Up close and personal with the light, nimble, ground-effects toting monster which took Alan Jones to four wins from five races. The Williams FW07. It wasn’t the first ground-effects toting machine to race in Formula One, but it certainly wasn’t far behind. Hot off the heels of Colin Chapman’s Lotus 78 came the Patrick Head designed Williams FW07. Lotus 79-drawn inspiration could be seen throughout the Williams FW07 design, however the Williams was its own machine. The car was driving in 1979 by Alan Jones (pictured), and Clay Regazzoni. Immediately competitive, the Ford Cosworth DFV powered FW07 was driven to victory by Regazzoni at the ’79 British Grand Prix. Soon after, Alan Jones drove the FW07 to an incredible three straight victories, and four out of five races. These were the 1979 German, Austrian and Dutch Grand Prix, followed up by the Canadian GP soon after. The streak was enough to land Jones third place overall in the 1979 season. Small and extremely light, the FW07 had proven itself to be a real contender in 1979. As the 1980 season loomed, Williams set about improving upon it. The result was the Williams FW07B, which was driving in the 1980 season by a returning Alan Jones, as well as Carlos Reutemann. Regazzoni had returned to race with Ensign in 1980 – it would be his final year in Formula One. The ever talented Alan Jones managed to drive the FW07B to five wins spread throughout the 1980 season, backed by five other podiums and a win in Monaco by Reutemann. The year saw Jones take his one and only world title. All thanks to the 2.993 litre, 485hp (362kW), 10750 rpm, 585kg FW07B. What an awesome machine!

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Stunning render captures the beauty of the Gilles Villeneuve’s McLaren M23, the car in which he made his Formula One debut at the 1977 British Grand Prix. Put together by a digital genius known only as “The Uncle” (you can check out his page here), this awesome render perfectly captures the memory of a car which Gilles is less often remembered for driving. Say hello to the computerized Gilles Villeneuve McLaren M23.

Gallery: Three great Grands Prix won by Gilles Villeneuve

Most people associate the well-loved Canadian Formula One driver with racing marque Ferrari, however it was in this car which Villeneuve first partook in F1 Championship competition.

He drove the M23 at the British Grand Prix before swapping to Ferrari to finish the year.By 1977 the McLaren M23 was an aging beast (M23E was the specific model driven by Villeneuve), having first raced way back in 1973.

It was superseded by the M26, however a young Nelson Piquet still drove the M23 for three races in 1978 with BS Fabrications – including his first Formula One Grand Prix finish. For now, let us bask in the beauty of the Gilles Villeneuve McLaren M23.

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Senna in Belgium, 1991, thanks to The Cahier Archive

To be the best in the world you have to consistently dance on the edge of a very sharp knife, pushing yourself and your car to the utter limit and occasionally beyond. In qualifying for the 1991 Mexico City Grand Prix, we saw Ayrton Senna take a rare trip beyond that raggedy edge.

The first five races of the 1991 Formula 1 Word Championship had been very good for Senna. He dominated the early season, securing pole position and then going on to win in the United States, Brazil, San Marino and Monaco. An electronics problem knocked him out of the Canadian Grand Prix, but he was looking good to defend his 1990 Drivers’ title.

This clip picks up in qualifying for the 1991 Mexican Grand Prix, with Senna about to take a 180 mile-per-hour trip through the gravel outside the banked Peraltada corner. The result is a great example of some of the improvements in safety the sport has seen in the two decades since.

Senna would go on to take third in the race. Riccardo Patrese took the honours, and kicked off a mid-season Williams-Renault renaissance that saw them win the next four races and make a concerted push for the two titles.

MORE: Video: Ayrton Senna at the 1991 AUTOSPORT Awards

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Image thanks to RM Auctions, by Cymon Taylor

This 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS is not only breathtakingly beautiful. It’s also fast, storied and a key to pretty much any historic racing event you can imagine. It’ll head to auction at RM Auctions’ Paris Sale on the 4th of February.

Chassis 904-026 was delivered to Rittersbacher, a Porsche dealer in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in February of 1964. It only took until April to sell, with successful racer Fritz Leinenweber purchasing it for competition and quickly making a name for himself in the car.

His first stop was the Hunstrück Bergrennen Revival in August of 1964, where he won the GT class, set the best overall time and set a new hill record. From there his trophy shelf filled quickly, with class wins at Bergrennen Happerg, Course de Côte d’Urcy and Bergrennen in Luxemburg, as well as a 5th overall at the Course de Côte Merveilleuse. Victory in the GT class at the Vergrennen Viaden would follow and the pair would close out the year at Bergrennen Taubensulh with an overall win on the way to a new course record.

The pair kicked off 1965 with a full head of steam, claiming second in class and fourth overall at the Bergrennen Kautenbach.

Leinenweber sold the car after the Bergrennen Kautenbach to another talented racer – Michel Weber. Weber bought the car to win the 1965 German Hill Climb Championship, and win he did – part of a three-way tie with Reinhold Joest and Siegfried Spiess.

Along the way the pair would take several class and overall wins and a few track records. They even scored points in the European Hill Climb Championship and beat out Works Porsche and Ferrari entries at events like the Bergpreis Freiburg-Schauinsland and a famous performance in a treacherous Bergpreis Rhön at the end of the year.

Shifting his attention to Le Mans, Weber would race the 904 in the 1000 Kilometers of Monza alongside future 24 Hours of Daytona winner Jochen Neerpasch. The Porsche 904’s GT class homologation had run out by the start of the 1966 season putting the team into some fierce competition in the sports car field. This meant racing Ford GT40s, Ferrari 250 LMs and a Ferrari 330 P3.

Nevertheless, they qualified well out front in their class, before unfortunately retiring with engine troubles. It would be Weber’s last event in the car, trading it in for an ex-Works 904/6.

That didn’t mean 904-026 was due for a break, however, and it was bought by Armando Capriles who, along with Alfredo Atencio, raced it in Venezuela in ’66 and ’67. From there Flavio Espino purchased it, racing it at Road Atlanta, now with a six-cylinder engine.

When it next popped up for sale it was 1973 and the car was fitted with a new factory four-cam Type 587/3 engine. It sold to Jim Wayman and went to Hawaii. After close to ten years of competition Wayman decided that the car was in need of some love, painting the bodywork Ruby Red.

Its globetrotting continued at the end of 1975 when it moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, then again a year later when it moved to Nebraska. The new owner, John Robbins, refitted correct pedals, taillights and front indicator lights along with a few other modifications. He used it as a road car, selling it in 1986 and seeing it return to Europe.

This ushered in a quieter time in 904-026’s life, with Raymond Perroud keeping it in his collection for close to two decades.

Its next owner would have the car meticulously restored by Raceline Feustel GmbH. This work addressed every aspect of the car and was done to exacting standards – so much so that the original bench on which the first 904 chassis were assembled was used.

Its current owner bought the car recently, entering it in the 2014 Silver Flag event in Vernasca, where it won best GT-category car. It was also shown at Villa d’Este in 2014. The car now has a new FIVA Identity Card.

This beautiful machine is a wonderful example of Porsche’s 904, with an interesting and successful racing history. With that recent restoration it’s in stunning shape and would make a brilliant car to get involved in any aspect of the historic motorsport scene.

It’s heading up for sale at RM Auctions’ Paris sale on the 4th of February, 2014 at Place Vauban. Hit this link to RM Auctions’ website for more information.

Image thanks to RM Auctions, by Cymon Taylor

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Image: www.autopics.com.au thanks to the Shannons Club

In the early 1960s the idea of a Volvo driver was yet to be invented, and the Swedish marque’s lovely 122S was definitely not the sort of car that would inspire it. In fact, if things have gone a little differently it could have been a serious Bathurst contender.

Volvo had spent the early ‘50s hard at work building exciting concept machines in search of the right recipe to crack the United States’ large market. Along the way Jan Wilsgaard created a compact 3.6-litre  V8 that was light, tough and perfect for motorsport, and while the car it was designed for never hit production, the motor certainly did.

And that’s where the Volvo 122S comes in, although it only received half of Wilsgaard’s original V8. Enjoy its story in Volvo 122s: Swedish star that could have been a ‘V8 Supercar’ thanks to our friends at the Shannons Club.

Thanks to the Shannons Club

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This guy is REALLY enjoying his Ferrari 288GTO.If in doubt. Gas it

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The business end of the 1969 Lola T70 MkIII B

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We aren’t sure why the young bloke doesn’t have his own double breasted race jacket, but it looks like Dad isn’t one to be messed with.

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It’s one of only two ever made, it was built in 1968 and it remains the coolest Porsche Transporter ever built. Say hello to “Buster”.

Brumos Porsche in Jacksonville (FL) are a lucky bunch. They have in their possession a wide range of truly enviable Porsches, however it is for this 1968 factory Porsche Transporter that they are most nostalgic.

MORE: Porsche 935 – A Timeless Legend

They call it “Buster”, and it’s a Mercedes hauler orginally converted from a passenger bus. It’s one of just two ever built, and it was used by Porsche to cart countless iconic racing machines to and from race day.

MORE: Meanwhile in Italy, the 1959-1965 Ferrari factory transporter (Gallery)

We could go on about the shapes and sizes of various awesome period machines which spent time in the cargo area of this Porsche Transporter, however instead let’s focus on the incredible character of this lumbering truck.

This video focuses on the meaning of Buster not only in the context of Porsche’s racing history, but to the team at Brumos Porsche today. Having been there during the years of Buster’s service, Hurley Haywood helps explain. E-Garage have done a great job on this one, enjoy.

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Jean Alesi uses his Ferrari to unleash the fireworks at Spa in 1993 with this sparks show. Wind the clock back 22 years, let’s relive the moment.

Image: The Cahier Archive

This terrific shot by Cahier captures the magic of an old-school Formula One spark show with Jean Alesi and his V12 powered Ferrari F93A.

MORE: Jean Alesi in 1990, France

Alesi looked good in the lead up to the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix (and we’re not just talking about the Sparks!) – he qualified fourth. Sadly lucky did not go his way come race day, and he had to retire lap four with suspension issues. Damon Hill would win the race.

MORE: The great duel of Jean Alesi and Ayrton Senna at the 1990 USA F1 Grand Prix

Jean Alesi placed sixth overall in the 1993 Formula One World Championship. At the time, it was his best overall points finish to date.

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The exceptionally fast, exotic and futuristic Britten V1000 is a thing of inspiration and wonder. In this video, British motorcycle racer Guy Martin scores a very lucky day and takes it for a spin at Manfield Autocourse.

Forgoing fanciful filmmaking, beautiful bokeh and rousing soundtracks, this video gets straight to the point – an exciting bike where it belongs! It sees Martin take to the track on the gorgeous machine to enjoy a few laps of Manfield Autocourse.

Once back in pit lane he gets into a fascinating discussion about the bike, its handling and its comparison to both modern bikes and other bikes from the era. The guys go into great detail about the Britten’s handling characteristics, elements of its design, and how to ride it to get the most out of it, providing a very intricate feel for this truly special machine.

The Britten V1000 was hand-built by New Zealander John Britten, a motorcycle engineer with a particular affinity for developing his own engines and building bikes using cutting-edge composite materials. His bikes are exceptionally innovative and were on the very cutting edge of design, able to pick off the machines of much bigger teams consistently.

A true racing pioneer and motorsport genius, we’re thrilled to see John Britten’s rare and wonderful bike out on the track and still captivating the motorsport world two decades on.

MORE: Video: Britten V1000 Racing Motorcycle

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They say good things come in small packages, and this short video from the 1964 250cc Grand Prix of Great Britain is just that. Buckle up, and prepare yourself for some good old-fashioned Motocross Grand Prix fun.

I generally find that the older a motorsport film is, the more time I spend white-knuckled and cold-blooded in terror for contestants who have somehow confused terrifying and imminent danger with a grand motoring time. The action in this British Pathe film, however, looks absolutely cracking and I want in.

The riders blast through a brilliant 1.1-mile circuit at Cadwell Park fighting for victory in the eighth round for the year. Joël Robert would go on to win the race, and ultimately claim the 1964 250cc Motocross World Championship – the first of his six 250cc titles.

Elsewhere in 1964: Video: Revisiting Le Mans (1964)

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Spend three minutes enjoying Porsche Unexpected and cruising through the breathtaking Napa Valley with Vic Elford, Chad McQueen, Patrick Long, Magnus Walker and the unparalleled collection of Porsches that is the Ingram Collection.

This video was put together by eGarage for the Ingram Collection to preface their upcoming book ‘Porsche Unexpected’. It’s beautifully shot and captures the essence of road tripping and enjoying motoring in a stunning way. The scenery is gorgeous, matched only by the cars and the wonderfully flowing roads, but I don’t think that’s what makes this video interesting, or inspiring.

What makes this video compelling it what it says about collecting, particularly, of course, in relation to collections of cars.

It explores the idea of a collection, and what purpose and meaning a collection may serve, as well as what’s learned through the process of building that collection and how it can be used to communicate about the marque the machines come from. It’s a fascinating idea, and one which reflects a journey that can be highly subjective and personal. In a world where classic cars, and particularly cars with interesting histories, are so highly valued, it’s a discussion that’s important to have and to consider.

As is the idea they express that, hey, we’ve built our collection – now it’s time to get out and enjoy the cars and to share them with the world.

Enjoy the video, and hit this link to learn more about, and pick up a copy of, ‘Porsche Unexpected’.

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The fascinating story of Roy James, the upcoming racing driver who turned to a life of getaway driving crime to fund his budding career. This brilliant video by XCAR investigates the tale of Roy James, the man who is considered by many to be the greatest getaway driver to ever live. Having raced in classes as high as Formula 2, James was brilliant behind the wheel – he just lacked the financial backing required to nurture his pursuit. That’s where getaway driving came in…

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This Porsche Rally Car didn’t only win the 1969 Acropolis Rally, it also competed at Le Mans – three times. Let’s jump behind the wheel and have a burn.

A very lucky Richard Meaden gets behind the wheel of the RM Auctions’ 1969 Porsche 911 S in this terrific video by EVO.

MORE: Up close and personal with the 911 Group 4 (Gallery)

This Porsche Rally Car is one of just six factory-built examples, and boasts rally victories and repeated Le Mans entrance under its name.

MORE: The dusty alter-ego of the Porsche 911 (Video)

In this clip, we learn a bit about what went into an authentic road racing / Porsche rally car like the 911 S, and go for a ride.

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Take a hands-on tour of the McLaren MP4/4, the most dominant Formula One racing car ever built, and one of the most recognizable racing cars ever.

The McLaren MP4/4. It won every Formula One Grand Prix bar one during the 1988 season, and qualified on the pole in as many races. It’s the most successful F1 car of all time, and it carried legends Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna to unforgettable victories.

MORE: McLaren Heritage – Photo Genesis of an F1 Icon

MORE: Celebrating the McLaren MP4/4 (Video)

This video takes us inside the legend as we relive the glory of McLaren’s most recognized open-wheel creation. It’s a brilliant little clip presented by McLaren itself, and we think you’ll thoroughly enjoy watching it.

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Hop on board with Patrick Long for a masterclass in steering with the right boot in a vintage Porsche 911.

This clip was filmed by Chad Plavan at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in the far reaches of California at the closing round of the 2012 Vintage Auto Racing Association/Historic Sportscar Racing season. As well as being great fun to say out loud, Chuckwalla looks like a brilliant and flowing circuit set amongst the picturesque desert scenery of Chuckwalla Valley.

And exploiting all of it, along with every ounce of performance this mighty Porsche 2.5L 911ST race car can muster, is Porsche factory driver Patrick Long.

With class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil One 12 Hours of Sebring, three-time American Le Mans Series Drivers’ Champion and Pirelli World Challenge Drivers’ Champion Patrick Long is no slouch behind the wheel of a Porsche.

He hammers away from the line and spends the next few minutes giving it heaps and putting in neat and fast lines that belie the hard work he’s putting in balancing throttle and steering input. It’s beautiful to watch. The clip concludes with a brilliant little dice between Patrick and a friend in a Datsun Z.

Putting the power in the back of the Porsche is a 207 horsepower 2.5-litre short stroke motor, which is, somehow, kept in check with stock brakes and racing pads, and kept settled with full torsion bar suspension and no coil overs, wing or aerodynamics. It’s raced with class just like it was back in the ’70s.

Buckle up, and enjoy!

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Images via Silverstone Auctions

With two World Rally Championship seasons under its belt and two World Rally wins to its name, this is an impressive piece of machinery with a great racing history. You’ll be able to make it your own when it heads to auction at Silverstone Auctions’ upcoming 2015 Race Retro Classic Car Sale in February.

Run by the works Ford World Rally Team in 2004 and 2005, the car scored five top-ten finishes at the hands of Markko Martin in 2004. Two of these, Corsica and Catalunya, were outright wins.

After their successful 2004 season, the Ford World Rally kept the car on board and upgraded it to 2005 specification, claiming another three top-ten finishes in 2005.

The car then sold directly from the works team to its current owner, Steve Perez. Perez has claimed his fair share of rally glory, winning the VTRDA Rally Title twice as well as international rallies around the world in a variety of racing machinery. He used the car in national rallying in the United Kingdom from 2006 to 2009, claiming outright wins on the way to winning the national championship, as well as several international rallies in the car.

In 2009 he retired the car, putting it on display until 2014 when he sent it to M-Sport, who have operated the works Ford Rally Team since ’97 and who were responsible for it in period, for a full rebuild. At this time he returned it to its original works livery as it was when it won in Catalunya in 2004.

Today the car is as it was in 2005, and represents a rare and exciting opportunity to hop into a genuine works World Rally Championship rally winner. It’ll head to auction at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro Classic Car sale over the 21st and 22nd of February, 2015, and is expected to fetch in the range of £: 180,000 – 200,000. Hit this link to Silverstone Auctions’ official site for more information.

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A wonderful look back at the publications which revved-up the masses as they followed and prepared fans for each race in the 1974 F1 season. It was the year in which Emerson Fittipaldi edged out Clay Regazzoni to win his second and final Formula One World Championship. Fittipaldi won three races during the season.

In 1974 F1 lost newcomer Helmuth Koinigg at the US Grand Prix, as well as much loved Peter Revson in practice prior to the South African round.

Today, we relive the 1974 F1 season through the official programs used to support it. Who won what?

1974 British Grand Prix – Won by Jody Scheckter

1974 French Grand Prix – Won by Ronnie Peterson

1974 Spanish Grand Prix – Won by Niki Lauda

1974 South African Grand Prix – Won by Carlos Reutemann

1974 Monaco Grand Prix – Won by Ronnie Peterson

1974 Italian Grand Prix – Won by Ronnie Peterson

1974 Canadian Grand Prix – Won by Emerson Fittipaldi

1974 Belgian Grand Prix – Won by Emerson Fittipaldi

1974 German Grand Prix – Won by Clay Regazzoni

1974 USA Grand Prix – Won by Carlos Reutemann

1974 Dutch Grand Prix – Won by Niki Lauda

1974 Austrian Grand Prix – Won by Carlos Reutemann

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Images: RM Auctions by Simon Clay

This late-run Porsche 904 Carrera GTS is a stunning example of Porsche’s return to sportscar racing. It sold at RM Auctions’ Arizona Sale for $1, 650, 000

The car, 904-107, was built in 1965 as one of the last four-cylinder second-series 904s ever built.

Built with road equipment it is one of just four second-series cars to enjoy a reinforced chassis, centre-filling tank, short doors with pull-up plastic windows, upgraded brakes and reshaped tail with ‘Kamm’ ducktail. It is accepted that more time was spent building and perfecting the cars built late in the series, so each example was treated to an immaculate finish.

Originally shipped to Iceland, the car was sold in 1967 to Autohaus Walter von Hoff, and then again to Dr. Carl Armstrong, who was an amateur racing driver at the time.

Armstrong fetched the car in New York City and drove it home – which, barring today’s New York City traffic, sounds magic. He did most of his own race preparation, and painted the car light metallic blue before racing it extensively in SCCA Central Division events in ’68 and ’69.

The pair won the A Production race at Waterford Hills in Michigan twice in 1968 and came second in class in another event there. They won at Steel Cities and secured fourth at Mid-Ohio in that same year.

During this stage of the car’s racing career the Type 587/3 four-cam motor developed a habit of head gasket failure, so Armstrong’s brother fabricated a new set. The transaxle case also suffered damage during a race and was replaced with a 911 unit.

1969 saw the pair return to the track several times, but Armstrong ended up purchasing a 906 and selling this car to Robert Fergus.

Fergus prepared it for road use, repainting it white and installing (gasp) carpets and comfortable seats. It was not in his care long, however, and George ‘Jerry’ Reilly soon purchased it, fitting a correct 904 transmission and 911 S competition motor, and returning the car to its original silver.

Reilly entered the car in track events at Lime Rock Park, but didn’t race it extensively.

In 2001 he returned the car’s original four-cam 904 engine, 99 088, and sold it to Cal Turner, who reignited its race career. It was during this period in a race at Summit Point that the four-cam motor seized and was replaced with another 911 engine.

The car was sold again in 2005 and treated to a thorough restoration with the goal of retaining as much of the car’s original parts as possible.

It’s now in great condition and road worthy. Power is generated by a 911 motor from between ’66 and ’67 with triple-throat downdraft Weber 40IDA carbs. Its original Nadella axle shafts, Eberspacher gasoline heater, fuel surge tank, coconut-fiber matting and ’64-dated steel and alloy competition wheels are still with the car.

It has gained additional reinforcing steel tubing around the rear suspension at some point in its racing adventures, but is an original car in lovely condition. It’s even sold with a correct 1964 Type 587/3 904 engine, currently mounted on a stand.

Desirable, beautiful and fast, with a longstanding competition history and streetable sensibilities, this is the kind of historic racer we all dream of.

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