Steve Simpson from HSR sent over some photos from the Mitty...in 1982.
...everybody loves a costume!
It's amazing to see how far the event has come since then. The cars are still cool, but thankfully our fashions have taken a few steps forward.
I love the car in the first picture. Is it a Ginetta?
The emblem looks like Lola.
Those pics are awesome! I love vintage motorsports photography. Let alone vintage GRM-ness. 
My observations.
From the cars on the track, it is hard to tell what year these photos were taken. I suspect that at this years event many of the same cars will be on the grid. Historic pictures of historic races is kind of an irony.
I do find it interesting that a 1965 Mustang would be in a historic race in 1982 or just 17 years after it first competed. In the same vein, here in 2010 the early E36's would be represented.
What I like about the pictures is the street cars in the background. Shown in commomplace fashion are some cars you can hardly get your hands on any more.
A few gen1 Scirocco
A gen1 Mazda 626 coupe
A blue gen1 Prelude
Sultan wrote:I love the car in the first picture. Is it a Ginetta?
Chevron B8
Yeah, historic race events should always look the same :)
There was an Audi R8 at the Mitty a couple of years ago. Not the road car, the Le Mans winner. It certainly wasn't an old car, but it's only competitive in vintage events now.
And there's a Ferrari 250 GTO in one of the pics! Oooooooo.
Pure Vintage Sweetness.
I didn't know the Mitty had been going on that long, I thought it was a relatively recent thang.
I noticed the 250GTO in the pic as well. Very, very nice!
Keith wrote:Unless I missed something, I don't think there's a 250 GTO in those pictures. In the lineup of Ferraris, the second car is a 275, (the 4th, too, I think) and most of the rest are 250 SWBs. And I think there's a 250 Lusso in the distance, behind the Scirocco.Yeah, historic race events should always look the same :)
There was an Audi R8 at the Mitty a couple of years ago. Not the road car, the Le Mans winner. It certainly wasn't an old car, but it's only competitive in vintage events now.
And there's a Ferrari 250 GTO in one of the pics! Oooooooo.
Awesome bunch of cars, and awesome bunch of pictures.
Matt
According to Steve Simpson, these photos are from the first Mitty (long before GRM was involved) in 1982.
I'd love to hear from someone that attended the first event (especially one who was captured in these photos) who's planning to go this year. I'm amazed at how recognizable the track is over the years.
cool is that the front straight with just a guard rail ??
Karl La Follette wrote:cool is that the front straight with just a guard rail ??
A guardrail separates the original pits from the front straight, along with a 10'(plus) elevation difference and about 20'-30'' of grass between the track surface and the VERY unforgiving walls.
Cars occasionally made/make contact with the old pit-side wall, but before the advent of tire-walls, the cars would carom off the red clay and stop or spin back onto the track.
Treb wrote:Keith wrote:Unless I missed something, I don't think there's a 250 GTO in those pictures. In the lineup of Ferraris, the second car is a 275, (the 4th, too, I think) and most of the rest are 250 SWBs. And I think there's a 250 Lusso in the distance, behind the Scirocco.Yeah, historic race events should always look the same :)
There was an Audi R8 at the Mitty a couple of years ago. Not the road car, the Le Mans winner. It certainly wasn't an old car, but it's only competitive in vintage events now.
And there's a Ferrari 250 GTO in one of the pics! Oooooooo.
Awesome bunch of cars, and awesome bunch of pictures.
Matt
Ah nuts, you're right. The 275 had three vents in the, umm, B-pillar. The GTO had one. The 275 is pretty and all, but I've lost interest now
Is that Tom Heath gazing off into the distance in the 4th photo?? 
Seriously, in the 6th photo down, any idea what the orange car is just barely visible behind the red RX-7? It's an interesting nose.
Keith wrote:Ah nuts, you're right. The 275 had three vents in the, umm, B-pillar. The GTO had one. The 275 is pretty and all, but I've lost interest now
4 SWBs and 2 275s? Meh.
dyintorace wrote:Is that Tom Heath gazing off into the distance in the 4th photo??
Seriously, in the 6th photo down, any idea what the orange car is just barely visible behind the red RX-7? It's an interesting nose.
From the fact that there are a bunch of Lotus around, my guess would be S4 Lotus 7. I had noticed it earlier... definitely a fun group of pictures to study.
Treb wrote:I agree, Lotus 7 nose cone.dyintorace wrote:Is that Tom Heath gazing off into the distance in the 4th photo??
Seriously, in the 6th photo down, any idea what the orange car is just barely visible behind the red RX-7? It's an interesting nose.
From the fact that there are a bunch of Lotus around, my guess would be S4 Lotus 7. I had noticed it earlier... definitely a fun group of pictures to study.
In the same photo, does the Europa that is farthest away appear to have two, twin sunroofs? Both open?
Let's see what I can do to identify these cars.
A Ferrari 500 Mondial leading an unidentified sports racer (looks familiar, possibly a Lister or a Lola), leading a Ferrari 250 TdF, some Porsches and then some Allards. I believe that's an earlier Ferrari bringing up the rear, like a 212 or something, but it's tough to tell.
Again the Ferrari 500 Mondial.
A lineup of Morgans. The first two are from the 60s I believe (+4s), the next one seems older and I can't see enough of the last 3 to tell.
Oh fun. Two Elans and two Europas, with an Abarth Fiat in the back. Orange car behind the RX7 is a Lotus 7. Note the wheel arches and the lights on top. I'm trying to figure out what the white car behind that is. And then the red one. And I think the black one looks like an Aston Martin DB6.
Ferrari lineup: 250 SWB, 275 GTB, 250 SWB, 365 GTB "Daytona", then what is most likely two more SWBs.
With a green Porsche Speedster for good measure.
The one behind the Scirocco does appear to be a "Lusso".
That's all I had time to identify. I can try for more if anyone points them out. That one red open sports car with the white stripe is haunting me. I know I've seen one before, I just can't think of where.
yeha22 wrote:Let's see what I can do to identify these cars.
Not much to add on those -- great work. I noticed that orange 7 in the background on two of the on-track shots, and it looks like one of the shots of the 500 Mondial is backwards -- it's RHD in the first shot and LHD in the second. I don't know RA, but that pic might make more sense to folks the other way around.
Could the white car in the Lotus group be an Elite? Any idea on the light blue car behind the green Porsche behind all the Ferraris?
Good call on the 365 Daytona, and the black Aston.
Treb wrote: Any idea on the light blue car behind the green Porsche behind all the Ferraris?
Iso Revolta Lele?
Quoting myself from the CMS thread:
Cool stuff. I love looking at old photos.
The candid 'people' shots are excellent. Really captures the atmosphere of the scene.
Treb wrote:yeha22 wrote:... and it looks like one of the shots of the 500 Mondial is backwards -- it's RHD in the first shot and LHD in the second. I don't know RA, but that pic might make more sense to folks the other way around.Let's see what I can do to identify these cars.
I think the first shot is mirrored. That looks like coming down the hill between turn 1 and the esses, but the infield is on the wrong side. That vibes wit the second shot having the test read correctly. Looks like it was really a LHD.
Good catch!
Luke wrote:Treb wrote: Any idea on the light blue car behind the green Porsche behind all the Ferraris?Iso Revolta Lele?
Wow. Yeah, looks like it. I was thinking exotic 70s 2+2 -- Espada, Montreal, Eclat -- but I didn't know about that one.
And thanks, Dave, for the RA help.
Treb wrote: Could the white car in the Lotus group be an Elite?
That was the best guess I could come up with. I think the red car behind that is a Lotus Cortina.
Luke wrote:Treb wrote: Any idea on the light blue car behind the green Porsche behind all the Ferraris?Iso Revolta Lele?
Yup, that's it exactly. Well done!
That Ferrari 50 Mondial from the 50's has the same displacement and number of cylinders as my Jetta and probably has 100 more horsepower! Haha!
