5 replies to this topic

[Hse289]

Hi, in the John Frankenheimer film "Grand Prix" i believe Phil Hill drove a F1 camera car, and someone else drove a GT40 camera car. What i would like to know is was there an A.C. Cobra used in this way, im sure i read something about it, does anyone know and is there any pictures.

[D-Type]

Phil Hill definitely drove a camera car - a 1.5 litre Lotus-Climax at Monaco and a 4.7 Litre Mclaren-Ford at Spa.
Is it not more likely that the GT40 and Cobra were used as camera cars for Steve McQueen's "Le Mans" rather than for "Grand Prix"?

[Alan Baker]

MGM certainly did use a GT40 as a camera car during the filming of "Grand Prix". They took delivery of GT40 P/1027 in April 1966 ex works and fitted front and rear facing Super Panavision 65mm cameras in lieu of the bodywork. There's a photo of the car at Monaco on page 226 of Ronnie Spain's GT40 book.

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Alan Baker
MGM certainly did use a GT40 as a camera car during the filming of "Grand Prix". They took delivery of GT40 P/1027 in April 1966 ex works and fitted front and rear facing Super Panavision 65mm cameras in lieu of the bodywork. There's a photo of the car at Monaco on page 226 of Ronnie Spain's GT40 book.

And didn't the GT40 shoot "actual" F1 action during practice (as opposed to ersatz race footage, also used, of the tricked up movie cars)?

Speedvision showed "Grand Prix" sevral times a couple years ago, with John Frankenheimer adding director's commentary, which made it quitre exceptional. He said Brian Bedford ("Jimmy Clark") was the only actor who couldn't drive worth a lick

[Duncan Fox]

Finally, I remembered! this has bugged me for days. I seem to recall a 427sc model being used as the principal camara car in the movie Gumball Rally. It was the only thing capable of out accellerating the Daytona Ferrari . Somwhere I have a picture (and article )showing the car at speeds in excess of 150mph with camara gear all over it . Does any one have any stories on "The Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Race" ?

[Duncan Fox]

Thinking about it some more, there was nothing that whould approach the Cobras performance as a camera car so, as it was the "star" it was only logical for the crew to mount the cameras from a tubular stucture projecting out from the front bodywork.