11 replies to this topic

[RobMk2a]

Does anyone know what the Yellow spots on the sides of the cars stands for  - does this relate to Index of Performance

 

Also some of the smaller GT's TVR and Lotus Elite have green lozenge on the back of the car - I believe that this relates to the class or speed of the car to warn faster cars. I've tried to read the regs but with limited french I can't find the correct reference. 

 

See (B&W) photos to show the spots. 

 

https://www.motorspo...iRDOPXCLoInqR64

 

Thank you for your help. 

 

Rob 

 

 

[68targa]

This could be to do with the change of regs in 1962 when the FIA wanted to push production based GT cars and introduced the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. At Le mans (and other races) prototypes were still allowed to race of course but did not count towards the GT championship. Thus the iD marks showed which cars were eligible for the Championship.

 

The photo below shows the yellow 'spot' on  the Team Elite cars which participated in several of the races in 1962 and through to 1963  - this photo was taken in April 1963 at Oulton Park

 

 

 

[bradbury west]

I always understood it to be a fire safety indicator to show the bodywork was of Fibreglass/ glass fibre to alert to marshals of it in case of a conflagration. There was similar code, the RAF red, white and blue roundels on the front wings, to show cars which were competing for the Commander Yorke Cup or some such award.

Roger Lund,  awaiting contradiction.....

[RobMk2a]

Roger - this idea was put forward on the Elite fb page - but the TVRs (Fibreglass) don't have them but the Sunbeam (steel) does. 

 

I'll look into the Championship idea. 

 

Thank you 

 

Rob 

[Tim Murray]

Here’s an earlier thread where it was suggested that the coloured circles denoted what the car’s body was made from. It was also suggested that some entrants put the wrong colour circles on their cars:

Le Mans markings, eg the dots of 1967

[Doug Nye]

I am cheating by asking the ACO to clarify...

 

DCN

[D-Type]

The "RAF-style" roundels in the 1950s denoted a car was eligible for the Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup.  I'm not sure what the criteria were.  I think it was something like one of the drivers in a nominally similar car had finished the previous race.  In typical ACO fashion, it wasn't as simple as the entrant or the make of car, nor was it all drivers who had finished the previous year.  There was also a handicap but on a different basis to the Index of Performance.

  
The roundels or coloured circles for bodywork material came later.

Edited by D-Type, 21 December 2020 - 22:14.

[bradbury west]

Duncan, many thanks for the clarification of the cup name. 
RL

[cooper997]

I can only hope that this information taken from the 1964 Le Mans programme is on the correct path to help Rob's quest (and also relevant for 2 years earlier).

 

page 63 has this...

les voitures

couleurs des voitures
allemagne gris argent
etats-unis dámerique blanc et bleu
belgique jaune
grand bretagne vert
france bleu
italie rouge
pays-bas orange
suisse blanc et rouge
les voitures de grand tourisme, participant au Championnat du Monde, porteront de chaque cote de la carrosserie, a hauteur de l'arriere du capot, un disque de colour jaune.

 

That for those of us who struggle with English, becomes (via a certain search engine)...

the cars colors

germany silver gray

united states of america white and blue

belgium yellow

great britain green

france blue

italy red 

netherlands orange

swiss white and red

Grand touring cars participating in the World Championship will carry a yellow disc on each side of the body, at the rear of the bonnet.

 

If there's a similar page in the 1962 programme then please let it be known.

 

 

Stephen

[Doug Nye]

My friend Louis Monnier of the ACO explains as follows - with the caveat that since the Museum archive is closed currently due to Covid lockdown he has yet to confirm these observations:

 

1962

• Yellow circle on the side…indicated cars eligible for the FIA GT World Championship 


• Coloured patches on the car's tail indicated engine size

1300 cc < blue rectangle < 2000cc

1000cc < green diamond < 1300cc

White circle < 1000cc

over 2 litres…nothing

 

Porsche Abarth #30, yellow circle on side + blue rectangle at the back.

 

 

From the ACO Collection

 

DCN

 

[RobMk2a]

Doug - thank you very much for your help, can you please thank Louis Monnier of the ACO - I will let the Lotus Elite group know

 

The yellow discs are mentioned on page 55 of the 1962 Programme - GT cars participating in the World Championship. 

 

No found the bit about the Blue rectangle yet but it certainly makes good sense. 

Rob

Edited by RobMk2a, 20 December 2020 - 10:27.

[cooper997]

Rob, has sent through these images from the 1962 programme for inclusion.

 

 

 

 

Stephen