33 replies to this topic

[Rainer Nyberg]

The Lufthansa thread made me think of other airlines sponsoring motorsports. I am myself employed in an airline and I know most airlines are reluctant to sponsor motorsports because of the unfavourable exponation due to possible accidents.

Recent sponsorship of course are the European Aviation Minardi's, and historically also the Saudia Williams'es comes to mind. Vivid in my mind is also the Alitalia sponsorship on the Lancia /Fiat rally team during the late 1970s. British Airways was also seen on Escort's at the same period.

Maybe TNF'ers can contribute with others?

[Gary C]

obviously there were the BOAC sponsored 500km and 1000km races at Brands in 1969-72.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Virgin Atlantic are a personal sponsor of Derek Bell in the Speedvision GT series, and i think the asian branch sponsors some guy in Formula Ford in the UK

[cheesy poofs]

There is also the once Benetton and Tyrrell sponsor of several seasons ago: KOREAN AIR

[david_martin]

Elfin had a long association with Ansett Airlines in Australia in the 1970's and their F5000 cars wore the Ansett livery of the day. Australian Airlines also sponsored the works Nissan Skyline touring cars that ran in the Australian championship in 1987 and 1988. Vern Schuppan had Singapore Airlines as his personal sponsor for a number of years and many of his cars wore their logo.

[Tech_Nut]

There was the sponsorship of Rupert Keegan's F3 car by British Air Ferries (Rupert's dad owned the airline). I remember the famous (infamous) picture of his car flying through the air upside down (Brands?) after a first-corner accident, with the car showing a BAF sticker stuck to the undertray!

Fly BAF indeed.

Anyone got the pic?

[McRonalds]

In some thread (I think it was about Unusual Sponsors) I posted a picture of the AEROFLOT sponsored F2 March driven by Marc Surer. I still wonder who made that deal...

I'm not sure if Lufthansa ever REALLY just sponsored a team - the Scuderia Lufthansa seems to be a real racing team. I hope for more information.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Singapore Airlines sponsored Vern Schuppan's F2-campaign in 1972.

Stefan

[Pikachu Racing]

US Air sponsored DK Urich (now Jasper Engines) NASCAR team in the mid 90's. VisionAire sponsored Jonathan Byrd IRL team and the inagural Charlotte race.

[2F-001]

VARIG sponsored Arrows for a little while. I think that's an airline, isn't it?

[Gary C]

Varig are the Brazilian national airline, I shall be using them the week after next!

[Buford]

As mentioned in the Riverside thread, Air Cal sponsored the 1982 CART race at Riverside. Both Riverside, and Air Cal are history now.

[nick stone]

I think Qantas has sponsored the Australian GP a number of times

[pc13]

Originally posted by nick stone
I think Qantas has sponsored the Australian GP a number of times

Likewise TAP with the Rally of Portugal.

Iberia (spanish national airline) has sponsored Emilio de Villota in the past.

pc13

[Jim Thurman]

Rainer,

There have been some here in the U.S.

Piedmont Airlines sponsored a NASCAR entry, IIRC, Ricky Rudd and then later, Terry Labonte drove the car with Piedmont sponsorship (Rudd married a Piedmont flight attendant, BTW).

Overseas National Airlines sponsored Mario Andretti at the Indy 500 on year. I believe 1967.

And while not sponsored directly by the airline he was CEO of (PSA), Tommy Friedkin, owned a Sports Car and later a NASCAR entry.

I'm sure there are others that I haven't come up with off the top of my head.


Jim Thurman

[Rainer Nyberg]

Yes there has been a number of airlines even if they haven't been that prolific.

And Niki Lauda eventually founded his own airline with money earned in F1, so I guess that is the othér way around

[William Dale Jr]

TAA, Australian Airlines, Ansett and QANTAS have all sponsored cars in Australian touring car racing at one time or another, but never a major sponsorship just small logos on the car. At Bathurst in 1987, Allan Moffat turned up with an Andy Rouse Sierra with a big Continental Airlines logo on the back of it, and I think Allan Grice also had Continental as a personal sponsor for a while. I'm not sure about this one, I've only seen it on the decals for a slot car, but didn't Moffat's Chevy Monza have Pan-Am sponsorship?

[bira]

Qantas indeed sponsors the Australian GP. Likewise, Air Canada sponsors the Canadian GP.

[Rainer Nyberg]

Event sponsorship i much more understandable than having your airline logo on upside-down turned car on fire...somehow it looks too much like an airplane accident.

[bira]

Rainer, the question is what would an airline benefit from a worldwide advertising, rather than a targetted regional one? Air Canada doesn't fly to all 15 or so countries on the F1 calendar, and even if it does, most of those countries couldn't interest Air Canada as far as expensive marketing and advertising goes. Likewise for Qantas, whose primarily marketing goals have always remained in Australia and surrounding, and the UK. So what would it gain from sponsoring a mobile billboard that travels around the world?

[Ray Bell]

It would seem that this one has been forgotten...



Most 'sponsorships' other than at the top level involve contra arrangements for travel, whether it be for the cars or the personnel or both.

Moffat did indeed carry Pan Am on his Monza. The Mildren team has Singapore Airlines quite extensively identified on their cars, just about all they ever had.

[David McKinney]

New Zealand got lots of airline exposure over the years - there was even an Air New Zealand Grand Prix at one time (or was it the Air New Zealand New Zealand Grand Prix?). Graeme Lawrence and Kenny Smith had Air NZ and Singapore Airlines sponsorship at various times, and Cathay Pacific seems to ring a bell somewhere as well. Those deals were no doubt beneficial to the airlines in question when the guys raced regularly in southeast Asia.
And speaking of SE Asia, Flying Tigers used to airfreight cars from North America to Macau each year in the 1970s - and didn't won of the US F/Atlantic guys carry their sponsorship at home as well? Bob Earl maybe?

[No27]

It's a pitty that Air France or Brittish Airways ever were involved with F1. It would make such greatfull liveries! I think that what looks good on a plane also looks good on a F1 car, especially the cars from the groundeffect-era till the early '90's.

[McRonalds]

Originally posted by David McKinney
And speaking of SE Asia, Flying Tigers used to airfreight cars from North America to Macau each year in the 1970s - and didn't won of the US F/Atlantic guys carry their sponsorship at home as well? Bob Earl maybe?

Are you talking about the ones who sponsored Benetton in '86 too. Here's a picture...

[David McKinney]

That'll be the one, McRon

[Frank de Jong]

BAS (business air services) sponsored Huub Rothengatter during his F3 days (including Racing Team Holland) and sponsored ErnstBerg's Lola at Le Mans.
Lufthansa, in a way, was involved in the 1978 AMG Mercedes 450 in the ETC by the Mampe sponsorship; mampe promoted it's "Lufthansa Cocktail".
Korean air, IIRC, started its sponsorship in F1 with Simtek.

[McRonalds]

I remember some cases of airline sponsorchip during the 24h LeMans races:
In 1987 both Ecurie Ecosse cars were sponsored by Swift Air (Royal Mail).
In 1977 #31 Lola entered by Dorset racing was sponsored by BAS (British Air Service) - someone has mentioned that company before.
In 1986 #83 Alba was sponsored by Air Seychelles. I even found a picture of the 'unusal sponsored' car.

[2F-001]

Flying Tigers (mentioned above) also sponsored one of the British 1000km races in he 80's. Brands Hatch, I think, but not certain even though I was there!

What was the ''forgotten'' (but presumably ''obvious'') example that Ray mentioned? My browser's throwing a moody today and not showing me any linked images...

[McRonalds]

Al Miller drove a Jack-Adams Airplane sponsored (and turbine powered) car at Indy '69.



If I look at that picture I' not sure if that car was sponsored by an Airplane company or named that way because it looked like an airplane. One of the strangest cars I've ever seen. Maybe the American TNF-members can help clearing up that one...

[Frank de Jong]

Originally posted by 2F-001

What was the ''forgotten'' (but presumably ''obvious'') example that Ray mentioned? My browser's throwing a moody today and not showing me any linked images...

Saudia, Williams. It was mentioned at the start of the thread though...

[Gerr]

Connie Kalitta,of the NHRA, has airline sponsorship,but he does own the airline.
http://airlines.afri...irlines/407.htm

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by David McKinney
New Zealand got lots of airline exposure over the years - there was even an Air New Zealand Grand Prix at one time (or was it the Air New Zealand New Zealand Grand Prix?). Graeme Lawrence and Kenny Smith had Air NZ and Singapore Airlines sponsorship at various times.....

Air New Zealand sponsored the NZGP in 1971, '72 and '73. They got around the double NZ by calling the races the Air New Zealand 18th (19th, 20th) International Grand Prix.

I can recall as part of the publicity, the airline having a couple of their hostesses (or cabin crew in these PC times) serve an airline meal to Lawrence at one of the meetings.

[david_martin]

During the broadcast of today's race, I noticed that Alex Yoong was sporting some advertising for the Malaysian flag carrier MAS on his helmet visor.

[Rainer Nyberg]

Bira, yes I agree that several of the airlines involved in sponsorship could be seen as questionable.
I mean, we would hardly have seen European Aviation and British Air Ferries sponsoring Grand Prix teams, if it hadn´t been their direct involvement (one is team owner and the other had his son driving).

Thanks for the effort by the TNF'ers too. I do recall most of them, but some were new to me (like the Air Seychelles ALBA).

We can also see my that most of the airlines involved has been quite small.