career he perfected that famous signature and it's one of the few things, if not the only thing he ever writes. He doesn't read at all. And where did we hear all this? From the man himself at a lunch at The Swift Gallery a few months ago, where he told us how the condition had blighted his early life - he's not done too badly since.

Edited by Slurp1955, 26 March 2017 - 08:39.

[Sharman]

What's in it for you, having someone else write his name?

Sort of "Kilroy was here"?

[Stephen W]

Stefan Bellof had a good look through my autograph book and was critical of the scribbled signatures saying "Who is that?" and "That could be anyone!"

 

Mario Andretti and Ritchie Ginther were by far the most accessible and also some of the nicest to chat to.

[Gabrci]

What's in it for you, having someone else write his name?

 

If you have nothing to say, keep quiet. Better for everyone. 

[E1pix]

I must have over a thousand autographs, and some are illegible. Lauda's is one, but somehow I remember almost all of what I have.

Jackie Stewart's is lovely indeed! I wonder if someone trained him to sign that, I did that once by literally holding the hand of a dyslexic friend right before his first 500. Took three hours and hundreds of repetitions to get it consistent. Poor guy could barely write a thing but the signature still looks similar 28 years on.

[alfredaustria]

Jackie Stewart never changed his signature. His autograph is the same signature for more than 50 years!

[Bloggsworth]

They could take a leaf out of golfers book, they display endless patience with fans and spend ages signing autographs.

[kayemod]

I've collected the odd signature, but only by accident, they've never meant a thing to me. I was once offered a signature by A J Foyt, and politely declined. The piece of paper I was holding at the time was an official Lotus document bearing Colin Chapman's signature, and I thought I might get complaints if AJ had defaced it, and my God, that man has a handshake! One of the best signatures I've seen recently was that of Rene Arnoux, even better, Johnny Rutherford's is a work of art. I watched him signing at Goodwood a few years ago, and he took so much trouble, and every one exactly the same. I think Sir Stirling wins the prize for the smallest one, I mean his signature of course.

[timbo]

When I left school I had a nice neat signature (not that anybody wanted it), but my first job was in the Public Service where you sign everything, many times a day, and so my signature ended up an illegible piece of scribble (which still nobody wants).

I'm sure there is a bit of this with many sports stars. I got Giacomo Agostini's signature on the weekend. It's illegible, but he did take his time to do it properly. 

[PCC]

I haven't collected an autograph in years, but that might be because I haven't been to a race in years... I certainly enjoy occasionally perusing the ones from my youth, in large part because they bring back memories of meeting the drivers and getting the signatures. Everyone was forthcoming in those days, but the ones that I especially remember being particularly friendly to an awe-struck little kid are (in no particular order) Bruce McLaren, Mark Donohue, Denny Hulme and Niki Lauda.

Edited by PCC, 26 March 2017 - 23:25.

[uffen]

My friend has a 50th anniversary (leather bound) 2002-03 Autocourse with the autographs of the entire grid of the 2003 season, plus numerous F1 notables. He'd collected signatures long enough to realise that he needed a key to decode the scrawl later on. So, after each autograph he carefully noted the name of the person and what he was (i.e. driver, engineer, team manager, journalist, etc.). That book is amazing to look through, the more so because each signature is annotated.

 

There is a total of about 40 signatures in the book and perhaps one or two are legible. His foresight was important.

[JacnGille]

 Johnny Rutherford's is a work of art.

[E1pix]

I've collected the odd signature, but only by accident, they've never meant a thing to me. I was once offered a signature by A J Foyt, and politely declined.

You're killing me over here, Rob!

First time I ever laid wide eyes on Foyt was at Milwaukee, 1974. I was a fresh 14 and he was suddenly in my path. Forgetting or not caring he was embroiled in a post-race protest regarding inconsequentials to a kid, I reached out with program and Flair pen and stammered out my intent.

He looked over his shoulder for a tenth, and said "Later." Four years' wait that was.

Thanks for the contrast. :-)

[Gabrci]

Johnny Rutherford's is a work of art

 

Indeed. From Grand Prix drivers I think Tony Settember had the most artistic one. 

[kayemod]

You're killing me over here, Rob!

First time I ever laid wide eyes on Foyt was at Milwaukee, 1974. I was a fresh 14 and he was suddenly in my path. Forgetting or not caring he was embroiled in a post-race protest regarding inconsequentials to a kid, I reached out with program and Flair pen and stammered out my intent.

He looked over his shoulder for a tenth, and said "Later." Four years' wait that was.

Thanks for the contrast. :-)

 

 

I've never forgotten AJ's greeting. After Peter Warr had introduced me, he said "Pleased to have you meet me!" Quite a presence and quite a character, but didn't he know it!

[chunder27]

I have to admit I feel a little weird about autograph hunters.

 

You see them at big race meetings with their back packs full of specially prepared pictures, standing waiting to get a normal bloke to sign a bit of paper.

 

Never quite understood the appeal to be honest.

 

I do get starry eyed about the odd driver or rider, but invariably an autograph means queueing for half an hour at some special event like Race Retro or the like, and that is never going to happen!!

 

The best one I ever had was a signed Villeneuve card, but the madam of an ex girlfriend who bought it for me as a present nicked it when we split up!!

[Stephen W]

I have to admit I feel a little weird about autograph hunters.

 

You see them at big race meetings with their back packs full of specially prepared pictures, standing waiting to get a normal bloke to sign a bit of paper.

 

 

I was at Brands Hatch for one of the 1000 Km meetings and saw a bloke 'door step' Derek Bell. He pulled a folder out of his rucksack and proceeded to get Derek to sign photo after photo. I am pretty certain they would have ended up being sold and if it was the present day they would have been on EBAY by the following morning.

[chunder27]

This is the problem I think, rather sad I find to be honest.

 

Some of them can be quite pushy and rude aswell.

And far be it for me to say, but a little odd!

[Nick Planas]

I have to admit I feel a little weird about autograph hunters.

 

You see them at big race meetings with their back packs full of specially prepared pictures, standing waiting to get a normal bloke to sign a bit of paper.

 

Never quite understood the appeal to be honest.

 

 

Could be worse, they could be asking for selfies...

 

I agree, just queueing for hours for a guy to write his name on a piece of paper seems over the top, and typical of the modern celebrity culture. I can understand young kids getting excited about it, but I think I grew out of it in my late teens! I know that my brother still has a programme from one of the Crystal Palace F2 meetings (1970 or 71) and he got almost every driver to sign it. Now when I look at that it takes me back to that era in a flash, but we were just kids. It's not going on eBay either...

 

In 1981 I was in the Silverstone paddock and came face to face with Mario Andretti, who is another of my heroes, but he looked genuinely busy and I thought it would have been rude to interrupt him, so I didn't. I don't lose sleep over not having his autograph, but I would have been gutted if he'd been visibly irritated by my request.

 

But... on the other hand, I have in my possession, by sheer chance, a family document not related to motor racing, but signed by George Jackson Churchward, who was one of the greatest railway locomotive builders of all time. I read about him when I was a small boy, and he was a hero to me for his achievements in the same way that Colin Chapman was (and Brunel, etc) So although it wasn't an autograph in the "celebrity" sense, it sends shivers down my spine just holding that document, and it's not going anywhere outside of my family either!

 

These autographs may seem a waste of time now, but in 60+ years time, they will mean something to someone.

[JtP2]

JYS having a neat signature, well so did my father and I am sure he was at least somewhat dyslexic. So comes with the territory. The only way to have a signature is to endlessly practice writing it, but nothing else.

 

As for an assistant signing for super stars, I shall be seeing Colin McRae's official photo /poster signer later today. Not that Colin was dyslexic, just busy on other things.

 

The best signature collection I ever heard about is from a motorcycling friend. In the early 60s he rode his bike from Scotland to Mallory Park to watch the bike racing. He is walking about the paddock about 5.30am having had a really quick run down. Mike Hailwood is walking across the paddock to go to te toilet from his caravan. so Mike says" you're up a bit early" " No I've just arrived early having ridden down from Scotland"  Later Mike gets a program and goes round the grid to get every rider to sigh it for him. So the reality is that what happens depends on the character of the super star involved.

Edited by JtP2, 27 March 2017 - 10:22.

[kayemod]

But... on the other hand, I have in my possession, by sheer chance, a family document not related to motor racing, but signed by George Jackson Churchward, who was one of the greatest railway locomotive builders of all time. I read about him when I was a small boy, and he was a hero to me for his achievements in the same way that Colin Chapman was (and Brunel, etc) So although it wasn't an autograph in the "celebrity" sense, it sends shivers down my spine just holding that document, and it's not going anywhere outside of my family either!

 

These autographs may seem a waste of time now, but in 60+ years time, they will mean something to someone.

 

I've got something similar, a notable signature, though not originally written for me. It's a letter to a dear friend who died in his mid 90s a few years ago, as well as being a real gentleman in the truest sense, friend Phil Smith was one of the greatest model designers/builders/fliers/sailers etc that this country has ever produced, though I guess that won't mean a great deal to most TNFs. The letter congratulated Phil on winning a major model flying competition, such events were a much bigger deal back then, the Daily Telegraph ran a detailed feature on this one, and when Phil died, both the Telegraph and The Times ran full page obituaries. The letter is from A V Roe, a famed designer of full sized planes, many of which helped us to win WW2, Phil's widow gave it to me after his death.

 

 

As I said before, I've never been an autograph collecter, it's only connections and personal reminiscences that make them valuable to me. One of my small treasures is a personal letter signed by one of my all-time favourite drivers, Denny Hulme, I think it's the only genuine F1 driver's signature I've got, though when I worked in the business, I could have collected loads.

 

 

And to make Nick and probably a few others sick, I saw Colin Chapman almost every day, and I never even got his.

Edited by kayemod, 27 March 2017 - 13:37.

[chunder27]

I think you sum it up perfectly

 

Surely most of us racefans have a person we would love to get to sign something, but it is that awful realisation that they might say no or might look a bit miffed that you asked.

 

I think these sort of pro hunters are oblivious, another slightly odd aspect of them!!

 

There is a guy who collects bike racing ones and has thousands of them. I see him at meetings still now getting ones from people who he already has!!  lol

[DogEarred]

I once got Bruce McLaren to sign the front page of a Race of Champions programme at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately I only had a red biro with me and he signed over the red bit of the cover page.

Well, I lnew it was there even if nobpdy believed me...

[Nick Planas]

 

I've got something similar, a notable signature, though not originally written for me. It's a letter to a dear friend who died in his mid 90s a few years ago, as well as being a real gentleman in the truest sense, friend Phil Smith was one of the greatest model designers/builders/fliers/sailers etc that this country has ever produced, though I guess that won't mean a great deal to most TNFs. The letter congratulated Phil on winning a major model flying competition, such events were a much bigger deal back then, the Daily Telegraph ran a detailed feature on this one, and when Phil died, both the Telegraph and The Times ran full page obituaries. The letter is from A V Roe, a famed designer of full sized planes, many of which helped us to win WW2, Phil's widow gave it to me after his death.

 

 

As I said before, I've never been an autograph collecter, it's only connections and personal reminiscences that make then valuable. One of my small treasures is a personal letter signed by one of my all-time favourite drivers, Denny Hulme, I think it's the only genuine F1 driver's signature I've got, though when I worked in the business, I could have collected loads.

 

 

And to make Nick and probably a few others sick, I saw Colin Chapman almost every day, and I never even got his.

Wow; those are both great letters to have - I feel with such things they should be passed to people who appreciate them; nice that you were given the AV Roe one!

 

Not sure if I was working for anyone such as ACBC I'd have dared to ask for an autograph - and anyway, you have something much more valuable - memories, whether they be good or bad!

 

With my Churchward letter, I have a student who is mad about all things GWR - I'll probably ask my family to send it to him unless one of my grandchildren shows the same passion.

[Dick Dastardly]

I've got JYS's autograph on a poster somewhere.....signed in a Geneva department store Aug '70...he was the current F1 champion then. 

Also got Ronnie Peterson's on the program from the '71 British GP....and Hannu Mikkola's on the program for a Players No 6 Autocross at Kendal, Cumbria July 1969...

 

2 years ago, I went to World RX at Lydden,,,,Will Gollop was there signing autographs, so I asked and got one.....guy ahead of me had 6 or 8 Scalextric [I think] models of his car, he asked Will to sign every one on the roof !!

[Richard Jenkins]

I've asked every driver I've interviewed in person to sign one book after the interview. Reason I do that is because when my kids are older, I can prove that I met the driver and talk about it with them.
Everyone so far has been happy to oblige; they can see I'm not an Ebayer.
In the event the children don't like the sport or I die early, the book .can be sold and the money goes to them so it's for them either way.

Edited by Richard Jenkins, 27 March 2017 - 14:15.

[dwh43scale]

I think Sir Stirling wins the prize for the smallest one, I mean his signature of course.

 

I stumbled across an early Moss autograph in a paper ephemera shop (along with Hill and Hawthorn). It was a proper signature back then; he has signed it many, many times since.

 

On a slight tangent, while sorting through my late father's possessions we came across his RAF National Service record from 1954 - his signature remained consistent right up to his passing last year.

 

I also came across the letter from Val Pirie to my Dad thanking him for his letter to SM after the Goodwood accident, which he was "unable to sign himself"...

Edited by dwh43scale, 27 March 2017 - 14:36.

[RogerFrench]

I have only ever collected one autograph, from Sir Stirling. In 1955 my father gave me Stirling Moss's book of Motor Sport.
50 years later, on the anniversary of his Mille Miglia win, he autographed it for me, here in Texas.

[RA Historian]

I have never been in the autograph game as such. I always had this awkward feeling that I was intruding. Hence, I have specialized, and restrict my autograph gathering to

books only, and pertinent ones at that. For example, I have Jack Brabham's in a book about Brabham, Jim Hall's in a couple Chaparral books, and so on. Several dozen

total, I suspect, including Fangio and Moss.

 

My main autograph pursuit is securing the autographs of World Champions in the Autocourse book of their championship year. Hard to get over here in the States, but I

have about a dozen. Now if only Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Nelson Piquet would show up here I could score a bunch of copies.

 

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 27 March 2017 - 15:35.

[Perruqueporte]

Having grown up a few miles from Brands Hatch, as a teenager I was there as often as possible for 'big' race meetings, especially practice days which I could afford.  At the end of the day on the Friday of the 1969 6-Hour race meeting I was hanging around Ferrari in the paddock hoping to ask Rodriguez and Amon to sign my programme, when one of the Ferrari mechanics who had seen me loitering asked me if I was hungry and invited me to sit down with the team to eat.  If that wasn't wonderful enough, because neither of the drivers was present the fellow who had invited me told me to leave my programme and to return the following day when he would return it to me, duly signed.  Sadly I couldn't afford to go twice, so I never did get their autographs, but that didn't bother me after being made to feel so welcome, and also having eaten pasta for the first time.

 

Christopher W.

[Glengavel]

I'm not a collector but I got a handful of signatures on the front of my programme at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1996(?).

 

The only other motor sport sig I have is JYS's signature on his autobiography; unfortunately I wasn't there when he signed it, my mate who then worked at the Scottish Office 'borrowed' it and took it to a dyslexia-awareness event that he knew Jackie would be attending.

[D-Type]

I have a Stirling Moss's autograph in a copy of the Robert Edwards biography that I found in a charity shop for £2.  Anyone want an unsigned copy?
I also have  DSJ's autograph in an extremely tatty copy of The Racing Driver which I got for £1 from a bargain bin at Goodwood.
I also have a signed copy of Jack Brabham's autobiography which I bought when he was signing them at Goodwood (DCN had already signed).  As I share a birthday with him (albeit 31 years apart) I was going to ask him for a personalised message but I wimped out - a combination of shyness, not being able to think of how to phrase the question and finding the prospect of communicating with someone as deaf as him daunting.

[BRG]

I'm with chunder27 on this one. I could never understand why people wanted to collect famous folks' signatures.  For me, just seeing and perhaps speaking to one's heroes has always been enough.  I could lose a piece of paper, I won't lose the memory, at least until dementia sets in.  I once got someone to sign a copy of his book but that is the nearest I ever got.

 

At least the selfie fad is saving the famous from carpal tunnel syndrome from signing their John Hancock thousands of time a hour. 

[Stephen W]

Could be worse, they could be asking for selfies...

 

I agree, just queueing for hours for a guy to write his name on a piece of paper seems over the top, and typical of the modern celebrity culture.

 

I was a guest of Cellnet at the British GP Silverstone 1994. Damon Hill was on the schedule to attend the hospitality unit so I dug out my 1959 Eagle Autograph book and placed a small slip of paper in between a couple of pages. On the day Damon arrived along with Brian Jones. Damon did his chat and then Brian asked some questions and then said that Damon would sign autographs. There was a mad rush as people thrust serviettes, menus, scraps of paper etc into his hand to sign. I held back and was the last to go forward. I asked Damon to sign my old autograph book on a particular page which he did. As he handed me back the book he said "Thank you." I told him that the autograph that was already on the page was from 1960 and that it was about time he won the British GP. He agreed.

 

On that page in my autograph book I have Jack Brabham, Cliff Allison, Graham Hill and Damon Hill's autographs.

[JacnGille]

I've been collecting sine the '77 Daytona 24 Hour race. I have a few others on separate pictures and race programs. I got A.J.s at the CART race in Atlanta as he exited a phone booth.

No, he wasn't wearing a Superman suit. 

[Michael Ferner]

Did he phone in his performance? 

[JacnGille]

At least he didn't slap anyone and call um a cheater. 

[Marc Sproule]

i've not been one to collect autographs for me personally but i have arranged for a few for my daughter josie.

 

in the early and mid 80s she spent a lot of days at laguna seca with me, watching preseason testing sessions for many of the cart teams.

 

josie was a very outgoing kid when she was a munchkin and made a lot of friends in the series. one of her best friends is bobby rahal and he treated her like a real friend, not just like a little kid.

 

one night during a race weekend at laguna i went out to dinner with rahal, his pr guy dave wible and old friend gordon kirby. dins was at a place with butcher paper "table cloths"  with crayons for the kids to play with. j was not there that night.

 

rahal inquired about her as we sat down for the eveing. i jokingly said he should write her a note on the butcher paper. he tore off a goodly size piece of the paper and wrote her a note,..in crayon of coutse.

 

she has the note,,framed of course.on a wall at her house.

 

bobby's last race was at laguna and she was there for it. at the lunchtime break race day j asked bobby if he would sign a print of the two of the two them from a test session when she was still a munchkin. he  obliged by taking herover to the team trailer, away form the crowd and signed  the pic.

 

perhaps one of her biggest thrills didn't involve getting a signature, iirc it was '99 or '00--she was in her late teens--and as we were walking to the car after the race she excitedly related to me that on the pregrid for the race. mario rode by on his pit bicycle. she said that when he saw her he made a quick u-turn came back and told how good it was to see her again and briefly caught up on old times,

 

i reckon that was more valuable than a handful of autographs.

 

josie when she was a munchkin during a test session....

 

https://www.flickr.c...57646443645344/

Edited by Marc Sproule, 29 March 2017 - 06:10.

[raceannouncer2003]

Some autograph highlights for me...

 

Monterey

 

...Fangio, 1991, signed the bottoms of my Merit Alfa 158, Maserat 250F, Mercedes W196, and Ferrari D50...Moss also signed the base of the W196...at Rennsport 2011, I didn't think Hans Herrmann was going to attend, but he did, so he signed a sticker, which is now also on the bottom of the W196

 

...yellow Ferrari t-shirt signed by Gonzalez and Phil Hill

 

...Terry Larson C-type Register signed by Larson, Moss, and Phil Hill,

 

...Jackie Stewart signing appropriate Michael Turner prints

 

Goodwood Revival, 2003

 

...John Surtees, Nino Vacarella...Jacky Ickx signing a Michael Turner print of Ickx winning the 1972 German GP, which I attended...I asked Ickx if he had the print..."I sink I have ze original"

 

...I wrote Jim Russell and he sent me an autographed copy of his biography, along with some autographed stickers, one of which is on the bottom my Merit Cooper Mk IX...I also wrote Herbert Linge, Giovannni Marzotto, Louis Rosier, Jr., and Tony Rolt for theirs.

 

I have many other models or their cases and some photos signed by the appropriate drivers...probably some other stuff which doesn't come to mind right now.

 

Vince H

[Stephen W]

One year at the British GP I was sat at Becketts during practice and a Ford Granada pulled up and out popped Jackie Stewart and George Harrison. They wandered up onto the banking, standing about 15 feet away and proceeded to await the start of the next practice session. A lot of people went up to get autographs and the chap next to me asked if I could "watch his stuff" whilst he went to get an autograph. I said I would and he went to get his prize. As he presented his programme to be autographed Jackie Stewart reached out but the bloke snatched it away and said "No thanks I want George to sign it!"

Jackie Stewart looked dumbfounded whilst George Harrison just smiled, took the programme and signed.

[kayemod]

As he presented his programme to be autographed Jackie Stewart reached out but the bloke snatched it away and said "No thanks I want George to sign it!"

Jackie Stewart looked dumbfounded whilst George Harrison just smiled, took the programme and signed.

 

I suspect that Nicola Sturgeon would have used that incident as an excuse to call a referendum, maybe even two or three of them.