Good tool boxes are already worth getting excited about, but throw some classic racing car graphics into the mix and they instantly become completely awesome. Take a look at eight of the best!

Heavy duty construction, big weight capacity, non slip draws and the choice of a butcher’s top or additional top-box make these boxes from Speed King Tools a clever choice – but it’s the selection of killer retro images you can have them decked out in which really grabs our attention.

Priced from £850.00 (a fairly standard price for a quality rolling tool box), they’re well worth checking out. Which would you own?

Auto Union

John Surtees

Monaco

Jaguar

Mustang GT500

Bugatti

NurburgringClassic ’60s

Gear: Awesome retro toolboxes is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Ayrton Senna’s Honda V12 powered McLaren MP4 spits flames on downshift during the 1992 Formula 1 Grand Prix season.

Photo of the Day: Ayrton Senna Afterburner is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Senna wouldn’t have much luck at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. In qualifying however, he was unstoppable.

The 1990 Spanish Grand Prix was held at Jerez and saw a frustrated Ayrton Senna retire from the race following a punctured radiator – the first of the three consecutive DNFs with which he would finish the 1990 Formula 1 season. In qualifying however, things were a different story – Senna was very, very fast.

This piece of video takes us back to that day, and allows us to ride on-board as Senna wrestles his McLaren around Jerez to take the pole.

Onboard: Ayrton Senna takes pole at the 1990 Spanish GP is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Image: Guikas GTC

Part of Ferrari’s utter domination of the 1972 World Sportscar Championship season, this storied 1972 Ferrari 312 PB is up for sale at Guikas GTC.

Ferrari’s 312PB was utterly dominant in 1972, winning every race they entered, and all but one in the entire season, only dropping the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which they chose to bypass in order to focus on the 1000km races of the World Championship.

It was developed  in 1971 as a 3.0-litre Group 6 Prototype-Sports Car and returned in ’72 and ’73 in the Group 5 Sports Car category. 1971 saw Porsche still dominant and the Ferrari unable to take a win, but with rule changes in ’72 Porsche didn’t contest world sportscar championship races, and with only Alfa present to offer a challenge Ferrari ran away with the championship.

1973 saw Alfa drop out of the race and Matra return to take the world championship, with Ferrari securing second.

Twice Fromula 1 runner-up, the ’SuperSwede’ Ronnie Peterson raced this car for SpA Ferrari SEFAC in period. It retains its original engine and gearbox and was upgraded to 1973 specs in its day by the Ferrari Factory.

It has been restored both mechanically and aesthetically, and is absolutely immaculate and ready to run again.

It’s up for sale at Guikas GTC and you can check out the full details here.

Via Guikas GTC

Images via Guikas GTC

For Sale: 1972 Ferrari 312 PB is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Volvo to knock the dust off iconic racing machines is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

There’s oversteer, there’s understeer, there’s jumping and then there’s this spectacular combination. Juha Kankkunen behind the wheel of his Impreza WRC during the 1999 Rally Australia.

Learn more about the amazing racing history of Subaru’s Impreza HERE.

Check out Juha Kankkunen and his amazing car collection today HERE.

Photo of the day: Juha Kankkunen (1999) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

10 absolutely epic photos taken at a vintage sidecar event.

To be honest we’re unsure as to where these photos came from, who took them or what the event was about – but what we can tell you is that this short collection of images captured our complete attention, particularly the first two snaps. Our apologies for the lack of information this time ’round – we hope you enjoy these photos as much as we do, and if you can shed some light on the story behind them be sure to contact us via Facebook.

Gallery: Stunning vintage sidecars is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

You’ll watch this eight-second video twice, we promise.

In 1983 Keke Rosberg was the defending Formula 1 World Champion, and during the West USA Grand Prix of that year he attempted to overtake Patrick Tambay with spectacular results.

The overtake was a fail, and Rosberg spun out wildly – his recovery on the other hand, was a complete success. Rosberg lost only a couple of positions before rejoining the race in spectacular fashion. Behold, the “magic spin”:

Another view:

Video: “Magic spin” at F1 Long Beach (1983) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Watch as Danny Sullivan loses control whilst dueling with Mario Andretti, spins out and performs a perfect 360 before winning the race!

Danny Sullivan was leading the 1985 Indy 500 for just a moment before he ran out of down force and entered an uncontrollable slide. A quick thinking Mario Andretti swerved to the left to avoid collision, and Sullivan is able to bring his wheels back around and turn the spin into a near perfect 360 degree maneuver. The best part is – he went on to win the race!

“Spin and win” – Spectacular Indy 500 save! (1985) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Williams know exactly what you want – to drool all over their greatest F1 machinery whilst spending just one minute of your time.

The concept behind Williams in 60 seconds is to create a collection of videos aimed at giving an insight into Williams F1 as a whole. There’s 13 videos in total, with an overall focus on how the team operates behind the scenes. We love this first clip because it quickly reflects on their glorious machines of the past, without wasting too much time!

Video: Williams in 60 seconds is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Breathtaking in-car footage captures the madness of a full-tilt tarmac run.

SVS nabbed this terrific piece of onboard footage, during which James Stafford and Richard Cleary pilot their Darrian T90 GTR in a manner which reminds us of the old school – huge speed, no runoffs, fearless driving and massive risks. Enjoy!

MORE: Absurd high speed hillclimb caught on video
MORE: Find out why this record breaking hillclimb is one of our most popular pieces ever

Video: Tarmac rally insanity is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Thirty years ago today the first round of the 1984 Formula 1 World Championship took place at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio de Janeiro.

The 26 drivers who’d qualified for the race included former world champions Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg, reigning title holder Nelson Piquet and race winners Jacques Laffite, Rene Arnoux, Alain Prost, Riccardo Patrese, Patrick Tambay, Elio de Angelis and Michele Alboreto.

Also on the grid that day were five rookies. Nobody expected much from French pair Francois Hesnault or Philippe Alliot, who’d qualified the RAM-Hart and Ligier-Renault in 19th and 25th respectively, but the other three had garnered rather more interest.

German Stefan Bellof, a star of the European Formula 2 and world sportscar championship, lined up alongside British Formula 3 runner-up Martin Brundle at the Tyrrell team, while Brazilian Ayrton Senna, who’d beaten Brundle to the British F3 title the previous year, would spearhead the small British Toleman squad.

Senna had qualified the Hart-engined Toleman in 16th to top the rookie ratings, while Brundle would line up in 18th, four places ahead of Bellof.In the race Senna got up to 13th before turbo failure meant the local hope became the race’s first retirement after just eight laps. Bellof also moved up the order before throttle failure put him out after 11 laps. It was thus left to Brundle to carry the torch for the first-timers. He finished a superb fifth, albeit a lap behind the podium trio of Prost, who won on his return to McLaren after three years with Renault, Rosberg and de Angelis.Sadly for Brundle, a mid-season discovery that Tyrrell had infringed car-weight regulations, resulted in the team being disqualified and losing its points, denying him the Brazilian GP result and second place on the streets of Detroit. Serious leg injuries in Dallas next time out meant he’d miss the rest of the season.
The Bellof story had a tragic ending when the super-fast and brave 27-year-old, who was well into his second F1 season with Tyrrell, was killed in a Porsche during the 1000km sportscar world championship race at Spa in September 1985.
And everyone knows the Ayrton Senna story…

Images: The Cahier Archive

On this day in 1984 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Image: Cars International

1984 saw the rise of a new star in Formula 1; one who some believe ascended higher than any other. That star was Ayrton Senna, March 25th 1984 was his debut race, and these two relatively humble (at the time) Toleman Formula 1 cars were his drives for the season.

Chassis #05 represents the last of Toleman’s TG 183Bs and was built specifically for Ayrton Senna, who debuted the car, and himself, at the Grand Premio do Brazil in Rio De Janeiro on this day, March 25, in 1984. He qualified 17th, and then became the first retirement of the 1984 season when he suffered a turbo failure less than ten laps into the race.

Senna at his debut in Brazil, 1984: The Cahier Archive

No matter – motorsport is a harsh mistress, Formula 1 most of all.

Senna and the Toleman returned a few weeks later for the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. There he qualified lucky 13th, and fought his way up to 6th to bring home his first Formula 1 World Championship point.

Image: Cars International

The pair followed that result up with an even more impressive run in the Belgian Grand Prix, qualifying down in 19th, working up to finish seventh and then being promoted to sixth when Tyrrell Racing were disqualified from the 1984 season and Stefan Bellof’s result was disqualified.

Their final outing together was in the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix, when they created another Senna milestone – the only Grand Prix for which he didn’t qualify. Toleman didn’t run both cars for Friday qualifying, and then Senna suffered a fuel pressure fault on Saturday and didn’t make the grid.

Image: Cars International

It was restored in the early ’90s and is available with its original Hart turbo engine and a spare block from original Toleman team stock, along with full documentation including an unbroken chain of ownership since it left Toleman.

With a great history kickstarting the career of one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1, this car is utterly unique and magnificent, and looks like a lot of fun.

Check it out over at Cars International here.

Image: Memento Exclusives

When TG 183Bs Chassis #05 was retired, Senna hopped straight into this Toleman TG184-2, which would be his drive for the bulk of the season.

And he caused quite a stir with it, most famously at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, where, during a torrential downpour, he and Sefan Bellof stormed through the field and gave the big names a hard time.

Image: Memento Exclusives

After qualifying 13th he set the fastest lap and finished second against much more experienced drivers in far more competitive machinery, solidifying his place in Formula 1 and making his first steps on the way to becoming the King of Monaco.

Senna and the Toleman would stand on the podium twice more in that rookie season, taking third in the British Grand Prix at Brands hatch, and again in the final race of the season – the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Image: Memento Exclusives

This car is complete and running, with its Hart 1.5 straight 4 Turbo engine and race suspension, though Memento Exclusives note that the motor will require a rebuild before it’s unleashed fully.

Check it out at Memento Exclusives’ website here.

These two cars represent not only one of the greatest rookie seasons that Formula 1 has ever seen, but the launch of a true legend of the sport. They’re awesome, and we hope to see them go to a good home. And a return to the track wouldn’t be bad either!

Image: Memento Exclusives

TG 183Bs Chassis #05 via Cars International Images Cars International & The Cahier Archive

Toleman TG184-2 via Memento Exclusives Images via Memento Exclusives

Senna’s Toleman Formula 1 cars are for sale is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Gerhard Berger talks about his horrifying crash during the San Marion Grand Prix 25 years ago.

The fearsome Tamburello corner was the location, with Berger’s car exploding into flames moment after he speared forward off the track. He only just escaped with his life, and unfortunately five years later his great friend Ayrton Senna would perish at the same spot. In this video he talks of the accident, and how it changed him forever. “I got a big wake-up call from my accident at Imola and realised that I could do myself some serious damage,” admits Berger. “From Imola onwards I was a different driver for sure. Not slower or less competitive, just different”

Images: Autosport

“My balls were on fire!” – Gerhard Berger on his shocking Imola crash is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

It takes Jean Ragnotti all of ten seconds to prove he’s still the master of the R5 Maxi Turbo.

In 1981 Jean Ragnotti claimed first place at the Monte Carlo Rally, becaming the first man to ever win a round of WRC whilst driving a turbocharged car . That car was the Renault 5 Turbo, the same car in which he would go on to win in France in the following year. By 1985 the R5 Maxi Turbo was on the scene, and Ragnotti would again win in his native France.

Video: Jean Ragnotti’s party trick is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Fantastic in depth interview with 3 times F1 world champ Niki Lauda.

This brilliant three-part interview by Peter Windsor sees Niki Lauda cover everything from having to obtain a bank loan to buy his way into F1 with BRM, right through  to the sound of the current turbocharged 2014 F1 engines.

MORE: See the best of Niki Lauda!

Part 1 – On being forced to pay his way into F1, the worst F1 car he ever drove, and bunking with James Hunt

Part 2 – On staying young, the aftermath of “Rush”, the pleasure of driving racing cars and flying planes, and the state of the economy

Part 3 – On 2014 Formula 1 engines, F1 as an industry, his bravest lap, and the best Formula 1 car he ever drove…

Interview: Niki Lauda on buying into racing, his bravest lap, and the sound of 2014 F1 engines is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

This is one slice of motorsport we’re glad to be watching via onboard cam, rather than driving ourselves!

A little bit of Isle of Man madness, this video demonstrates what appears to be a 3-pedal Formula Kart racing a pack of Superkarts sometime in the 1990s. The rate of speed at which decision making has to be made at by the driver, combined with the extremely high cost of failure makes this one of the most gripping onboard videos we’ve ever seen!

If any of our readers can shed any light on the source of this video, or any additional information surrounding it – be sure to drop us a line via Facebook.

Video: 1990s Isle of Man karting is the most terrifying thing ever is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

The face of concentration. Peering through his Bell Twin Window, six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx gathers his focus.

MORE: See the very best of Jacky Ickx

Photo of the Day: Jacky Ickx is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Images: ©Sutton Images (Facebook / Twitter)

It used to be called ‘taking a smoko’, here in Aus; taking a break to replenish your mental and emotional strength with a cigarette, but with health concerns, taxes and social opinions swinging well out of the cigarette’s favour, smoking’s getting rarer and rarer.

We can’t imagine a modern Formula 1 driver sitting on one of their tyres, taking a smoko. In the golden age, however, it was all the rage, and the coolest of cats could be found hanging out in the pits, sitting with their car or even up on the podium having a drag. And back then smoking barely pipped the danger meter compared to the risks they took in the cockpit or between the sheets, so it was all good!

These are ten of our favourite Formula 1 smokos.

Could this list even exist without James Hunt? Does he even need an introduction? We think not.

Keke Rosberg. The Flying Finn won the 1982 Formula 1 World Championship with just one race win in a season fraught with danger and contention. In it, no driver won more than two races, and nine consecutive races were won by different people.

This photo was taken just hours before Jochen Rindt was killed in an accident while qualifying for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix.

At that point in the championship he had a commanding lead in the drivers’ championship, and, despite there still being four races left in the season,  went on to become the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship.

Protégé to Jackie Stewart, Francois Cevert took his maiden, and only, grand prix win after passing his legendary teammate and surviving a charging Jacky Ickx, oil dropped by the wreck and a spin into the barrier. Another Formula 1 great struck down in his prime.

One of the most talented drivers to never win a grand prix, Chris Amon’s legendary bad luck saw him lead many grand prix, but never convert. If anything earns a smoke, that’s it.

Niki Lauda enjoys a cigarello after crashing out of the lead of the Canadian Grand Prix in 1974. We’d want one too.

Winner of the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix, Gunnar Nilsson was as tough as they come, continuing to race Formula 1 even though he had to ask his mechanics not to do up his belts too tightly due to symptoms of testicular cancer.

Can you imagine a shot like this these days? The charismatic Patrick Depailler celebrates a podium in the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1978. It’s the high-fashion diet – cigarettes and champagne.

After surviving a tour in the Parachute Regiment in the early to mid ’50s, Innes Ireland made a start on his motorsport career, eventually securing a drive with Lotus in ’59. He won a grand prix, and several non-championship rounds, but never found his way into another competitive car after his time with Lotus.

Apart from some impressive backflipping skills which he demonstrated in his F2 car at the Nordschleife in 1980, Manfred Winkelhock was a dab hand in sportscar and touring car racing. He scored two world championship points, but never really managed to get competitive racing machinery underneath him.

Images: ©Sutton Images (Facebook / Twitter). You can buy these and 950,000 other images in the Sutton Poster shop here.

Caught on camera – Ten F1 drivers who smoked! is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Peugeot were an unstoppable, all-conquering force during the Dakar during the late 1980s. Now after a 25 year hiatus, they’re back.

Last year Peugeot were successful in their quest to smash the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record – blazing their way up the mountain in just 8 minutes 13.878 seconds. It seems like the achievement has whet the brand’s appetite for motor sport all over, with Peugeot Sport now announcing it’s return to the 10,000km cross country Dakar rally.The decision sees the return of nostalgia surrounding the period of history during which the French team won the event four years running – between 1987 and 1990 inclusive.

The first of these victories was with the 205 T16 Grand Raid, while the latter trio came through the use of the 405 T16 Grand Raid. Utterly legendary machines which hold a special place in the heart of any rally fan.Of course the toughest cross-county rally in the world has changed significantly since Peugeot made an exit – gone are the (sorely missed) dunes of northwest Africa, replaced by the tracks and trails of Latin America. Peugeot Sport will arrive in South America with Red Bull and Total in tow – the machine of choice for the January 2015 kick off is said to be based on the 2008 DKR, whilst the drivers are to be Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres.

To take on the 10,000km of the world’s longest and toughest cross-country rally 25 years after the French car manufacturer last contested the event, the team has recruited Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres. We’re sure that having 2008 Dakar Winner Sainz on board will be a real boost to Peugeot’s chances at grabbing their 5th win from five total starts. Most of all, we’re just glad to see that Peugeot are so excited about rallying all over again!

Video: Peugeot to return to Dakar is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.