Automobiliart.com

"Silver Clouds" reviewed in Automobile

2012-01-26T08:47:00.002-04:00

Late last year, I sent copy of my limited edition book "Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix season" to Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-hief of Automobile magazine to get her impressions.

Just before Christmas, Jean called me to interview me about my book. She asked very good, detailed questions about it, and it was a great interview.

On Tuesday, the March issue came out on the newsstands, and the review was published in Jean's column "Vile Gossip", which is always the last page sign-off of the magazine.

As you can read, the review is wonderful, with Jennings really capturing all the subtle elements and the "raison d'être" of the book.

Now, I'm more eager than ever to start book #2 of my series on a significant year from each Grand Prix decade. This next one will cover the 1986 Grand Prix season.

The 1956 Italian Grand Prix

2012-01-19T09:46:00.003-04:00

For the 1956 Formula 1 season, Scuderia Ferrari was fielding the Lancia-Ferrari D50’s that that they inherited from Lancia when they folded their racing efforts.

They had a strong driver line-up of Juan Manual Fangio, Peter Collins, Luigi Musso and Eugenio Castellotti.

Pen& ink, paint markers and markers on red archival stock 12"x 11'5" (30.5cm x 29cm) © Paul Chenard 2012
Private collection – limited editions are available.

Before the Italian Grand Prix, the last race of the season, Fangio had 2.5 wins, Sir Stirling Moss had 1 win, Collins had 2 wins, Pat Flaherty had 1 win, and Musso shared a win with Fangio.

Points-wise, it was a very close match-up between Fangio, Collins and Moss, with all 3 having a good chance at winning the World Championship into that last race at Monza.

During the race, the Monza track, with it’s steep banked section, took it’s toll on the Ferraris, with the D50s of Castellotti, Fangio and Musso dropping out.

Pen& ink and colour pencils on gray archival stock © Paul Chenard 2010
Detail from "Peter Collins – Targa Florio 1955" limited edition.

When the remaining D50 of Collins came in for a pitstop, he spotted Fangio there, and immediately hopped out of his car to hand it over to Juan Manual so he could get back into the race. Fangio came in second place behind Moss, giving him enough points to take the Championship.

When he was asked why he so unselfishly gave up his car, thus his Championship chances, Collins said that he thought that Fangio deserved it more.

Spoken like a true gentleman!

Richie Ginther: The Race Car Developer

2012-01-14T23:10:00.008-04:00

Paul Richard “Richie” Ginther was born in Granada Hills, California in 1930.

He was raised in the same town as Phil Hill, and worked for Douglas Aircraft in the tool and die shop. Ginther met Hill and helped him in the repair and maintenance of his race cars.

He started his own race career in 1951, driving a Ford-powered MG. Shortly afterward, he was drafted to the Korean war, and worked on aircraft maintenance.

Page from the 1959 Fuller Brush catalog.

Once out of the military, Ginther was drafted by Hill as his riding mechanic for the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, racing in a Ferrari 340 Mexico Vignale. They ran well until they left the road and severely damaged the Ferrari. They returned the following year, racing a Ferrari 375 MM Vignale and finished in second place.

Page from the 1959 Fuller Brush catalog.

Not long after Hill left for Europe to drive for Scuderia Ferrari, and Ginther took his place in the States, racing more and more frequently, gaining successes.

He drove Healeys, Porsches, Aston Martins, and finally Ferraris. He moved to Europe, joining Hill with Ferrari, where he stayed for the 1960 and 1961 seasons. He was instrumental in the race development of the famous 156 F1 “Sharknose”.

Sharknoses at Spa 1961, where Ginther finished in 3rd place. Pen&ink, pencils and markers on white archival stock 12"x 9" © Paul Chenard 2012

From there he moved to BRM for 1962, also helping in the development of their Championship-winning P57 Formula 1 car.

Tamiya 1/20 Honda RA272 kit that I built.

He joined Honda in 1965, racing their new RA272 F1 car. In the last Grand Prix of the season in Mexico, he won the race, giving Honda and Goodyear their first Formula 1 win. Unfortunately, it was Ginther’s only Formula 1 win.

Sketch on a package I shipped to California for a good client.
Pen&ink and markers on Foamcore. © Paul Chenard 2012

Ginther had a small part in John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film “Grand Prix.”

Ginther finally retired in 1967, and sadly passed away in 1989 while camping with his family in France.

The Best of the Season to my Readers!

2011-12-22T12:17:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Auto Union die cast racers

2011-12-10T17:59:00.001-04:00

Recently, I was contacted by Dutch gentleman Paul Schilperoord about a collection of 1/43 German die cast Auto Union toys. He was looking for any support information that I could provide on these little gems, which he had picked up in Germany.
Paul is a writer and he came across the collection while researching his book: http://www.ganz-volkswagen.org/

He's done a blog post on these Auto Union toys; you can read it here: http://anakronismo.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/auto-union-model-racing-cars/

As a longtime collector of vintage racing toys, I have to say that these are rare and stunning!

The most stunning aspect of these circa 1947 Zamac-cast racers is that some of them are clearly painted in matte military paint! This is highly unusual, and the first time that I've seen it. There are 5 colours in all, and three of those are matte.

If you are interested in acquiring one or more of these rare toys, contact Paul directly at info@ganz-volkswagen.org

You won't be disappointed.

James Dean and his Porsche 550 Spyder

2011-11-25T12:41:00.005-04:00

James Byron Dean was born on February 8th, 1931 in Marion, Indiana.

He is known mostly for the brilliance of his acting in his only 3 feature movies: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. He received two posthumous Best Actor Academy Award nominations, for East of Eden and Giant.

He is less well known for his automobile racing activities. In 1953, he started with a race-prepared MG TD, then trading up to a Porsche 356 in 1954.

He showed some skill on the track, so he again traded up to a Porsche 550 Spyder. He had actually ordered a Lotus X for his racing activities, but its delivery was delayed so Dean settled on the Spyder.

His language coach for the movie Giant, Bill Hickman, called him “Little Bastard”, so Dean had that painted in script on the back of the Porsche by legendary pin-striper Dean Jeffries.

On the morning of September 30, 1955, Dean and his mechanic Rolf Wütherich set off from Competition Motors in Los Angeles to go to a sports car race in Salinas, California.

On their way there, a 1950 Ford Custom Tudor coupe, driven by 23-year-old Donald Turnupseed, took a fork in the road, his left turn bringing him head-on into the path of Dean’s Porsche.

Wütherich survived the crash, but Dean was not as lucky and died about 10 minutes afterward.

Interestingly, he was quoted as saying, "People say racing is dangerous. But I'd rather take my chances on the track any day than on the highway."

Sadly, he was right.

Artwork
For the past little while, I've wanted to do a piece on James Dean and his 550, so finally I got around to it. I call it "Immortality", and it's done in mixed media.

The background is acrylic on 70 year-old unused canvas board (my dad's), Dean and his mechanic are in pen&ink and archival markers on illustration board, on which I also illustrated the wheels in Prismacolor pencils.

The Porsche 550 Spyder is on 18-gauge sheet aluminum, which I engraved, sanded, painted on with oil model paint and pen&ink, cut out, filed and sanded, and finished in gloss varnished. The Porsche is about a 1/4" off the canvas ...

The size of the piece is 16"x 12" (40.6cm x 30.5cm), unframed.
It's framed in a black floating frame ...
I included part of a quote of his that I found appropriate for this.

This piece is is available for sale; please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com if you are interested.

The Automotive Word from the East

2011-11-24T08:56:00.003-04:00

In the latest Automobile magazine (December 2011), one of my favorite automotive journalists Jamie Kitman makes an interesting journey through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, cruising in a new Jaguar XJ.

On his travels, he meets up with an old friend of his Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who happens to be the President of Estonia.

Along the way, he also met with a friend of mine, journalist/writer/engineer Margus-Hans Kuuse; he even provides a sidebar into to Margus-Hans in his feature.

Margus-Hans is the main info source of all things automotive in Eastern Europe, and has been that source since the Soviet era of the early 70’s.

A couple of years ago, Margus-Hans used my Cevert portrait in a story of his, and I’ve since had the honour of being counted as one of his numerous friends.

It’s wonderful that this amazing pillar of automotive journalism be recognized for his groundbreaking work. Bravo!

Racing History Greeting Cards

2011-11-15T22:06:00.002-04:00

Recent, I decided to develop some greeting card sets for sale.

There are 5 different themes available:

1) Sports/GT Cars of the Early 60's © Paul Chenard 2011

2) Ferrari 156 F1 "Sharknose" © Paul Chenard 2011

3) 1934 Grand Prix Season © Paul Chenard 2011

4) Grand Prix Engines of the 1950's © Paul Chenard 2011

5) Hawthorn's Race Cars © Paul Chenard 2011

There are 4 different illustrations per set, with 3 of each illustration, with descriptions on the back, 12 in all; envelopes are included.

Each set sells for $30 CDN plus shipping and applicable taxes. Please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com to order.

There a little something for everyone!

My “Silver Clouds” book reviewed …

2011-11-03T11:56:00.004-03:00

There is a nice review by
Mark Dixon of my limited
edition book "Silver Clouds:
The 1934 Grand Prix Season"
in the November 2011 issue
of Octane magazine.

1st Annual Danville Tour d’Élégance

2011-10-28T10:07:00.002-03:00

On September 17th and 18th, the first annual Danville Tour d’Élégance was held in conjunction with the 7th annual Danville Concours d’Élégance.

The events were held in support of Parkinson’s Research and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

I had the huge honour of doing the illustration/design work for the Danville Tour d’Élégance, which celebrated Phil Hill and the 50th anniversary of his Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship. My work included the poster, the banner, and the car sticker.

I also donated one of my Phil Hill signed limited editions, on which I added a "remarque" sketch of Hill racing a Ferrari Testa Rossa.

I've been told the event was a great success, and will be held again next year. I’ve also been asked to be part of it again, and of course I said ‘YES”!

Vincent Chiaro covered the event for egarage; you can read his story here:
http://www.egarage.com/events/danville-concours-delegance/

All photos courtesy and © of Vincent Chiaro
http://www.vincentchiaro.com/

F1 Historic and Spa Six Hours 2011

2011-10-17T22:26:00.005-03:00

After our weekend as art vendors at the Goodwood Revival, my friend Nicolas Cancelier treated me to a visit of the historic Spa-Francorchamps track to take in the sites and sounds of the historic races on Saturday September 24th.

We walked around the famous track, and I felt I was walking on hallowed ground …

The elevation changes were dramatic and the scenery was stunning; it helped that to day was warm and sunny. We came across a large number of rare beautiful race cars, and managed to catch some being driven in competition.

We visited the vendor area and met well-known and respected Belgian artists Claude Viseur (Clovis) and his spouse, along with artist Benoit Deliège. They treated me as one of their own, for which I am deeply grateful.

I even managed to realize my dream of sitting in my all-time favorite Grand Prix car, the Maserati 250F. I have to say that it was very difficult to not play the role of the determined racer at the wheel of that lovely car.

Interestingly, we came across 1957 pontoon-fendered Ferrari Testa Rossa, which has sporting a custom-made fast-back detachable roof! I had never seen such a thing, so I would appreciate any information you’d have on it.

This was an adventure that I will never forget.

All photos courtesy and © of Nicolas Cancelier 2011

Grand Prix History Calendar for 2012

2011-10-11T17:26:00.003-03:00

I’ve created a jewel case calendar featuring Grand Prix racing through the ages.

Starting with Philippe Étancelin’s win of the 1930 French Grand Prix de Pau, it wraps up with the famous Gilles Villeneuve/René Arnoux battle for second in the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon.

The calendar has a different illustration for each month, with illustration details on the back; it retails for $25 CDN plus shipping/handling. The calendar size is 5.59" x 4.98" x 0.36" (14.2cm x 12.7cm x 0.9cm).

The Holidays are just around the next turn!

Spitfire 75th Anniversary

2011-10-07T08:29:00.002-03:00

On my way to the Goodwood Revival, I had quite a long stop-over in Montréal (plus delays caused by a thunderstorm.)

Knowing that I would be there long, I brought some reference images and drawing materials, and did a freehand sketch of a Spitfire while sitting in the terminal.
Pen&ink and archival markers on archival watercolour paper 12"x 9" (30.5cm x 22.9cm)
Original sketch available for sale.

A retired Québecoise on her way to Paris stopped by to chat when she saw me sketching; she also liked to sketch, but not normally in airport waiting areas!

François Cevert 1944-1973

2011-10-06T08:56:00.002-03:00

"Il y a 38 ans, une étoile s'est éteinte".

Sadly, today marks the 38th anniversary of the passing of the great François Cevert at Watkins Glen.

The Goodwood Revival 2011: An Artist-vendor’s View

2011-10-03T18:21:00.003-03:00

This year, my good friend Belgian artist Nicolas Cancelier and I decided to take the plunge and show our art together at the 2011 Goodwood Revival.

Me and my good friend Belgian artist Nicolas Cancelier
© Dirk de Jager 2011

I have to say that it was an experience I won’t soon forget.

Here, we are joined by fellow artist Anna-Louise Felstead.

Dirk (centre), a friend, and I help chop down a small forest of Chimay.

The traffic in our booth’s alleyway was less than we anticipated, and I think it hurt all our neighbour vendors too.

Even with this fact, we had a good enthusiastic public, some of them even seeming shocked at the idea that two artist friends could show their art together, and that there could be such a large variety of artwork.

We also had drop-ins by Facebook friends, like David Anthony Betts, photographer/journalist Dirk de Jager and videographer/photographer Ralph Colmar, along with fellow artists Anna-Louise Felstead, Debra Wenlock, and Richard Wheatland. Due to a little creative marketing on our part, we also had a few celebrities drop by. I can safely say that the days weren’t boring.

Tiff Needell, Arturo Merzario and Paul Lovett all benefitted from our little limited edition gifts.

As exhibiting artists, we didn’t have much time to really take in any of the event and activities, but it was exciting non-the-less.

At the end of the day, we became regulars at the Bell Inn in Chichester. It’s a wonderfully friendly laid-back place with great food — the perfect escape after our 13-hour days!

Goodwood Revival 2011

2011-09-08T21:36:00.001-03:00

Well, the clock is ticking down for the world's best vintage racing festival, the Goodwood Revival.

I will be sharing a vendor booth there with my good friend Belgian artist Nicolas Cancelier, and we are both anticipating a wonderful time at this premier event.

It takes place over the 16th, 17th and 18th of September, and ticket sales have already surpassed last years attendance figures.

If you are lucky enough to be there too, please drop by Revival Market Stand #61, and say "Hello".

Phil Hill – America's First Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion

2011-08-23T12:03:00.004-03:00

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Phil Hill’s Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship.

1961 Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion Phil Hill and the Ferrari 156 F1 "Sharknose"
Pen& ink and Prismacolor pencils on white archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2011
Available as a limited edition of 50.

50 years ago, there were more Americans involved in Formula 1; Phil Hill was joined by Dan Gurney and Richie Ginther in high echelons of international racing, and more were to follow.

Hill made his mark successfully racing sports cars, including Ferraris. This got the attention of the man himself, Mr. Ferrari, and Hill was recruited to the team. He started racing in Formula 1 in 1958, finally winning his first race in 1960 at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The following year, he took the Championship, racing the famous Ferrari 156 F1 “Sharknose”.

Phil Hill’s accomplishment is being celebrated at the Danville Tours D’Élégance on September 17th and 18th. Please try to attend this wonderful event; proceeds from it will go in support of Parkinson’s research and patient care.

I’ve had the honour of designing the poster for the event; Phil Hill is one of my heroes, too!

"Boys of Bonneville" Documentary Film

2011-08-07T11:30:00.002-03:00

There is a new documentary film out entitled "Boys of Bonneville". Though I’ve yet to see it, it looks quite promising.

Here is the movie’s synopsis, taken from the website www.boysofbonneville.com:

Boys of Bonneville: Racing on a Ribbon of Salt is about an America that has all but disappeared, when lucrative business deals were cemented by a handshake and state of the art automobiles were designed on the backs of envelopes. It tells the story of an unsung hero and self-made man, David Abbott Jenkins, who, with almost superhuman stamina and boyish charm, set out to single-handedly break every existing land speed record on his beloved Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah. More than a century later, many of “Ab’s” records remain unbroken and the legacy lives on in his custom car. Looking like something Batman would have owned, the story comes full circle when Ab’s son Marv, restores the 12-cylinder, 4800-pound “Mormon Meteor” to its glory days for a ceremonial lap on the salt.There is a new documentary film out entitled "Boys of Bonneville". Though I’ve yet to see it, it looks quite promising.

The film features pristine archival footage of Ab, Marv, and their races, as well as recently shot HD interviews with a stellar list of car and racing aficionados (including Jay Leno and Col. Andy Green, the current land speed holder). The car resides in Salt Lake City’s Price Museum of Speed (www.pricemuseumofspeed.org) and will be visiting select cities as part of its Film Festival tour.

The movie’s director Curt Wallin and it’s producer John Greene are both being interviewed this evening on SPEED Channel’s Wind Tunnel, hosted by Dave Despain at 9:00 pm ET.

I think this might be a movie worth paying attention too.

More package art ...

2011-07-25T08:31:00.005-03:00

In the past week, I've had more orders for my book, so I did a few more package sketches ...

Eau Rouge

Ken Miles - Cobra

Farina – Alfa Romeo – Silverstone 1950

The art of packaging art …

2011-07-16T15:16:00.004-03:00

When I first started selling my art worldwide, I was (and still am) absolutely thrilled.

The idea that someone shares my vision and likes my art enough to purchase that art is completely rewarding.

I was so happy that I started to do “bonus” sketches on the outside of the packages to reward my clients for their support. It had an unexpected added bonus of the couriers and postmen taking better care of the packages.

I don’t always have the opportunity to add a sketch to the package, but I try.

Here are a few of the “package” sketches I’ve done over the past couple of years …

“Silver Clouds” Book Reviews …

2011-07-01T11:57:00.002-03:00

A few weeks ago, I launched my limited edition book “Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix Season”.

I wrote, illustrated, designed and hand assemble it, and since it is my first and only book, I’ve been wondering how it would be received.

I’m strictly limiting the edition to 50 signed and numbered book/packages, and each book takes me over an hour to assemble and package.

Happily, the first reviews have come out, and they have been wonderful.

Both Sport Car Digest, and The Chicane Blog have both reviewed it:
http://www.sportscardigest.com/silver-clouds-the-1934-grand-prix-season-book-review/
http://thechicaneblog.com/2011/06/28/the-1934-gp-season-of-paul-chenards-silver-clouds/
With these great reviews, there has been brisk sales, with orders coming from the world over.

I’m so very glad that I did something worth doing! Please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

Juan Manuel Fangio - El Maestro

2011-06-24T13:12:00.004-03:00

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Juan Manuel Fangio's birth. This five-time Formula 1 Drivers' World Champion from Balcarce, Argentina passed away on July 17, 1995.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, El Maestro!

Bira the racing Prince

2011-06-22T08:59:00.003-03:00

Born in 1914, Birabongse Bhanudej was a Grand Prix and Formula 1 racecar driver from Siam (now Thailand).

Better known as Prince Bira, or his racing name "B. Bira", he raced a Riley, Maseratis, Connaughts, Gordinis, but is best known for successfully racing E.R.A.s.

After his formal education in the United Kingdom, he raced with his cousin Prince Chula Chakrabongse's White Mouse Racing team. In 1935-36, the team started acquiring E.R.A.s, and Bira gave a name to each; first was the R2B "Romulus", followed by R5B "Remus", and lastly, R12C "Hanuman".
Bira racing Romulus

14.5"x 11" limited edition print

© Paul Chenard 2011

I did this sketch on the outside of the package of my new book and an original art-piece that a client had ordered. He owns the car in the sketch, so I thought I'd thank him with a sketch of it. Couriers also take much better care with the package when I do that.

Prince Bira found most success racing "Romulus" throughout 1936, with 3 wins, including Monaco and Brooklands, and a second and third place finish.

Post-war, Bira won the Grand Prix des Frontières on the Chimay road circuit in 1954, racing a Maserati 250F and the New Zealand Grand Prix in 1955. He retired at the end of the 1955 season.

Prince Bira died of heart failure in London in 1985 at the age of 71.

Les 24 heures du Mans 2011

2011-06-10T10:21:00.004-03:00

The 24 heures du Mans is coming up this weekend, at the same time as Grand Prix du Canada. Talk about over-stimulation!

The 24 Heures du Mans race is the world’s oldest sports car race, with the first race being held in 1923.

The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and it is run on the Circuit de Sarthe, about 2.5 hours south-west of Paris.

On the world stage, the race equals in stature to the Grand Prix de Monaco in the Formula 1, and the Indianapolis 500 in Indy car.

There have been cycles of consecutive winners starting with Bentley in the late 1920’s, followed by Alfa Romeo through the 1930’s, and two Bugatti wins late in the decade.

The war years stopped the race until 1949, with the advent of Ferrari’s first win there. There was mostly Jaguar dominance through the mid-1950’s. Ferrari came back with a vengeance, winning six years in a row, 1960 through to 1965.

At this point, we were well into the Ford/Ferrari war, with Ford taking the next four years. Please read A. J. Baimes’ great book “Go like Hell” to get fabulous insight on the battles.

1970 heralded the Porsche years at Le Mans, with sixteen wins until 1998. These were interspersed with wins by Jaguar, Mercedes, Mazda, Peugeot, Dauer, McLaren, and BMW.

Since 2000, we have been in the Audi years, with the exception of Bentley (2003) and Peugeot (2009).

Aston Martin has returned “en force”, so this year is looking like a three-way battle between them, Audi and Peugeot.

Le Mans has never been so exciting!

Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix Season

2011-05-26T12:57:00.011-03:00

It was inevitable that my love of drawing would one day lead me to express artistically my passion for Grand Prix racing history.

In researching the racing history of the 1930s, I came across material that captivated me. There were many stories about technological developments, about political manoeuvres, about rivalries between racecar teams, and, above all, about drivers.

In particular, the 1934 Grand Prix season formed a turning point in Grand Prix racing history. Disrupting the ebb and flow of the established racing teams’ fortunes and successes, two new, powerful teams suddenly joined the fray of the 1934 season. These teams would establish clear and total Grand Prix dominance from 1935 to 1939, but their auspicious performances in 1934 did not go without notice.

With the idea of passing on these great stories, I decided to write a little book and provide an illustrated overview of the season, with a focus on the 9 key races and 12 of the people who were part of it.

After months of research, writing, creating art, design, layout and finally, assembly and packaging, my little less than perfect book on the 1934 Grand Prix season is ready and available. It’s published as a limited edition of only 50 copies, signed, numbered and custom wrapped.

It’s been a stimulating exercise of tying it all together, visually and narratively.

I hope that the story, the art and the package will offer the reader a memorable experience.

Please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

Sir Moss takes Monaco 1961

2011-05-19T17:57:00.003-03:00

50 years ago on the last weekend in May, everything pointed to a possible Ferrari sweep of the Grand Prix de Monaco.

Ferrari had introduced their new Formula 1 contender the 156 “Sharknose”, which carried a distinct horsepower advantage over the competition.

Ferrari was running two engine configurations; a V-6 with a 65 degree V-angle (180 hp) and one with a 120 degree V-angle (190 hp). Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips raced 65 degree V-6’s and Richie Ginther the 120 degree V6.

Sir Stirling Moss - Winner, Monaco Grand Prix 1961
Prismacolor pencils on gray archival stock, 10"x 8" © Paul Chenard 2009
Private collection. Available as a limited edition.

Sir Stirling Moss was driving the Rob Walker Lotus 18 F1 car which ran with a 1.5 litre Climax inline-4 engine producing only 174 hp.

Lotus was also there with Jim Clark driving the Lotus-Climax, with Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney racing the Porsche 718’s.

From his pole position, Sir Moss took an early lead from Ginther and Clark, and retained it to the end. He drove at 10/10’s for the whole race, keeping just ahead of the very persistent Ginther and Hill in their more powerful cars.

Sir Moss is quoted in saying that this was his best race ever, and in seeing the machines and talent he was up against, one can only agree!

Indianapolis 500 – 100th Anniversary

2011-05-11T15:03:00.006-03:00

There are many automotive racing milestones this year, but without a doubt, the most important is probably the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500. It also most of the most widely followed sporting events on the planet, so this birthday is doubly important.

That first race was won by Ray Harroun, driving a Marmon Model 32 “Wasp”. His average speed was 74.6 mph (120 kph).

Since that first Indy 500, the race has been won by drivers like Ralph De Palma, Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Milton, Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Roger Ward, A.J. Foyt, Jim Clark, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Mark Donohue, Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Jacques Villeneuve, Hélio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti … and the race speeds have gone up as high as 236 mph (379 kph!)

The most successful racers have been A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears with 4 wins each; the most successful team is by far Penske Racing with 15 victories, their first in 1972 and their most recent in 2009.

The Indy 500 has always been held in the last weekend in May, and has been held every year except the war years of 1917 and 1918, and 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945.

This year, the Indianapolis 500 is held on the same day as another famous race, the Grand Prix de Monaco … lots of stimulation in one day for motorsports fans!

Juan Manuel Fangio 1911-1995

2011-05-05T13:30:00.004-03:00

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth
of Juan Manuel Fangio.

Limited edition archival Giclee print
Edition of 100 - Signed/numbered - 11"x 17" (28cm x 43cm)
$125 USD plus shipping© Paul Chenard 2011

Many, including myself, consider this Argentinian racer as the greatest driver of the post-war era.

Born in Balcarce in 1911 to Italian immigrants, Fangio started racing in 1934, driving a Ford Model A that he built. He later raced long-distance road races driving a Chevrolet to success, becoming Argentine National Champion in 1940 and 1941.

In 1948, he went racing in Europe, capturing a few wins, and the notice of the Grand Prix teams. He was hired by Alfa Romeo in 1950, and finished 2nd in the Championship. In 1951, he won his first of five Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championships, again driving for Alfa Romeo. He finished 2nd again in 1953 with Maserati.

In 1953, he also won the La Carrera Panamericana, driving a Lancia D24.

In 1954, he started with Maserati, winning two races, then switched to Mercedes, and won four more races, taking his second Championship.

He won again in 1955, driving for Mercedes, in 1956, driving for Ferrari , and in 1957, driving again with Maserati.

His most famous win came in the 1957 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, where he beat a strong Ferrari opposition, driving the famous Maserati 250F. At the same time, he established a new track record.

He retired to Argentina in 1958 at the age of 47. He made countless guest appearances at many automotive events worldwide, and even appeared as himself in John Frankenheimer’s film “Grand Prix”.

The Juan Manuel Fangio Museum opened in Balcarce in 1986. This fine gentleman racer died in 1995 in Buenos Aires at the age of 84.

Ferrari 156 “Sharknose” 50th Anniversary

2011-04-28T10:23:00.006-03:00

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ferrari's first rear-engined Formula 1 car, the famous 156 “Sharknose”. It was so named because of the distinctive air intake “nostrils” on either side of the front of the racer.

Battle Plans 1961 Black and white pen&ink (14"x 11), digitally painted, available as a limited edition.

© Paul Chenard 2010

The 156 was designed by Carlo Chiti, and was powered by a 1,476 cc V6 “Dino” engine.

The car was driven to success by such notable drivers as Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips, Richie Ginther, Giancarlo Baghetti, Ricardo Rodríguez, Lorenzo Bandini, Willy Mairesse and John Surtees.

Belgian Grand Prix 1961 - "Sharknoses" Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

American Phil Hill won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship driving the “Sharknose”, with a win at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix, and podium finishes in Monaco, Nederlands, Great Britain and Germany.

Black & white pen&ink (22"x 17), digitally painted, available as a limited edition signed by Phil Hill.

Sadly, all the “Sharknose” F1 Ferraris were scrapped after the 1963 season, but a few replicas have since been constructed.

1934 Grand Prix de Nice

2011-04-20T09:18:00.000-03:00

In the beautiful coastal setting of Nice, France, the 1934 Grand Prix was vaguely reminiscent of Monaco.

The racers started along the Quai des États-Unis, with the waterfront and grandstands to their left, and the cityscape and pits to their right.

1934 Grand Prix Season – Grand Prix de Nice – Alfa Romeo P3Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

At the green flag, they raced off down the Promenade des Anglais, past the Hôtel Negresco, downshifting quickly at the tight hairpin curve to the right, back down the Promenade, upwards through the city, around the Jardin Albert 1e, and back to the waterfront starting point.

Three Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos (driven by Louis Chiron, Count Trossi, and Achille Varzi) squared off against seven Maseratis (whose drivers included Tazio Nuvolari, Philippe Étancelin, and Whitney Straight), one Bugatti team car driven by René Dreyfus, and some privately entered Alfas, Bugattis, and Maseratis. Both the Mercedes and Auto Union teams chose not to participate.

The race start saw Varzi and Chiron leading, with Nuvolari and Dreyfus battling for third place. Dreyfus crashed out, allowing Nuvolari’s attention to shift to Chiron. But Nuvolari’s Maserati was not up to another duel and threw a piston.

After the necessary pits stops by all the racers, Étancelin’s Maserati took second place, with Trossi slipping into third position.

With Nuvolari’s retirement, there was no one to really challenge Varzi’s lead, and the somber Italian took the race.

Bonne fête, monsieur Gurney!

2011-04-13T12:22:00.004-03:00

An American racing icon celebrates a birthday; Dan Gurney is 80 years young today.

Born in Port Jefferson, New York, he moved to California as a teenager.

He became a successful racer, winning his first Formula 1 race at the French Grand 1962 driving a Porsche 804; it was also Porsche's first F1 win.

Not satisfied to be just a racer, he was instrumental in getting Colin Chapman to bring his Lotus’ to the Indianapolis 500, finally leading to their win with Jim Clark in 1965.

1967 was a big year for Americans in motor sport, and someone who was at the forefront of it was Dan Gurney.

He won, along with A. J. Foyt, the 24 Heures du Mans in a GT40 Mark IV and remains the only American to win a Formula 1 race in a car of his own construction at Spa in Belgium, racing his Eagle Weslake T1G. At his Le Mans win, Gurney introduced the tradition of spraying Champagne, which has carried from that point on.

In his career, he won races in Nascar, Can-Am, Trans-Am and Indy. Later on, as a team owner/manufacturer, his cars would also win the Indy 500, and the IMSA GTP series.

He is current writing his biography, which we are all looking forward to. There will certainly be some Champagne spraying when that is published!

1934 German Grand Prix

2011-04-06T14:04:00.014-03:00

After their humiliating defeat at the French Grand Prix by the Scuderia Ferrari team, the German teams were very determined to succeed on their home ground. With nearly 300,000 spectators, including officials of the Third Reich, there was considerable pressure to win.

1934 Grand Prix Season – German Grand Prix – Auto Union Type A

Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

The race took place on the long, grueling Nürburgring, called by many racers “the Green Hell.” With a length of over 28 kms (more than 17 miles) and having 187 turns through forests and changing elevations, it’s not difficult to see why.

From race start, a battle developed between the leader, Auto Union driver Hans Stuck, and Mercedes driver Rudolf Caracciola. They pulled away from the rest of the pack, breaking lap record after lap record.

Caracciola manage to get by Stuck at the Karussel curve and take the lead, but the strain was too much for the Mercedes W25’s engine, forcing him to retire.

Luigi Fagioi took up the chase in his teammate’s place, with Louis Chiron driving his Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo P3 in a very distant third place, ahead of Nuvolari’s Maserati.

It was a resounding first win for Stuck and the Auto Union team, with an encouraging second place for Mercedes on the especially challenging track.

Ettore Bugatti - Le Patron

2011-03-30T13:02:00.009-03:00

Ettore Bugatti, often referred to by staff as “Le Patron”, was born in Milan, Italy in 1881.

He apprenticed at a bicycle factory, where he designed his first motorized vehicle. Subsequently, he worked as an automobile designer for the Dietrich and then the Deutz car companies.

Blue Bugattis at Eau Rouge - 1934 Belgian Grand Prix
Pen&ink, markers, Prismacolor white pencil and pencil on archival white stock 11.75”x 9”
© Paul Chenard 2010
Limited editions available.

In 1910, he started on his own in Molsheim, France, where he designed the Type 19 for Peugeot, called the “Bébé.”

At the same time, Bugatti was successfully racing a Type 13 “Brescia,” built for competition. This little racer carried the famous “horseshoe” radiator that became an earmark of Bugatti quality.

From the early 1920s to the early 1930s, he developed ever more refined and successful racers, such as Types 18, 35, 35B, 35C, 35T, 37, 37A, 39, 51, 54,and 59, as well as road cars, such as Types 40, 41, 50, 55, and 57.

There is a legend that the shades of blue of the Bugatti racecars were based on blue of the 1930’s Gauloise cigarette packages. Madame Bugatti would pull out her Gauloise package and compare it to the colour being used and have it “adjusted” to match the package.

Bugatti’s son Jean was a dynamic catalyst for change and development within the company. With his death in 1939 in a testing accident, and the ruin of the Molsheim factory during the Second World War, the company fortunes started to diminish.

Philippe "Phi-Phi" Etancelin on his way to winning the 1930 French Grand Prix in Pau, driving his 2-litre supercharged Bugatti Type 35C.
My first scratchboard illustration 7"x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
© Paul Chenard 2010

This illustration is available.
Ettore Bugatti passed away in Paris in 1947 at the age of 65.

Alfred Neubauer

2011-03-23T12:31:00.017-03:00

Born on March 29 1901, Alfred Neubauer fell in love with the automobile as a young boy.

After WWI, he became a racecar driver for Astro-Daimler. He then moved with Ferdinand Porsche to Mercedes, where he would find his life-long professional home. By 1926, it was apparent that Neubauer was a much better manager than driver. He was soon recruiting quality drivers such Rudolf Caracciola to the team.

While manager of the race team, he brought into play various ways to communicate to the drivers during the races, such as hand signals and pit-boards, presenting them with useful information like race position, laps remaining, when to pit for fuel, etc. These communications methods have been adopted for races worldwide.

As a large man with a booming voice, Neubauer commanded attention and respect from his team and the officials. He was strict but fair on the track, and incredibly entertaining as a dinner host.

He led his team to great success before and after WWII, with Mercedes winning the Mille Miglia (1931, 1955), the Targa Florio (1955), six European and Grand Prix Championships (1935, 1937, 1938, 1954, 1955), along with wins at Le Mans (1952) and La Carrera Panamericana (1952).

Neubauer retired as race team manager in 1955, and passed away in 1980.

Grand Prix de France 1934

2011-03-16T18:07:00.009-03:00

The French Grand Prix in Montlhéry, just south of Paris, signaled the return of Rudolf Caracciola with the Mercedes Team, having spent the last fourteen months recovering from a serious accident.

Auto Union was present, along with the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos and a couple of Maseratis. Tazio Nuvolari was invited to try the Bugatti Type 59 by Ettore Bugatti.

At race start, Louis Chiron driving for Scuderia Ferrari quickly took the lead from Caracciola, Luigi Fagioli (Mercedes) and Hans Stuck (Auto Union). Stuck than pushed hard past the Mercedes drivers to take the lead from Chiron.

Nuvolari experienced gearbox trouble in the Bugatti so he handed it off to Jean-Pierre Wimille. Fagioli was instructed to push harder to catch the lead cars.

The high pace of the race started taking it’s toll on the new German cars, and one by one they dropped out, Caracciola with fuel-feed problems, Fagioli with a broken brake-line, von Brauchitsch with supercharger woes, the persistent Stuck with engine problems, and Momberger with a steering break.

The other teams also dropped out, Bugatti with mostly engine and transmission issues, and Maserati with axle and engine breaks.

Trossi, Chiron and Varzi, race-ready for Scuderia Ferrari

Pen&ink, markers and pencil on white archival stock 12”x 9” (30.5cm x 22.9cm) © Paul Chenard 2010

Original sketch available, as is the limited edition.

This led to a clean sweep for the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos with Chiron first, Varzi second and the Trossi/Moll duo third.

The 80,000 spectators were thrilled with Chiron’s win over the Germans teams. This win hid the fact that all the German cars, though still being very new, fell out of the race for fairly minor reasons, and that with better preparation, they would have clearly matched the opposition.

Circuito Di Modena Grand Prix 1934

2011-03-09T13:34:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of the season, Tazio Nuvolari was recovering from a crash in Alessandria. Once he was back in form, Ettore Bugatti offered him the Type 59, which Nuvalari disliked (poor brakes and acceleration). He chose instead to take his skills to the Maserati team, driving their somewhat under-classed 8CM.

This car did not do well for him, finishing very few races he started.

For the Italian Grand Prix, Nuvolari debuted a promising new model, the 6C-34. It ran a 3.7 litre supercharged straight-six cylinder engine giving it 270 bhp, good for 155 mph (250 kph).

Unfortunately for Nuvolari, the mechanics forgot to refill the break-reservoir so that he raced without his breaks, yet he still finished 5 ^th!

For most of the remainder of the season, the Maserati team worked very hard to find reliability in the new car, with little success.

Pen&ink, markers and pencil on white archival stock

© Paul Chenard 2011

The true potential of the 6C-34 came to the front at the Modena Grand Prix. Nuvolari came against the full might of the Scuderia Ferrari team, passing each one to finally take the lead from Varzi, and merrily thumbing his nose at Ferrari as he won.

Nuvolari would follow this up with another win at the Circuito di Napoli race. This was the last official race of European racing season.

Artist Nicolas Cancelier

2011-03-02T07:56:00.010-04:00

In the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to meet all kinds of people with the same passion for art and motor sports history as I have.

One of these is Belgian artist Nicolas Cancelier.

His artwork is absolutely stunning, and it ranges from simple pencils sketches to mixed media, acrylic, watercolour, and oils.

The energy and life he brings to his subjects is masterful, whatever medium he chooses.

In the past year, we’ve become very good friends, and we’ve decided to share vendor space at the very prestigious Goodwood Revival in September. I hope that if you are there, that you’ll drop in and see us.

You can see Nicolas’ work on his website and his blog. Very much worth a look!

Herbert Müller – Nürburgring 1971

2011-02-23T11:40:00.001-04:00

At the 2007 Mosport Vintage Racing Festival, I had to honour of meeting Peter Felder, who was Swiss driver Herbert Müller’s best friend and race team manager. We’ve been friends ever since, and Peter has come to visit me a few times in Nova Scotia. Peter’s stories of his racing experiences are completely captivating; he was kind enough to write one of these down for me:

In 1971, Herbie decided to run one of his Ferrari 512 M’s in an InterSeries race at the Nürburgring. (Unfortunately, Pedro Rodriguez perished in one of his 512’s at the Norisring a few months earlier). In any case, Herbie had transmission problems in qualifying and subsequently started last. At the start, the last rows were still in the last corner before the start-finish line. A young, wealthy German driver in a McLaren M8C, not being used to the torque of a 427, he spun coming on to the starting straight, in the process crashing into Herbie’s 512. The red 512 became airborne, flew across the track upside down and hit the pit lane guardrail; the guardrail sliced into the car right behind the driver seat, which caused an immediate explosion. The car landed in the pit lane, still upside down and fully engulfed in burning fuel.

The following is what Herbie told me afterwards in the hospital:

“There was a tremendous crash … I knew that I was flying through the air because I saw the blue sky behind the pits … and I knew that the car was on fire...and I though ‘This is not going to be good’. I braced myself waiting for some kind of impact, which is what happened … twice! All I was worried about was not to hit my head anywhere … then the car came to a stop … and I immediately release my seatbelt and since I didn’t know that I landed upside down, I fell into the burning fuel. I turned myself around … tried to kick open the door … no go … considered knocking out the windshield … didn’t work … so I tried the other door … and it opened enough for me to get through … and I knew that I was on fire … tried to figure out where to run … (and here comes the kicker) you know those Germans … I remember seeing a couple of fancy Mercedes cars on display next to the tower, so I thought … if I run towards the cars, somebody will try to save me so I don’t blow up the Mercs!”

Herbie and I had a lot of laughs about this whole ordeal.

Regrettably I was with him on May 24^th 1981, or ten years later, at the same track, when he crashed into Bobby Rahal’s crashed, stationary, Coca Cola sponsored, Bob Aiken owned 935.

Later that day I went to the Adenau hospital … but this time, we could not laugh together.

Buon compleanno, signor Ferrari!

2011-02-20T19:48:00.003-04:00

Officially, today is Enzo Ferrari’s birthday, records showing that he was born this day 113 years ago.

In actual fact, he was born two days earlier, February 18^th on the outskirts of Modena, during a bitter winter storm. The storm delayed the registration of his birth, and so it came to be the later date.

Buon compleanno, signor Ferrari!

Artist Rob Roy

2011-02-16T12:38:00.003-04:00

Rob Roy (née Richard de la Rivière) was an artist born in Mont-de-Marsan in the south west of France in 1909.

From an early age, he had his father’s passion for motorized vehicles and art. He developed a talent of accurately and vividly documenting the events around him with his art, which was mostly motor racing. Between the wars, he did his watercolours, and at times, managed to also do some racing.

Grand Prix de Monaco 1935

Mercedes W25 & Alfa Romeo P3

He captured the racers of the time, Nuvolari, Varzi, Chiron, Caracciola, Ascari, Fagioli, Sommer, Dreyfus, and so on, his watercolours portraying their tight battles of the tracks of Europe.

Coupe Internationale des Voiturettes, Le Mans 1920

Bugatti Type 13 & Fiat

Prior to World War II, Rob Roy had joined to army, so when the war started, he joined the 3^rd Tank Battalion. He was captured but later managed to escape. He kept a diary and did art-pieces of his war experiences, which have recently been published as a book “Carnet de guerre de Rob Roy 1939 à 1944.”

Mille Miglia 1936
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

After the war, he worked in the automobile industry, and continued to do art for advertisements, brochures, magazines, books and posters.

He stayed involved with his motor racing friends and doing his motor racing art until his passing 1992.

Recently, I was lucky enough to find three Rob Roy prints locally for my racing automobilia collection; they are wonderful records of racing past.

You can find out more on Rob Roy at this website: http://www.art-robroy.com/index_en.htm

1934 Grand Prix de Monaco

2011-02-09T08:20:00.003-04:00

As the first “Grande Épreuve” of the 1934 Grand Prix season, Monaco was, and has always been, a dramatic venue on the Mediterranean Sea.

It is one of few city courses in the world and considered the most prestigious of all the Grand Prix’s. The Monaco Grand Prix’s started in 1929 and it is still run today.

Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo P3 rounding the Station Hairpin ahead of René Dreyfus in a Bugatti Type 59
Pen&ink, markers, and pencil on archival white stock 12”x 9”
© Paul Chenard 2010

Original art & limited editions available.

For this April 2^nd race, a few of the cars running needed modification to meet the new 750kg rules. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams decided they would not participate in any racing until the May 27^th Avusrennen.

From the flag, the race lead changed hands quite often between the Bugatti T59 of René Dreyfus and the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo P3’s of Louis Chiron and “Guy” Moll.

Pen&ink © Paul Chenard 2010

Later in the race, while Chiron was in front, he had a slight off at the Station Hairpin, relinquishing his lead to Moll, who kept his position till race end.

It was a great start for this talented and popular 24-year-old Algerian rookie Scuderia Ferrari driver.

Jaguar E-Type 50th Anniversary

2011-02-01T12:41:00.004-04:00

The sports car that some consider the most alluring in the world is celebrating it’s 50^th anniversary this year.

The late Malcolm Sayer’s stunning design completely wowed the public and the media at it’s launch in 1961; even Enzo Ferrari called it “ the most beautiful car in the world.”

The E-Type’s looks, cost, and performance were completely unmatched in it’s day, and it still easily draws a crowd today.

Pen&ink and Prismacolor pencils on green archival paper

© Paul Chenard 2011

Historic Car Art has asked me to create an artwork to honour the E-Type; it will be presented at Race Retro in late February.

Limited editions of this piece are also available.

The Bugatti Queen

2011-01-26T17:20:00.000-04:00

Hellé Nice (born Mariette Hélène Delangle) was born on 15 December 1900 in Aunay-sous-Auneau, Eure-et-Loir, France.

At the age of 16, she moved to Paris and eventually became a successful dancer in the city's music halls. As her fame and popularity grew, she performed throughout Europe, and spent time with the rich and famous, such as Philippe de Rothschild, Jean Bugatti and Count Bruno d'Harcourt.

She love speed, and was an avid skier. Unfortunately a skiing accident damaged her knee and ended her dancing career. She quickly turned to racing cars, winning some races and breaking some speed records.

Markers on plywood

© Paul Chenard 2011

After a tour through the United States, where she raced a Miller racing car, she was introduced by de Rothschild to Bugatti. This lead Nice to race Bugattis, usually against men. Between 1931 and 1936, she raced Bugattis and Alfa Romeos.

In Brazil for two Grand Prix races, she had a major crash in her Alfa Romeo, but miraculously survived after a three-day coma.

After recovering, she competed in various endurance trials for Yacco, breaking ten records that still stand today.

During World War II, Hellé Nice moved to Nice. In 1949, Nice attended a party celebrating the first post-war Monte Carlo Rallye. During the evening, driver Louis Chiron publically accused Nice of being an agent of the Gestapo.

With these accusations, Nice was dropped by her sponsors and her friends. Her life collapsed around her and she live out her last decades in a back-alley apartment in complete poverty, under a fictitious name. She died penniless and alone in 1984.

In 2001, author Miranda Seymour came across some material on Nice and decided she should be honoured with a biography The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor-Racing Legend in 2004. In her research, Seymour found no evidence of Chiron's claims.

In September 2010, a proper grave marker was placed at her grave in a celebration of her life and great accomplishments.

http://hellenicefoundation.blogspot.com/2010/09/helle-nice-marker-ceremony-sept-4-2010.html

In doing renovations recently in our home, I was left with a blank canvas after I pulled up our old carpet. I decided to honour Hellé Nice's accomplishments with a sketch.

Markers on plywood

© Paul Chenard 2011

The new carpet was laid down over the sketch, waiting for years from now when new owners will discover this important personality.

Sir Moss’s Gift

2011-01-19T11:22:00.003-04:00

In the past year or so, I’ve been lucky enough to become friends with a gentleman from Scotland named John.

We share the same passion for motorsports history, and it’s heroes. One of our shared heroes is Sir Stirling Moss, who happens to be an acquaintance of John’s.

John had the great idea of asking Sir Moss to autograph one of my limited editions, namely my triptych of him winning the 1955 British Grand Prix in a Mercedes W196.

The signed print has just arrived, and I’m thrilled to the bone!

A huge THANK YOU to my friend John, and to his friend Sir Stirling Moss!

Red No.5

2011-01-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

British driver Nigel Mansell was Formula 1 Champion in 1992, quickly followed by CART Champion in 1993, a feat never matched by any other driver.

The tifosi (Ferrari fans) gave him the nickname "il leone" ("the lion") when he drove for Ferrari (1989-1990) because of his fearless driving style.

He won his F1 Championship racing a Williams-Renault, but in 1986, his Williams FW11 was powered by the Honda engine.

Pen&ink and Prismacolor sticks on white archival stock 12"x 9" © Paul Chenard 2011

He won five races in 1986, and finished 2^nd in the Championship to winner Alain Prost.

His car was famously labeled with a red No.5, which was carried on his later Williams racecars.

Creative moments ...

2011-01-07T13:31:00.003-04:00

We are into the New Year, which can be a time for spiritual renovations. In our house, it’s time for basement renovations.

We are repainting our basement, along with replacing old furniture and old carpets.

I’ve spent over a week painting, so I’ve not had time to do any of my racing history art. To keep my creativity flowing, I decided to do a quick painting with the 2-inch brush I was using on a wall we were repainting before the roller-paint was put down.

It shows Peter Collins driving a Ferrari-Lancia D50 in 1956.

The painting is gone now, but it was worth the creative moment!

All the Season's Best!

2010-12-22T09:59:00.001-04:00

It’s a joyful time, but as we gather together with family and friends to celebrate, it’s also a time to fondly reflect on those who are no longer with us, and raise a glass to their memory.

Cheers!

I want to wish all my wonderful family and friends all the very best!

Happy Holidays!

Historic Car Art gallery

2010-12-20T13:17:00.003-04:00

For almost a year now, I've have been represented in the UK by Historic Car Art.

It has been a huge honour for me that my work should be chosen by this prestigious professional gallery, and the experience has been very rewarding and fruitful.

They not only carry fine art and limited editions, but also original vintage racing posters.

They really are the very best!

Photographer Dirk de Jager

2010-12-15T08:15:00.002-04:00

In my growth in the world of racing history, I’ve come across some very talented photographers, one of which is Belgian Dirk de Jager.

Photo by © Massimo Delbo
I took notice of his work because it has a special quality to it that sets it apart. And Dirk will go out of his way to get that special shot.

Aston Martin DB2/4, this car was ordered new in 1955 by King Boudewijn of Belgium
© Dirk de Jager

Though his parents were involved in racing before he was born, the family continued to visit the tracks till he was 10 years old. He had picked up a Pentax when he was six, so racing and car photos were a natural result.

Bugatti Type 46 Veth & Zoon
© Dirk de Jager

There was brief detour into computers when he was a teen, leading a computer job.
But the lull of the track was too strong, and he was back at the photography for Insight F1 covering Formule Renault 2 litre, F3 and Formula Renault 3.5 litre (World Series by Renault) in the Dutch, German and European Championships.

The new Jaguar XJ Supersport
© Dirk de Jager

By 2003, Dirk was working for Supercars.net, and at the same time, was a contributor to World in Red, the French Ferrari yearbook, Altas Prestaciones (Spain) and La Strada (Holland).

The most famous car in the world, Aston Martin DB5 James Bond, recently sold for $5 million USD
© Dirk de Jager

In 2008, Dirk established his own company. Since then, his photography has seen light in Octane (UK), Red Racing Green (Belgium), Het Automobiel Klassieker (Holland), Classic Motorsport (USA) magazines, not to mention Autoweek and Carros (Holland), with upcoming features Hotrod (USA), RuoteClassiche (Italy), Art of Living (Holland) and again in Octane. Work has also come from auction houses such as Bonhams, RM and Articurial.

Dirk’s reputation for quality is well known, so he is being sought out.

The recreation of Ferrari 156F1 Sharknose, shot at the old part of Spa Francorchamps (public road)
© Dirk de Jager

“This year, I've received some magazine-commissioned work as well, where they just said we want that car, go find it and shoot it. That's also one of the big thrills of course, the hunt for a car and managing to "acquire" the car for a shoot.”

So if you find yourself at a top-notch international automotive event, look around for the most interesting venue; you’ll probably find Dirk there too!

Club Artistes Auto

2010-12-09T12:56:00.008-04:00

Belgian artist and friend Nicolas Cancelier thought that we should start an international group of automotive artists who like to chat, exchange ideas, exhibit their art together, and share a meal after events.

© Nicolas Cancelier

I thought it was a wonderful idea, thus Club Artist Auto (CAA) was formed. Both artists Anna-Louise Felstead of the UK and Rick Rucker of the USA joined us in founding the group.

© Anna-Louise Felstead

Along the way, other artists who are enthusiastic about our new group have supported us. Dutch artist Ronald Hulleman kindly translated our brochure to Dutch. American artist Greg Spradlin of AutomotiveArtists.com jumped in to provide CAA a website and email link.

© Rick Rucker

The goal of the members of this group is to be there and to be part of it, and all these artists exemplify perfectly what this group is about.

© Ronald Hulleman

The potential for CAA members is huge; this is the only truly international group of automotive artists!

© Greg Spradlin

We are all volunteers, so portfolio revues can’t happen right away. But as we get rolling, I know we will a major force in the market, the go-to group for quality automotive art.

© Paul Chenard

Art Book Launch

2010-11-30T21:58:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I was invited to submit my art to be reviewed for inclusion in the book Nova Scotia Contemporary Artists Volume II.

Well, my art was accepted, and the book is being officially launched this coming Saturday, December 4^th, from 2pm to 4pm at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

It’s a huge honour for me to be included is this high-quality publication full of such wonderful artists.

I can safely say the mine will be the only automotive racing history art in that book.

Gift Ideas

2010-11-24T12:58:00.032-04:00

Are you looking for something special for that someone special?

Captured stories of racing history have always rated high on my wish list.Here is a selection of my art available as signed numbered limited editions; some originals of these are also available.

My limited editions are printed as premium archival Giclee prints, the best printing available.

Here is a small selection of them … Enjoy!

Jaguar E-Type 50th Anniversary
Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

François Cevert 1944-1973

Limited edition of 50 – 11”x 14.5” (27.9 cm x 36.8 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Sir Jack Brabham F1 Drivers’ Champion 1959-1960-1966

Limited edition of 50 – 11”x 14.5” (27.9 cm x 36.8 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Targa Florio 1932 – Tazio Nuvolari – Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Monza

Limited edition of 25 – 11.5”x 22” (29.2 cm x 55.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Targa Florio 1955 – Peter Collins – Mercedes 300 SLR

Limited edition of 25 - 11.5”x 22” (29.2 cm x 55.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Targa Florio 1973 – Hubert Müller – Porsche Carrera RSR

Limited edition of 25 – 11.5”x 22” (29.2 cm x 55.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Maserati 250F – Italy – Red

Limited edition of 100 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $125 USD plus S/H

Mercedes W196 – Germany – Silver

Limited edition of 100 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $125 USD plus S/H

Talbot-Lago T26C – France – Blue

Limited edition of 100 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $125 USD plus S/H

Vanwall 2.5L – Great Britain – Green

Limited edition of 100 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $125 USD plus S/H

Porsche 917K – Le Mans 1970 winner

Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Scuderia Ferrari paddock – Barcelona 1971 – Ferrari 312B

Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

Matra-Simca team – Le Mans 1972
Limited edition of 50 – 17”x 8.8” (43.2 cm x 22.4 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

1934 Grand Prix Season* – Spa-Francorchamps – Bugatti T59

Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

1934 Grand Prix Season* – Monza Italy – Mercedes-Benz W25

Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H

1934 Grand Prix Season* – Monaco – Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo P3
Limited edition of 50 – 14.5”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H
* This series is also part of a limited edition signed/numbered book on the 1934 Grand Prix season, due out in early 2011.
Villeneuve vs Arnoux – French Grand Prix – Dijon 1979

Limited edition of 50 – 17”x 11” (36.8 cm x 27.9 cm) – $150 USD plus S/H If you are interested in ordering or discussing any of my art, please do not hesitate to contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com

1934 Eifelrennen Formule Libre

2010-11-17T18:18:00.017-04:00

At the Nurburgring track, bad weather delayed this important race by a few hours.

Mercedes-Benz was making its first official entry into the Grand Prix season at this event after extensive testing and adjustment of the new W25.

Team manager Alfred Neubauer was feeling the pressure to succeed in their homeland. Their star driver had not yet fully recovered enough from his 1933 Monaco crash to participate so Mercedes brought in a new driver Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch, along with Luigi Fagioli to drive their new racer.

Original art & limited editions available.
Auto Union had Hans Stuck, Hermann zu Leiningen and August "Bubi" Momberger to drive their Type A.

Scuderia Ferrari had Louis Chiron and Mario Tadini driving the Alfa Romeo P3. Bugatti had no entries in the race, and nor did Maserati.

Three classes of cars were racing together, flagged off one class after another, a total of forty-four cars in all.

Italian Fagioli took an early lead until he was ordered by team manager Neubauer to let his German teammate von Brauchitsch by. Later in the pits for fueling, Fagioli argued furiously with Neubauer over this. He started off again, but with only one lap remaining in the race, he pulled over and abandoned his race car in protest.

With two Auto Unions out of the race, Stuck had taken the sole remaining Type A to a sizeable lead over von Brauchitsch. Some believed he would go non-stop and win the race. He finally did have to come in for fuel and tires, and the Mercedes driver took the lead, which he would keep to the checkered flag.

The win was a stunning debut for both the Mercedes-Benz team and their new driver.

British Grand Prix 1955

2010-11-09T13:33:00.004-04:00

1955 was a very big year for racer Sir Stirling Moss.

The Mercedes-Benz racing team had recruited him because of his strong placings in previous years in all classes of racing cars.

That year, he had won the grueling Targa Florio sports car race with teammate Peter Collins, and the very long and dangerous Mille Miglia with navigator/journalist Denis Jenkinson.

He was also driving the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 cars in which he won his first Grand Prix race, the British GP at Aintree on July 16^th, ahead of his illustrious teammate Juan Manuel Fangio.

He would finish in second place in the season, and also in the following three seasons.

The above new 22”x 7” limited edition archival Giclee print is available to celebrate Sir Moss’ first Formula 1 win; you can order it by emailing me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com

1934 Belgian Grand Prix

2010-11-03T08:39:00.007-03:00

Race enthusiast had great expectations for the Belgian Grand Prix, held on the stunning Spa-Francorchamps track.

Unfortunately, Belgian customs officials demanded a heavy duty from the German Grand Prix teams for their alcohol-based racing fuel. The result was a withdrawal of both the Mercedes-Benz and the Auto Union teams from the race.

This made for a very small grid of seven cars; three Bugatti T59s, two Alfa Romeo P3s, a Maserati 8CM and a Montier-Ford Special.

Original art & limited editions available.

Raymond Sommer was the only Maserati driver present, so that the real race was going to be between the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos and the Bugattis.

As the typically rainy race began, Louis Chiron took the lead in the Alfa Romeo, with the Bugattis pitting with fouled plugs.

It looked very much like another Scuderia Ferrari win in the works. Unfortunately, Chiron’s racer slid off the track and overturned; he was luckily uninjured in the incident.

Achille Varzi took comfortably over his teammate’s lead, and at the same time, the track record. This was not to last, with his smoking Alfa Romeo coming in with a blown engine.

With their only real opposition out of the way, the Bugattis of René Dreyfus and Antonio Brivio cruised in first and second, with Sommer a distant third for Maserati.

It was to be one of the very rare top-level wins for Bugatti in 1934.

Published in France!

2010-10-27T12:52:00.007-03:00

Recently, I was interviewed by writer/editor William Pac for the upcoming November/December issue of the lovely French magazine Échappement Classic.

It's now making it's way to newsstands throughout Europe. Mr. Pac is kindly forwarding a couple of copies.
Just can't wait to see them!

1934 Italian Grand Prix

2010-10-20T08:32:00.010-03:00

The Italian Grand Prix was held on September 9th at the Autodromo Di Monza. In the previous year’s Grand Prix, serious accidents had taken the lives of Giuseppe Campari and two other drivers. To lessen the speeds, it was decided that the track should be shortened from 10kms to 4.3kms, with many chicanes added in. With 500kms to cover for the Grand Prix, this made for a longer, more grueling race.

Mercedes had their W25, Bugatti their Type 59, Scuderia Ferrari the Alfa P3, while Maserati introduced the new model 6C-34, to be driven by Tazio Nuvolari. The balance of their team would drive the 8CMs.

Original art & limited editions available.

At the start, Hans Stuck took an early lead for Auto Union but was soon overtaken by Mercedes driver Rudolf Caracciola. His teammate Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch was not competing, having been injured in a crash at the previous Swiss Grand Prix. Battling amongst the leaders were Luigi Fagioli (Mercedes), Archille Varzi (Alfa Romeo), Nuvolari (Maserati) and Count Carlo Felice Trossi (Alfa Romeo).

Unfortunately for Nuvolari, the Maserati mechanics forgot to top-up his car's brake fluid after weigh-in, so he slowly lost his brakes during the long race.

The 4.75 hour race, with it’s 1600 total corners, took a toll on the drivers and the cars. Fagioli, whose car broke down, later replaced Caracciola, who had to be lifted out of his car. Stuck had to be replaced by zu Leiningen, and Trossi by Comotti.

Varzi dropped out with mechanical woes, so the race finished with Caracciola/Figioli in first place, Stuck/zu Leiningen in second, with Trossi/Comotti in third. After 4th place Chiron (Alfa Romeo), Nuvolari finished a respectable 5th place, using his gears to brake for the last half of the race.

François Cevert 1944-1973

2010-10-06T08:55:00.027-03:00

Born in 1944, François Cevert (née Goldenberg) was a well-liked and talented French Formula 1 and Sports/GT driver.

He began his motorsports career on two wheels, but switched to Formula 3 in 1966. In 1968, Cevert took the French Formula 3 Championship.

For 1969, Cevert moved up to Formula 2, and finished third in the Championship. While in F2, his capabilities captured the notice of (Sir) Jackie Stewart, who encouraged Ken Tyrrell to consider Cevert for the team. Tyrrell took his advice and signed Cevert up for 1970.

Matra-Simca MS670 #14 of François Cevert and Howden Ganley, 2nd place Le Mans 1972.
Latex paint on plywood© Paul Chenard 2010
Limited editions available.
Over the next four seasons, Stewart and Cevert became fast friends, through the wins and the losses. Stewart became Formula 1 Drivers World Champion in 1971, with Cevert winning the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and taking third place overall.

Original in Prismacolor pencils on mid-gray stock
© Paul Chenard 2009
Limited editions available.
The team did poorly in 1972 against a powerful Team JPS (Lotus) but came back strongly in 1973. Stewart won the Championship, and was expecting to be replaced by his friend Cevert for the next season, as he had decided to retire at the season’s closing.

Cevert’s year had been very good too, with six 2nd place finishes, but in the very last race of the year at Watkins Glen on October 6th, his Tyrrell 006 crashed horribly during Saturday morning qualifying, and this shining star with the striking blue eyes was extinquished.

This talented and popular pianist and race car driver will never be forgotten by his fans and his peers.

La Carrera Panamericana 2010

2010-09-29T20:10:00.007-03:00

A recent Twitter follower reminded me that we are only 23 days away from the 23rd running of the legendary La Carrera Panamericana, the famous Mexican road race.

The original race ran from 1950 to 1954, then started again in 1988. This year it runs from October 22nd to the 28th.

The race runs for nearly 2000 miles along public roads, starting in Tuxtla Gutierrez and finishing north 7 days later in Zacatecas.

Many famous drivers have competed in the '50s races, guys like Hershel McGriff winning the inaugural event in 1950 driving an Oldsmobile 88, and Juan Manuel Fangio, who won in 1953 driving a Lancia D24.

Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1953 La Carrera Panamericana in a Lancia D24.
Prismacolor pencils on red archival stock 12"x 9"
© Paul Chenard 2008

Original sketch is available at L'art et l'automobile, as are limited editions.

In more recent times, my friend Gary Faules raced it in 2007, driving his 1965 Mustang Gt350R ... stunning!

California's Best, Gary Faules racing his GT350R in La Carrera Panamericana 2007.
Prismacolor pencils on white archival stock 12"x 9"
© Paul Chenard 2008

Gary Faules Collection

Avus Formule Libre Race 1934

2010-09-20T08:43:00.006-03:00

Enzo Ferrari was looking for an advantage over the sleek machines of Mercedes and Auto Union at the Formule Libre race at Avus in Berlin on May 24^th, 1934.

Pen&ink, markers and pencil on white archival stock 12"x 9"

The banked Avus track was known for it’s high speed, so Ferrari commissioned Cesare Pallavicino from the Breda Aircraft Company to design a streamline body for one of the Alfa Romeo P3’s. “Guy” Moll would drive this special “Aerodinamica” for Scuderia Ferrari.

Before the race, the Mercedes W25’s were withdrawn with fuel pump problems. With rain falling at the start of the race, the Auto Union Type-A of Hans Stuck quickly took the lead.

As the rain stopped and the track dried, Moll started catching the leaders. He passed teammates Varzi, then Chiron, who later dropped out with a broken oil pipe. He then took the lead from Stuck, who lasted only two more laps before his clutch failed.

With almost a minute and a half lead over the second place Varzi, Moll took the race, much to the chagrin of the Stuck’s hometown crowd.

Sadly, this fine driver lost his life at the Coppa Acerbo in August of the same season.

Stutz Racers, circa 1915

2010-09-14T14:13:00.003-03:00

The Stutz team racers have the advantage on the steeply-banked wooden track.

I did this sketch on the packaging for an artwork purchased by a collector in California.

LiveDrive 2010

2010-09-09T12:28:00.010-03:00

I designed this poster using my illustrations to promote a fundraising event for the ALS Society. The event is organized by the British Automobile Touring Association of Nova Scotia and run by volunteers.

I did these illustrations at the British Motoring Festival; they represent a 1937 HRG, a Jaguar Mk IX sedan, and a Jaguar XK150 FHC.

Great events like this should always be supported!

Scuderia Ferrari - Spanish Grand Prix 1971

2010-09-01T12:39:00.009-03:00

In the squeaky-clean, high-security paddocks of todays Formula 1 teams, it's easy to forget that it wasn't always so ...
While preparing the Ferrari 312B's of Scuderia Ferrari at the 1971 Spanish Grand Prix, the race car technicians were working in a dirt paddock, open to the elements, and the occasional curious local.

Pen&ink and markers on watercolour paper 12"x 9" (30.5cm x 22.9cm) © Paul Chenard 2010

Limited editions are available.

The car in the foreground was Belgian driver Jacky Ickx's mount, in which he finished in second place behind Sir Jackie Stewart driving a Tyrrell-Ford.

Auto Union: The Other Silver Arrows

2010-08-24T13:47:00.009-03:00

In 1933, the new German government saw the marketing benefits from motor racing, so they offered a subsidy for any automotive group who want to get into racing.

Mercedes decided to opt in, but they were not alone. A group of four automobile companies – Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer – pooled their technical resources to form Auto Union.

Both companies had a car ready for the 1934 Grand Prix Season. Mercedes took the standard front engine/rear drive approach, but Auto Union created a mid-engine/rear drive racer, designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

After a bit of teething problems earlier in the season, the Auto Unions proved to be a successful, with wins growing by the end of the season.

Hans Stuck - Auto Union Type A
German Grand Prix - Nürburgring 1934

Pen&ink, markers and pencil on watercolour paper 12"x 9" (30.5cm x 22.9cm)
© Paul Chenard 2010
Original sketch available, as is the limited edition.

The total dominance of both the technologically advanced Mercedes and Auto Union teams was felt until the begin of the war.

Chad Hiltz’s new custom creation

2010-08-13T12:34:00.007-03:00

I had another wonderful visit last week from my friend Peter, and one of our road trips brought us right by customizer extraordinaire Chad Hiltz’s shop. Of course, we had to stop in.

While there, we had the great pleasure of meeting Chad’s lovely partner Mandy, and their visiting friend Donnie Brown. The visit did not disappoint, as Chad rolled out his latest creation.

Peter (left) and Donnie check out Chad's art

Wow, his new custom was striking, with its bold, low-down look, and prominent pipes, sound and looks calling to attention! He’s certainly followed up his “Bat Out of Hell” with a worthy heir.

Chad has new creations also in the works, so we will have to continue dropping in for some more optical stimulation …

Bravo Chad!

Automobiliart in Estonia

2010-08-08T21:43:00.002-03:00

Over the past year, I’ve been corresponding with Margus-Hans Kuuse, an Estonia engineer, automotive writer and journalist living in Tallinn.

Margus has been the powerhouse of automotive information in the Eastern Bloc countries since 1970, as Editor-in-Chief of AutoPluss (Estonia) also working with AUTOCAR (England), AutoSprint, MotoSprint, Milleruote (all Italy), and is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers (England) and the Washington Automobile Press Association (USA).

Margus is also a contributor to the Beaulieu Encyclopaedia of the Automobile, for which he is the co-winner of the prestigious Cugnot award.

Earlier this year, he started the only Estonian automotive website auto mobilia and I'm honoured to have my art featured there.

You can see it here.

http://www.automobilia.ee/artikkel/kunstnik-paul-chenard-tutvustas-oma-loomingu-k%C3%B6%C3%B6gipoolt

British Motoring Festival 2010

2010-07-29T12:17:00.005-03:00

The first British Motoring Festival took place on Saturday, July 24^th at the Kings-Edgehill School grounds in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

It was a great car show, with a wonderful setting, beautiful weather, well-organized events, and very good participation.

The array of British vehicles was wonderful … Jaguars, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys, MGs, were all well represented, with some Landrovers, Rolls-Royces, Sunbeams, Morris’, Daimlers, Vauxalls, Morgans, Austins and Fords adding to the mix.

The oldest, and might I add, rarest of the vehicles there was a 1937 HRG 1500. Beautifully restored, it is on of only 16 made of this model. It attracted lots of attention, and inquiries.

I met some great people there, and I managed to get a couple of sketches done too.

If I could have one addition to the event, it would be to have other British vehicles, such as trucks and motorcycles.

I’m looking forward to next year already!