Cars were the stuff of dreams, central to the imagery of the seventies: the object of all desires and the emblem of freedom. With audiences as eager to see and hear them as to feel them, the mission for the DPPI photographers was both simple and complex. To capture this energy and passion in images, together with a certain technical creative fury that very much appealed to our small team, who were more than enthusiastic about the idea of travelling to all the epicentres of this action and imaginative power.
It all began in the relative tranquillity of the motor shows. 1971 saw the birth of the Alpine A310, the Alfa Romeo Montréal, the Ligier JS2 and the spectacular Lamborghini Countach. And it continued in the hustle and bustle of the race paddocks. Fans of technology and photographers were in for a treat, as craftsmen and manufacturers abounded in ideas to constantly increase the speed of their cars. Colin Chapman, always on the lookout for technological innovations for his Lotuses, thought nothing of installing a turbine in a Formula 1 car. And when we see images of the complexity of some of the systems, it’s easier to understand not only why records were broken year after year, but also why drivers very often had to abandon their vehicles at the trackside or on the road, their engines flagging…
The Authors
A fixture on the racetrack, Manou Zurini was one of the first photographers to bring an artistic dimension to motor racing photography. Now retired from the racetrack, he has forgotten nothing of that thrilling time. The pages of Car Racing are interspersed with his colourful recollections.
Alain Pernot is a freelance journalist and motor sport expert. He has a way of passing on his in-depth knowledge without concealing the passion that drives him.
The Collection
One of the strengths of this collection from Éditions Cercle d’Art is that it never strays from its initial aim, namely its essentially photographic editorial approach: “This is not yet another history book about motor sport,” insists Fabrice Connen, the director of DPPI. “Each time, we have selected the strongest, most unusual photos, those that capture the atmosphere of the period, even if they were taken during minor events.”
Click here for further information
more information: cercledart.com
Photo Credit By cercledart.com
