Pre-War

Fearless warriors from a bygone age. Sitting in a 200 kph missile with nothing more than a linen helmet.

ALL SMILES BETWEEN THE RACE WINNER AND DR PORSCHE - Rosemeyer leans against the fearsome 6 litre V-16 in a clean sweep for the 'C' Auto Union factory team from Zwickau, Saxony.

PRECISION DRIVING - Tazio Nuvolari hugs the white kerb during the 1938 Gosser Preis der Schweiz held on the partly cobbled Bremgarten circuit in Bern, Switzerland.

VICTORY IN THE ERA AT BREMGARTEN - Despite the organisers requests that cars be painted in their national colour (British Racing Green in this case), Seaman managed to win in his black ERA.

SCUDERIA FERRARI ENTERED ALFA ROMEO - Future World Champion, Farina, retired his beautiful 8C-35 with a long crack in the cylinder head causing water to seep in to the engine.

DAIMLER-BENZ CLEAN SWEEP - 'Rudi' won the 1937 Grosser Preis der Schweiz from pole position, with teammates Lang and von Brauchitsch rounding out the podium. Another super perspective.

SPECTATORS VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE - Drivers and riding mechanics pass under the Members' Bridge and on to the concrete banking at Brooklands in 1930.

LE ROUENNAIS - 'Phi-Phi' always wore a trademark reversed blue cloth cap, as sen here at the Grosser Preis der Schweiz on his V8 Maserati, which wasn't a match for the mighty German teams.

FAST GETAWAY - Hans Stuck in the C-type makes an excellent start from the outside of the front row beating Rosemeyer and race winner Rudi Caracciola in 1937 at Bremgarten.

SEAMAN SCORCHES TO A HAT TRICK OF PREIS VON BERN VICTORIES - Englishman, Seaman had won in MG and ERA machines in 1934 and 1935 respectively, before winning in '36 with a Delage.

AUTO UNION TAKE A CLEAN SWEEP OF THE PODIUM - Rosemeyer won in his C-type from teammates Varzi and Stuck. This is a cracking perspective taken by Carl Jost of the great Champion.

STARTING FROM POLE POSITION - Fairfield, in his 'works' ERA R4A, was an impressive five seconds ahead of the next car on the grid, the Delage of Richard Seaman for the Preis von Bern in 1936.

THWARTED BY A LOOSE NEWSPAPER IN THE FRONT GRILL - This caused the retirement of von Brauchitsch and his Mercedes-Benz W25C at the 1936 Grosser Preis der Schweiz.

ASBESTOS OVERALLS! - Eyston broke the record for a 750cc car to exceed two miles per minute. The previous year, Eyston had suffered burns, hence the overalls.

STROLLING TO THE FORMATION GRID - Nuvolari walks alongside Ugo Ricordi, Auto Union's Italian representative. 'Taz' finished fifth behind Lang, Caracciola and von Brauchitsch.

THE KLAUSENRENNEN - Stuck powers over the rudimentary timing line to second place, behind Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz. A big crowd watch in awe.

A CURIOUS CROWD GATHER AROUND THE T35B - Heusser and his riding mechanic go on to set a record at the Freiburg Schauinsland Hillclimb of 1928.

CONTEMPLATION BEFORE THE TASK AHEAD - von Brauchitsch looks a little perturbed, but he still managed to claim the final spot on the podium of the 1939 Swiss GP.

AUTO UNION LINE-UP - The 'C' types of Varzi, Rosemeyer & Stuck form an orderly line before the Grosser Preis der Schweiz held at the Bremgarten in 1936. Number 4 won.

WRESTLING THE MIGHTY - Lang shared the W25C with Italian, Luigi Fagioli, finishing a distant fourth behind the dominant Auto Union's.

T-CAR - In the foreground is the reserve Mercedes-Benz W25 of Hanns Geier, who practised the car, but shared Caracciola's number 10 machine for the Grosser Preis der Schweiz in 1934.

RETURNING AFTER HIS GERMAN GP CRASH - Chiron practised and qualified for the Swiss Grand Prix, but failed to take the start. He reitred from Grand Prix racing from this point onwards.

'GROSSMUTTER' - Literally translating as Grandmothers, this 4500cc brute took Rosenberger to the fastest time of the day and a new record, in a time of 10 mins 10.2 secs.

FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE - Stuck stopped on lap 14 to change to rain tyres, but decided enough was enough and let reserve driver Paul Pietsch take over finishing eleventh.

VICTORY IN NORTHERN IRELAND - 'Taz' takes the chequered flag in his Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS at the Tourist Trophy of 1930, beating compatriots Campari and Varzi.

RUDI ON FULL CHAT - 'Caratsch' struggled hugely over the cobbles at Bremgarten in 1936 suffering a DNF due to right rear hub failure.

SHARED DRIVE - Lang, seen here, shared the Mercedes-Benz W25C with Luig Fagioli and was the first of the Mercedes-Benz cars home in fourth place.

THE SWISS FLAG DROPS - Caracciola powers away from race winner Rosemeyer and runner-up Varzi at the start of the 1936 Grosser Preis der Schweiz.

IN OUTDATED MACHINERY - Nuvolari fought valiantly against the might of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union state funded teams, before retiring with overheating issues.

NEW HILLCLIMB RECORD - Heusser took his T35B up the hill at a record speed of 74.009 km/h in a time of 9 mins 44.4 seconds. He seems suitably chuffed with his exploits.

VICTORY ON THE SWISS STREETS - Legendary ace, Rosemeyer headed home his teammates Varzi & Stuck at the 1936 Grosser Preis der Schweiz.

THIRD ON THE COBBLES - von Brauchitsch finished on the bottom step of the podium at Bremgarten in 1938 in a Mercedes-benz clean sweep.

SEAMAN CLAIMS ANOTHER PRIX DE BERNE VICTORY - 'Dick' Seaman leads away from Pat Fairfield and Prince Bira in 1936, completing a hat trick of Voiturette victories.

AUTO UNION WIPE THE FLOOR - Varzi finished second to teammates Stuck and race winner Rosemeyer in their Type C's around the leafy Bremgaten circuit in 1936.

KAUTZ SITS ON HIS 4CM WAITING PATIENTLY - The elegant lady in the hat sitting on the pit counter looks particularly disinterested. He failed to complete the Prix de Berne in 1936.

GROSSER PREIS DER SCHWEIZ - Caracciola won on the cobbles in Bremgarten in 1937, after Rosemeyer had driven off the road and been disqualified.

VOUITURETTE RACING - An imperious Farina sits erect in the small cockpit of the Alfa Romeo 158 winning the 'up to 1500 cc' class and setting fastest lap in the process.

PLEASED AS PUNCH - Starkle and his sidecar companion won their class (not exceeding 600cc) at the 1928 Freiburg Schauinsland Hillclimb. Love the Picklehaube's.

A BEAUTY IN THE PARK - Stuber drove this beautiful 8C 2600 Monza at the 1937 Prix de Bremgarten, watched on by a healthy crowd and Swiss police.

BROOKLANDS BANKING - The famous banking looms behind the Brooklands buildings in 1923.

A LOVELY PORTRAIT AT BROOKLANDS - A smiling driver and lady riding companion pose in front of the Brooklands garages.

SPEEDING ACROSS THE LINE - A super image of a 'flying' motor cyclist crossing the finishing line, with a Policeman standing to attention.

THE BOSS TO BE? - Nuvolari chats with Ugo Ricordi, a former Mercedes-Benz driver and soon to be the Italian representative of Auto Union, for who Tazio was to sign for in 1937.

LAND SPEED RECORD HOLDER - Lee Guinness broke the LSR in 1922, invented the KLG spark plug and was from the Guinness brewing family.

SCUDERIA FERRARI ALFA ROMEO TIPO B/P3 - The differential broke on Chiron's car, whilst team leader, Nuvolari, won.

1ST INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB, VUE DES ALPES - De Graffenried claimed overall victory at Valangin on 6 June 1948 on his Maserati 4CL.

100,000 SPECTATORS AT THE BANKED FRENCH CIRCUIT - Williams and Moriceau were first of the non Delage race cars in fourth place.

TIME TRIAL - A car crosses the finishing line, with the Timekeepers looking on.

WINNING DRIVE - Rosemeyer leads Caracciola at the Donington GP held in October 1937 in front of 50,000 spectators.

THOMAS SPEEDS AWAY FROM BORDINO - Thomas in his Dleage leads from Pole position, with Bordino in hi Fiat following.

VICTORY SALUTE - Rosemeyer acknowledges the crowd and shares a joke with team personnel, runner-up von Brauchitsch and fifth place Hasse.

SPEEDING PAST THE PACKED TRIBUNES - A 'whacky' Voison Laboratoire flashes past the packed grandstands.

CAPT CAMPBELL LOOKS ON - Malcolm Campbell (left rear) with a 'flatfoot' Policeman to the right of the rudimentary Morgan.

AUTO UNION C-TYPE - Rosemeyer's curvaceous C-type sits in a nearby garage, close to the fabled Nurburgring in 1937.

VIEUX CHARLES III - A stunning glass plate of Vieux Charles III taken in front of the Brooklands club house in 1923.

BARC WHITSUN MEETING 1923 - Awaiting the flag to drop. A variety of motor cars await the off - Wolseley Moth, Bugatti, Horstmann, etc.

BROOKLANDS GARAGES - Looking resplendent in the Brooklands garages, situated just in front of the Member's club house.

AUTO UNION - Tazio Nuvolari's Auto Union D-type sits in the pits at Bremgarten in 1938, with a modified C-type behind.

HIGH FASHION - 'The right crowd and no crowding' was Brooklands motto.

CHAIN DRIVEN - Chitty 1 stands proudly in front of the imposing Higham Park in 1921. This was Count Zborowski's first of four potent machines.

A SUNBEAM IN FRANCE - Kenelm Lee Guinness speeds his Sunbeam past housing and a Tabac at Tours in 1923.

WONDERFUL PERIOD ATTIRE - Riders line up at Brooklands in jacket and tie, in front of the imposing aircraft hangars.

HALCYON DAYS - A 'lady' driver and riding mechanic pose in front of Brooklands crowd in 1923.

MOTORCYCLE TRIAL - A motorcyclist awaits the off of a trial in 1923, in jacket and tie.

ALL ROUND SPORTSMAN - Rougier was a racing cyclist, aeroplane pilot and sporting motorist born in Marseille, France.

SUNBEAM IN AMONGST THE PACK - A lovely start line image in front of the Vickers Aviation Ltd aircraft hangars.

PERHAPS THE GREATEST? - Nuvolari contemplates the race ahead, which sadly finished with flames shooting from the exhaust of his Maserati 8CM.

STREET SCENE - A marvellous glass plate with hand beaten racing car blocking the oncoming horse and cart.

CAMPARI - Cavaliere Giuseppe Campari sits on his Alfa Romeo at the Targa Florio of 1924. He was also an Italian Opera singer.

IN FRONT OF THE VICKERS HANGARS - Vickers Aviation Ltd set up the hangars during WW1 in 1915.

ECURIE BRAILLARD - Le Mans winner Sommer was entered by the Swiss Team, but his 'Monza' was still in his distinctive light blue colour, as opposed to the red and white colours of the other team cars.

SUPPORT RACE TO THE MAIN EVENT - A large crowd enjoyed the racing at Tours during the XVII Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France.

GREAT BRITAIN WINS IN FRANCE - Segrave and his riding mechanic pose in front of their victorious Sunbeam after over six and a half hours of racing.

LAST OF THE RETIREMENTS - Salamano retired after thirty-two laps of the thirty-five laps. He later that year won the Italian GP at Monza.

PERIOD ADVERTISING HOARDINGS - Divo, in the pretty little Sunbeam, kicks up the dust at Tours in 1923.

ADAC EIFELRENNEN - Scuderia Subalpina entered 'Phi-Phi' Etancelin in the ageing Maserati 6C-34 against the might of German opposition from Auto Union and Daimler-Benz for the 1935 Eifelrennen.

ROLLAND-PILAIN - Local motor car manufacturer Rolland-Pilain was founded in 1905 in Tours.

VOISIN LABORATOIRE - Avions Voisins was a luxury French car manufacturer, established by Gabriel Voisin.

'THE FLYING MANTUAN' - The great Italian stood just 160 cm tall, but was built of steel and could hustle cars of the magnitude of his Maserati 8CM with great gusto.

SEGRAVE SECURES BRITAIN A MEMORABLE VICTORY - Sir Henry O'Neil de Hane Segrave, the first Britain to win in a British car.

CRUISING AROUND WITH A CIGAR IN HIS MOUTH - Varzi gave up the ghost after too many pit stops at Monaco in 1934.

MONSTERS SPEED THROUGH THE VILLAGE - The mighty Fiat S74 displaced fourtees liters fron a four cylinder engine.

SENSATIONAL IN THE STREETS OF MONTREUX - The one and only Grand Prix de Montreux held on the streets and quayside.

TROUBLE AHEAD - Nuvolari retired on the cobbles at Bremgarten with flames shooting from the exhaust.