Identify this car...

[rrrr]

This looks like an early Brabham, possibly with the Buick/Repco V-8 but I'm not sure. Any guesses?



Secondly, some guys will do anything to get a good racing shot!

[KevMcNJ]

That looks safe enough

[grogg]

Looks like it is from the movie Grand Prix.

[Paddy]

If it from the movie Grand Prix, I recall they used an early McLaren F1 car with a Ford 289 v8. It looks like a tub chassis, Brahbams were tube frame until 1970,so maybe a Lotus 38 with Ford V8? Formula Libre was popular in England in the early 1960's and they stuffed V8's into ex-F1 cars, but if it was being used as a movie car it certainly would not be a current competitive car.

[BSJracing]

The much maligned Yellow Ribbon racing entry

[Indy-hp]

Looks like it is from the movie Grand Prix.

Agree.

[rrrr]

If it from the movie Grand Prix, I recall they used an early McLaren F1 car with a Ford 289 v8. It looks like a tub chassis, Brahbams were tube frame until 1970,so maybe a Lotus 38 with Ford V8? Formula Libre was popular in England in the early 1960's and they stuffed V8's into ex-F1 cars, but if it was being used as a movie car it certainly would not be a current competitive car.

I don't think it's from Grand Prix because that movie was filmed in 1966. The car looks to be of earlier manufacture that that.

Besides, it's my understanding the rolling shots were mostly done with this modified Ford GT, in this scene the Ferrari is actually attached to the GT:



I doubt they used something as crude as a guy with ropes and a handheld camera.

Looking at the valve cover angles made me think it's a Buick. The tops are parallel to the transverse horizontal plane, the Fords are angled. But on further inspection if it is indeed a Buick then it's not a Repco version. The Repco heads are a DOHC mod and quite bulky.

Buick:

.



.

Ford:

.



And if it's a Ford it would have to be the 1962 pushrod version, not the later DOHC engine.


This is a Weber setup for the Buick:

.

[NoviVespa]

wonder why they had to have a cameraman on the car. Unless he had to pan the camera to get other cars.

[Sea Fury]

I don't think it's from Grand Prix because that movie was filmed in 1966. The car looks to be of earlier manufacture that that.

Besides, it's my understanding the rolling shots were mostly done with this modified Ford GT, in this scene the Ferrari is actually attached to the GT:



I doubt they used something as crude as a guy with ropes and a handheld camera.

I don't think it was for Grand Prix either. Or any other big-screen production. Wrong kind of camera and lenses. I'm thinking this was more like a TV series shoot, a company promotional film of some kind, or an early stab at the "onboard camera" for a TV sports show.

I was always kind of amazed that they used a GT40 for Grand Prix, because unless it was one of the roadgoing homologation models or a test mule, that still would have been a competitive race car at the time. Won Le Mans that year, in fact, and would continue to do so for a couple more years to come.

[carl s]

Here's some trivia from the movie for those interested in filming Grand Prix.
Phil Hill was in the Ford GT 40.
"During filming, Yves Montand spun out and subsequently was terrified to go fast again. The crew modified a racecar that was then towed behind a Ford GT40. This setup would reach speeds of 130 mph. Montand was more comfortable with this setup than with having to drive the car himself."
Most of the cars were F3 mocked up to look like F1
Frankenheimer refused to use the old trick of speeding up the film to depict speed and everyone had to hold on.
Several of the actors had never driven a car.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060472/trivia

[Frank Capua]

I don't think that's from Grand Prix... The cameraman is wearing a helmet.

But being tied to the car by ropes... That looks like Grand Prix.

[carl s]

http://wtf1.co.uk/are-you-sure-ten-images-you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped/

I don't think that's from Grand Prix... The cameraman is wearing a helmet.

But being tied to the car by ropes... That looks like Grand Prix.

[rrrr]

http://wtf1.co.uk/are-you-sure-ten-i...-photoshopped/

I don't think this is correct. As Sea Fury noted, that isn't a big 35mm camera as one would expect in a movie shoot.

[cheeseczar]

Wonder if they were just testing camera angles before building mounts?

[carl s]

What I've read is that the radio controlled cameras initially where interferred with by the cars ignition systems a problem that was eventually resolved.
Maybe the F1 site has it wrong. Maybe that particular filming was done during the making of the movie but not 'for' the movie.
But it's certainly a great shot.