Beer Label Posters for Goodwood Revival

In the past 3 years, Belgian racing history artist Nicolas Cancelier and I have been going to the Goodwood Revival, sharing vendor space to present and sell our art.

As a little custom promotion, we have a very limited number of bottles of premium “La Moneuse” Belgian beer on hand to give out to VIPs and premium clients.



Each year, I create 6 new beer labels, 3 with my art and 3 with Nico’s art, to grace the bottles.



Since it’s now become a tradition with us, we are offering posters of each year’s selection of labels. These are printed in full colour A3 format on lovely white gloss stock.



We are printing limited quantities, so please contact us if you are interested in ordering them. They retail for $15 USD/£10 GBP/€10 EUR plus shipping/fees

Paul Chenard – paul.chenard@hotmail.com

Nicolas Cancelier – n.cancelier@scarlet.be

You can also come find us at at the Goodwood Revival Market stand #76.
Cheers!

Aston Martin DBR1 – 1959 24 heures du Mans

This is my new laser-cut illustration, showing the Carroll Shelby/Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DBR1 which won the 1959 24 heures du Mans.
My illustration is laser-cut from stainless steel, the powder-coated green; I then hand-paint the additional colours using pin-strippers paint.

The hood opens to reveal my laser-cut brushed stainless steel illustration of the famous inline 6-cylinder DBR1 engine.
The side brackets are also laser-cut illustrations, and the back-plate is powder-coated in black crinkle finish.
The piece is very limited and comes in a custom-built box.

Here are the specs:
- 22” x 13” x 3” (55.8cm x 33cm x 7.6cm)
- 11 lbs 9 oz (5.25 kg)
- $2700 CDN/£1500 GBP/€1800 EUR/$2500 USD plus shipping/fees

© Paul Chenard 2013

Ford GT40 @ 50

50 years ago this year, one of the most iconic GT/sports racing cars appeared on the scene.

In the early 1960’s, Henry Ford II launched the “Total Performance” program, hoping that the race-winning image would push Ford automotive sales worldwide.

Though the campaign covered all matter of motor sports, Ford was particularly focused on the 24 Heures du Mans, which is considered one of the world’s most prestigious races.

Ford attempted to purchase Ferrari, who had won 6 times in a row (1960-1965), hoping that together, they could win Le Mans. Ferrari back out of negotiations, having used Ford’s bid as leverage for a deal with Fiat.

This enraged Ford, and he vowed to put all of his company’s resources into beating GT/sports Ferrari on tracks worldwide, with a primary focus on Le Mans.
Pen&ink and markers on light blue archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2013

The resulting British-designed/built race car was designated the GT40, GT standing for Grand Touring, and 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches.

After a few years of ironing the bugs out, Ford’s GT40’s took the first 3 spots in the 1966 running of Le Mans, racing Mark II’s.

In the 1967, Ford returned with the American-developed and built GT40 Mark IV’s, and took the first spot, famously driven by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt.

By 1968, Ford decided that they had reached their goal, and shut the GT40 program down. John Wyer’s Gulf Racing team (J.W. Automotive Engineering Ltd.) took some of the GT40 Mark II’s and brought them to Le Mans in a high level of fit and finish.

They took the 1968 (drivers Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi), and 1969 (Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver) 24 Heures du Mans, both in the exact same car!

By 1970, the GT40 was just another obsolete race car, and Porsche took the Le Mans rei(g)ns. Today the GT4o is a highly respected collectable.

Mike “The Bike” Hailwood

Mike Hailwood was a popular British racer, racing in both Formula 1 motorcycles and cars.

Born in 1940, son of a motorcycle dealer and racer, Hailwood quickly learned the business. He also started racing motorcycles in 1957, and by 1958, he was winning races.

In 1961, racing for Honda, he actually won in 3 different classes of the Isle of Mann TT, all in the same weekend! He won the 250cc World Championship that year.

For 1962, he moved to MV Agusta, and won 4 consecutive 500cc World Championships.

Returning to Honda for 1966, he again won titles in both the 250cc and 350cc classes, repeating it again for 1967.

Honda stepped out of Grand Prix motorcycle racing for 1968, and paid Hailwood not to go to another team, hoping to have him back when they returned.

He instead took up automobile racing, starting in sports/GT, moving to Formula 2, where he earned the 1972 European title. He moved into Formula 1, but retired after being badly injured in major crash during the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

He married Pauline Barbara Nash in 1975 and they had two children, a son David and daughter Michelle.


Pen&ink and paint markers on red archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2013

In 1978, a full 11 years after stopping, he returned to motorcycle racing in a stunning way, famously winning the Isle of Mann TT in a Ducati 900SS.

He retired completely from racing in 1979, and opened a motorcycle dealership. Tragically, the well-liked racer was killed with his daughter in a 1981 motor vehicle accident when a truck made an illegal turn and pull out in front of them.

The Rainmasters

It has been a relatively rainy spring here, there ... and everywhere.

Interestingly, there are some drivers in motor sports history who smiled at the sight of rain before their race.

Many of these drivers were equal to their counterparts on a dry track, yet their sense of balance, and their ability to read the track and sense to minute shifts in the movement of their car gave them a clear advantage in a rainy race.

The list of such virtuosity in the wet spans the decades.

Rudolf Caracciola was one of the earliest maestros in the rain, earning the himself nickname “Regenmeister”, German for “Rain master”.

Dick Seaman’s drive of his Mercedes-Benz W154 at the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix ended fatally for him, but it was because he kept pushing even after building an unbelievable lead on an already challenging track. There is Phil Hill’s win, along with Olivier Gendebien, of the rainy 1958 24 heures du Mans in the Ferrari 250 TR. Sir Jackie Stewart showed utter bravery to take the 1968 German Grand Prix in the Matra MS10, driving in virtually invisible conditions.

Pedro Rodriguez, sharing a Gulf Porsche 917K with Leo Kinnunen, beat the second-place car by 5 laps in the rainy 1970 BOAC 1000km at Brands Hatch! James Hunt wrapped up his 1976 Championship racing to third place, after many delays, in the monsoon 1976 Japanese Grand Prix.

In the modern era, both Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna have shown their art in the wet.
Pen&ink and markers on Foamcore © Paul Chenard 2013

Senna’s drive of the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park in the less-than-stellar McLaren MP4/8 is the stuff of legends, or should I say, “Rainmasters”!

911@50 – Porsche Carrera RSR Turbo

Porsche’s development of their sports racing cars through the 1960’s took leaps and bounds, bring serious challenges to both Ford and Ferrari on the track.

Ford dropped out of the battle once they proved their point at Le Mans, and Porsche was very ready to take up the battle.

As they developed their racing technologies, they looked into ways they could be adapted to the competition versions of the 911.

With the great success of their Porsche Carrera RSR in 1973, they saw that the next logical step was to turbo-charge it.



Prismacolor pencils and Varsol on gray archival stock
19"x 16" (48.3cm x 40.6cm) © Paul Chenard 2013

Born from this approach, the 1974 Carrera RSR Turbo was a formidable monster. Turbo-charging made it powerful, but turbo-lag made it scary.

Drivers like Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep managed to tame it and it achieved measured success, but it became a major development tool to Porsche’s successful 934 and it’s all-conquering 935.

911@50 – Porsche Carrera RSR

After the relative success of the Porsche 911 in competition, Porsche saw opportunity to bring it into higher levels of racing.

Starting with the 911S, the technicians developed a lightened car, and focused on increasing the capacity of the flat-six engine.

Out of these developments came the non-turbocharged Carrera RSR 2.8 created to compete in the 1973 GT Championship.

Right out of the box, the car showed huge potential, winning the 1973 Daytona 24 Hours at the hands of Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood.

This was followed up by a win of the 12 Hours of Sebring, driven again by Gregg and Haywood, joined also by Dave Helmick.



Pen&ink and markers on gray archival stock
© Paul Chenard

It famously won the last official Targa Florio, driven by Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep.

With the record of important wins and high placings of the Carrera RSR, Porsche took the GT Championship.

Gilles Villeneuve – 31 Years Ago …

31 years ago today, Formula 1 lost one of its most impassioned and exciting drivers, one we will never forget …


“… in equal cars – or sometimes in a lesser car – when I want someone to stay behind … I think he stays behind.”

911@50 – “Quick Vic” and the Porsche 911

Victor Henry Elford started rally racing in the early 1960’s, slowly gaining experience and success.

In 1963, Porsche introduced the Ferdinand “Bitzi” Porsche–designed 911 as a refined replacement to their 356.

In early 1967, Vic Elford met with Porsche racing team manager Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein and convinced him of the competition potential of the 911 in rally racing.

Elford was right and successfully took the 1967 European Rally Championship in the works 911.


Pen&ink and markers on archival watercolour paper
12"x 18" (30.5cm X 45.7cm)© Paul Chenard 2013

 In 1968, he took a Porsche 911T, along with navigator David Stone, to a very popular win of the grueling Rally Monte Carlo.

It was the only the beginning of legendary competition success of the many storied Porsche 911, which this year, celebrates it’s 50th anniversary.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Automotive Decoration …

When I moved into my apartment in November 2012, I decided that I would decorate it with my racing history collection and art.





It’s taken a little while to make choices of what to put up, and how to arrange it.





I’ve now reached a point of finish that feels right.





I must add that there was a lovely large blank wall in my living room, so I decorated that with a large acrylic painting of the 1961 Grand Prix de Monaco grid.





Automotive racing history really is my passion; why not show it off?

The Lotus 25

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Lotus 25 Formula 1 race car's Championship win.


Colin Chapman's fertile mind created it as the first effective monocoque chassis racer.



He introduced it in 1962, and in the hands of Jim Clark, it nearly took the Championship, losing out in the end to Graham Hill in the BRM P57.

For 1963, Clark drove the Lotus 25 to the first of his two World Drivers’ Championships, easily taking 7 of the 10 races.

Pen&ink and Prismacolor pencils on white archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2013

With its sleek lines and wonderful proportions, the Lotus 25 is considered by many as one of the most beautiful race cars ever made.

I can’t really disagree … especially with that lovely paint job!

Atlas Editions Dinkys

A few weeks ago, a gentleman from Germany named Manni contacted me.

Manni saw through Facebook that I was a collector of vintage racing automobilia, including toys.

He asked if I had any pointers I could give him in starting a toy collection. At the same time, he asked if I knew of the re-creation Dinky toys sold through Editions Atlas Collections.

I put together a little note of pointers together, and at the same mentioned that I ever heard of these Dinky re-creations.

This past Friday, a package arrived from Manni, containing the Editions Atlas Auto Union #23D!!! How incredibly generous!

I have the original pre-war Dinky Auto Union, and the Atlas version compares very favorably to it. What I like is that the Atlas version is not an exact copy, but is actually a new casting.

It also includes a lovely "Dinky" re-creation box, a certificate of authenticity, and a nice German brochure detailing the history of the car.

I’ve looked them up and there are more racecars in the Atlas line-up, but they don’t seem to be readily available. I’m certainly going to try to get more of these lovely diecasts.

Danke, Manni!

Credit Suisse Photo Award for Goodwood Revival

My photographer friend Matt Jacques joined us at the Goodwood Revival last year, and covered it in brilliant style with his photography and words. You can read his story here.

The quality of his work did not go unnoticed … one of his stunning photos (below) won an important award!


© Matt Jacques 2012

 In Matt’s words …

For 2012, Goodwood Revival and partner Credit Suisse launched the inaugural "Credit Suisse Photo Award for Goodwood Revival" competition, aimed at professional media accredited for the 2012 Revival (September 14-16th).

An expert panel judged all entries for the Award after the event, including Revival founder Lord March, a long-time professional photographer himself.

There were three categories for the competition: 1) The best general Revival atmosphere image; 2) The best image of on-track action; and 3) The best image taken at the Credit Suisse Historic Racing Forum. An overall winner will also be announced.

My image has won for the Atmosphere category, and stands a chance of being named the overall winner as well. I'll be able to update when it's been announced on Wednesday March 20th.

Lord March commented on the new competition:
"The unspoiled Goodwood Motor Circuit has always been an ideal blank canvas for creating beautiful, exciting and memorable photographs. Add in the colour, spectacle and theatre of the Goodwood Revival, and I think this is the perfect setting for some striking images. I am delighted that Credit Suisse is supporting this innovative photographic contest, which promises to grow in future years and deliver a legacy of outstanding photography."

Bravo to Matt … I knew him when!

www.mattjacques.com

Automobiliart Beer Coasters

Now that I'm a full-time artist with a business, I'm developing new products.



I love beer coasters, not the decorative ones, but real pub beer coasters. They combine everyday useful ephemera with art and design ...

I thought I would create my own; they go very well with the social dynamic of the "après-vintage-racing" ...
If you are interested in acquiring some, just email me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com

They are each 4" square, and the set of 4 retails for $6 CDN plus shipping.

PS Wine glasses work just fine on them too!

2 Free Race Retro Tickets

Hi all
I have 2 Race Retro tickets to give away.
I'm only going to get there for end-of-day Friday, so these would be ideal for 2 people who want to attend on Saturday or Sunday, or 1 person attending both Saturday and Sunday ... Anyone interested?
I can meet you at 5 pm (17:00) at the main entrance.

Please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com before tomorrow am.

Hope you can make it; it's a wonderful event!
Cheers!
Paul

My First Wall Mural

When you were young, your parents probably forbade you from drawing on the walls ...

Now that I've moved into my apartment, I noticed a lovely blank wall in my living room, ripe for art.
Acrylic on latex, 75"x 42" (109cm x 107cm) 


Well, I finished my mural, an acrylic painting (my second ever!) representing the grid moments before the start of the 1961 Grand Prix de Monaco.

I hope that my parents would approve ...

The 1955 Mille Miglia: German Power, British Might

Post-WWII, Mercedes-Benz was busy digging itself out of the ravages of the war, and trying to regain the presence as a constructor of cars of quality.

They developed the W194 300 SL Gullwing sports car for the 1952 season, winning the 24 heurs du Mans and La Carrera Panamericana.

For 1954, they came with a full force of Formula 1 and Sports Car/GT racers and dominated the season.

For 1955, they fully developed their racing sports cars, closely based on their Formula 1 racers.

For the Mille Miglia, they had a team of 4 new 300 SLR's to do battle against the platoon of Ferraris.

The drivers were (Sir) Stirling Moss, with his navigator journalist/racer Denis Jenkinson, Hans Herrmann, with his navigator, and Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling, both sans navigators.

For their race, Moss and Jenkinson practiced by driving the whole route, with Jenkinson making pace notes all along the way.

The Mercedes-Benz team glued the pace notes together into one long scroll, and installed it in a waterproof windowed box so that Jenkinson could read them out loud to Moss en route.

Jenkinson’s pace notes allowed Moss to drive the whole race flat out, and they won in the unheard-of record time of 10 hours 07 mins 48 secs, with an average speed of 157.650 km/h (97.96 mph), all of it done on public roads!

It was the second time that Mercedes-Benz won the event, the first time being Rudolf Caracciola’s 1931 win.

My laser-cut Ferrari GTO

For my laser-cut stainless steel Ferrari GTO piece, I chose to show Mexican driver Pedro Rodriguez on his way to winning the 1963 3-Hour Continental race at Daytona. Rodriguez was racing 250 GTO #4219.

This race later became the now famous 24-Hours of Daytona.

My laser-cut GTO piece is power-coated stainless-steel, hand-painted with white highlights, is 25"x 10" (63.5cm x 25.4cm) and weighs 4 lbs.

It's been featured in Motor Sport (UK), Wheels Canada, Classic Motorsport (US) and Octane (UK) magazines.

I'm only doing a very limited edition of 10 copies. If you are interested in acquiring one, please contact me at paul.chenard@hotmail.com

Wheels.ca Gift Ideas

With the Holidays racing towards us at break-neck speed, gift ideas might be dancing in loved-ones heads.

I was very happy to see that Gary Grant of Wheels.ca has done a feature on gift ideas in the current Fall/Winter issue.

He has feature my large laser-cut stainless steel Ferrari GTO limited edition (of 10) art-piece.

Merci, Gary!

Motor Sport Magazine – November 2012

Started as the Brooklands Gazette in 1924, the title changed to the current Motor Sport in 1925.

It is one of the oldest automotive magazines on the planet, and is certainly one of the most respected.

I have the huge honour of having one of my art pieces featured in the “Desirables” section (page 125) of the November 2012 issue of this wonderful magazine.

They are featuring my new limited edition (of 10) laser-cut GTO sketch from stainless steel, which I had powder-coated red. I then hand-painted the white details directly on the piece.