1970 LOTUS-COSWORTH 72C & FERRARI 312B, GERMAN GRAND PRIX, HOCKENHEIM

Jochen Rindt won the first race of the season in the Lotus 49C; the following GP saw the introduction of the new wedge shaped Lotus 72. Once the Gold Leaf model had bedded down he won a further 4 races. Sadly Jochen Rindt was killed in practice for the Italian GP at Monza on 5 Sep 70; despite not competing in the last 4 races he became the World Champion, posthumously awarded. Emmerson Fittipaldi won his home GP at Watkins Glen in the 72C, helping Lotus to win the Constructors' Championship. Jackie Stewart led for most laps in the season, with a combination of March and Tyrrell drives, but only managed one victory. The Ferrari 312B, driven by Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni, achieved 5 pole positions and 4 wins in 1970. On today's rules Ferrari would have taken the Constructors' title. 

The first special is signed by PETER WESTBURY who started his racing career in 1962, as a hill-climber, driving a Cooper-Daimler V8. In 1963 he attained the first of his RAC Hill-Climb Championships with a Felday chasis. For 1963 he drove a Ferguson 4WD that gained him his second title, proving virtually unbeatable. He continued in hill-climbing until 1965 but development of his Felday Engineering firm was the major goal. He made a successful move to Formula 3 in 1967, winning 3 races at Silverstone, Chimay and Clermont-Ferrand in a Brabham BT21. He drove well again in 1968 with a wins at Chimay and Reims; also participating in F2. A full season of F2 followed in 1969, driving his own Brabham BT30; he gained second place at the Lottery GP, Monza and was fifth in the German GP. The latter race marked his involvement in a Formula 1 race as a Formula 2 competitor; his BRM P153 failed to qualify for the 1970 USA GP at Watkins Glen. In F2, he was a consistent finisher in the top 6 places for 1970 and 71, retiring in 1973. 

The second special is signed by JOHN MILES who was the son of actor the late Sir Bernard Miles. He started racing in 1964, gaining numerous club wins in his Diva-Ford. In 1965, he drove for Willment, achieving a creditable third place Grovewood Award. 1966 was a most successful season starting with 9 successive wins in the Willment Lotus Elan; this earned him the Autosport Championship. He drove for the Lotus Works Team in 1967 & 68, driving the GT Europa and F3 Lotus 42, finishing as runner up in the British F3 Championship. For 1969 his season was mixed: in F2 he came third in the Rome GP; in F1, Colin Chapman employed him to drive the 4 - WD Lotus 63. He was fifth in the 1970 South African GP, driving the Lotus 49C and, later in the season, achieved reasonable placings with the Lotus 72. He retired from Formula 1 at the end of the season, following the death of his team mate Jochen Rindt. He raced for BRM in the Jochen Rindt Memorial Race in 1971 and drove for the Dart sports car team. On retirement as a driver, he first became a motor sport journalist and then joined Lotus in an engineering capacity.

The extra special version has been signed by JACKY ICKX who was 3 times Belgian Motor Cycle Trials Champion and Saloon Car Champion before becoming the most famous Belgian driver in Formula 1 and sports car racing history. In 116 Grand Prix, between 1966 and 1979, he achieved 8 wins, 13 pole positions, 14 fastest laps and 181 points, driving for Matra, Cooper, Ferrari, Brabham, Lotus, Williams, Ensign and Ligier. His Grand Prix wins were achieved for Ferrari (6) and Brabham (2). In Formula 2 he was the 1967 European Champion driving for Matra. In non-championship Formula 1 events, he won the 1971 Jochen Rindt Memorial Race at Hockenheim in a Ferrari and the 1974 Race of Champions in a Lotus. His performance in sports cars was astounding, winning the Le Mans 24-Hour Race on no less than 6 occasions (Ford 1969 / Mirage 1975 / Porsche 1969,76,77 & 81). He showed versatility and resilience to become the 1979 Can-Am Champion driving a Lola and became the 1982 Sports Car Champion in a Porsche.

The extra special has been signed by DEREK BELL, who started motor sport in 1964, driving a Lotus 7, and soon progressed to Formula 3, competing in a more powerful Lotus. In 1968, he entered Formula 2 with a Brabham BT23 and was spotted by Ferrari who gave him 2 Formula 1 drives in the V12 engined 312. Tom Wheatcroft sponsored him for a season of F2 in 1970; he finished as runner up to Clay Regazzoni. His best performance in Formula 1 was sixth place with a Surtees-Cosworth TS7 in the 1970 USA GP at Watkins Glen. Although he continued in Formula 1 until 1974, his main achievements were gained in sports cars. In 1971, paired with Jo Siffert, he helped win the World Sports Car Championship for the Gulf / Wyer Porsche team. Three wins, co-driving a T33 with Henry Pescarolo earned Alfa Romeo the 1975 title. However, the first of his five Le Mans 24-Hour Race wins came with the Gulf/Wyer Porsche team in 1975, partnered with Jacky Ickx; the pair won again for Porsche in 1981 & 82. As well as driving sports cars he participated in F5000, G8, touring cars and Formula Atlantic. He joined the Rothmans Porsche works team that dominated sports car racing in the 1980s; with Hans-Joachim Stuck he won the 1985 & 86 World Sports Car Championship taking his fourth and fifth Le Mans titles in 1986 & 87. He continued racing into the 1990s with numerous credible performances.

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Jackie Stewart in the Tyrrell 003 retired early in the Italian GP but had already won his second Drivers' Championship. The race produced an exceptionally close finish with 5 cars crossing the line within 0.6 seconds. Peter Gethin, BRM P160 (No 18) won the race, followed by Ronnie Peterson, March 711 (No 25), Francois Cevert, Tyrrell 002 (No 2), Mike Hailwood, Surteees TS9 (No 9) and Howden Ganley, BRM P160 (No 19). Ross Wardle has captured the excitement of this unique race for our 1971 cover. 

The first special is signed by CHRIS CRAFT who began his racing career in a Ford Anglia and built up a reputation as one of the UK's most talented drivers, particularly with the Broadspeed Escort between 1968 and 1970. Following a period of F3 racing with Tecno, he migrated to sports cars racing the Chevron and later Porsche and McLaren. He had a brief attempt at Formula 1, entered privately in a Brabham-Cosworth BT33. He continued to race sports cars and F5000 cars until mid 1970, becoming the European Sports Car Champion in 1973. He returned successfully to racing saloons until 1979. Craft continues to be associated with motor sport through varied projects

HOWDEN GANLEY a talented New Zealand driver has signed the second special. He started life in motor sport as an engineer but his urge to drive was not satisfied until 1967 when he took up F3 racing in a self-financed Brabham. In 1970 he drove a private McLaren M10B to compete in F5000 and finished runner up to Peter Gethin. He joined BRM as a junior driver for the 1971 season finishing well in 5 races and gaining points at Monza and Watkins Glen. Further F1 points were scored for BRM in 1972, at the Nurburgring and Osterreichring plus a most creditable second place in the Le Mans 24-hour race in a works Matra. For 1973, Ganley joined Williams in their first season of Formula 1; he had no success with the FX3B but scored a point in the 1R, coming sixth at Mosport Park. In his final season of F1, he drove for March and Maki until an accident caused him to retire. He maintains his links with motor sport as a director of the British Racing Drivers' Club. We are extremely pleased to have Howden Ganley's support as his BRM P160 is featured on the cover.

Special number 3 features PETER GETHIN who was one of the UK's top club sports car drivers who moved into Formula 3 in 1965; his career stood still until 1968 when he dove for a full season of F2. However, his true potential was not seen until 1969 when F5000 was inaugurated; he drove the semi-works McLaren to 4 straight wins at the beginning of the season and defended his lead to become the first champion. He retained the title in 1970, before moving on to F1, staying with McLaren. In1971, he switched to BRM mid season and achieved the famous victory at Monza in the Yardley colours of the P160. He achieved further race wins outside the F1 World Championship, for BRM in the 1971 Victory race at Brands Hatch and the 1972 Pau F2 GP. His final win was the 1973 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch where he drove his Chevron to victory, beating Denny Hulme and James Hunt. 

The final special cover is autographed by MAX MOSLEY the extremely famous President Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) who realised his future in the management of Formula 1 racing. In 1969, Mosley had joined his friends Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd, their initials spelling out the company name MARCH; their cars won 3 F1 races in the 1970s. Together with Bernie Ecclestone, he realised that the Grand Prix Constructors' and Entrants' Association (GPCA) was disorganized and through the newly formed Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA) they negotiated appearance deals with circuits and television coverage. Mosley was instrumental in resolving differences between the Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) led by Jean-Marie Balestre in the 1980/81 timeframe, concluding negotiations with the 'Concorde Agreement'. In 1991, Mosley challenged Balestre for the Presidency of the FIA and won a landslide victory. He continues in this role, creating wealth for the constructors and applying his vast experience to the sport; along with Ecclestone he is considered a leading 'power broker'.  

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1972 JPS LOTUS 72D, TYRELL 003, BRITISH GRAND PRIX, BRANDS HATCH

Prior to the commencement of the 1972 season, sponsorship changes saw Lotus adopt the John Player Special (JPS) colours and McLaren backed by Yardley.  Although the Lotus-Cosworth 72D assisted Emerson Fittipaldi to win his first World Championship title and gave Lotus the Constuctors’ trophy, it was by no means an easy season for them.  Whereas Fittipaldi won 5 races, Jackie Stewart in Tyrrell 003 or 005 won 4 races and led the field more regularly. 

Lotus and Tyrrell each gained 3 pole positions whilst Ferrari achieved 4, but the latter proved less reliable in races with just one win.  Denny Hulme and Francois Cevert drove well to gain third place in the Constuctors’ trophy for McLaren with the Cosworth-engined M19C.  Ross Wardle’s artwork depicts Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus leading the British GP at Brands Hatch from Jackie Stewart in his Tyrrell.  These 2 drivers fiercely contested the championship in the early seventies with the titles alternating between them for 4 consecutive seasons (1971-74).

The first special envelopes are signed by ANDREA de ADAMICH who was successful in the Italian F3 championship and the European Touring Car series before competing in the non-championship Spanish F1 Grand Prix in a works Ferrari. His first F1 championship race was in the Ferrari 312 at Kyalami but injuries put him out of the team.  He successfully raced the South African Temporada Series in the Ferrari Dino T166, winning 2 races and taking the championship.  He joined the Surtees F5000 Team and competed in America and Europe before joining McLaren for the 1970 season and moving on to March in 1971.  In parallel with his F1 career, he raced Alfa Romeo T33 sports cars, winning the Brands Hatch 1000 kms and the Watkins Glen 6-hour race in 1971.  He was fourth in two F1 races: for Surtees in 1972 Spanish GP and for Brabham in the 1973 Belgian GP.  An accident at the start of the 1973 British GP at Silverstone forced his early retirement from F1.  Afterwards he became a most respected motor sport journalist and commentator.

REINE WISELL has signed the second special cover; he started racing a Mini Cooper in 1962; and was runner-up in the Swedish Group 5 championship in 1965.  Moving to F3 in 1966, he showed great promise in his Cooper and the following year he won the Swedish F3 championship in a Brabham.  For the 1968 season, Wisell bought a Techno F3 car and raced it all over Europe, winning 11 races; in 1969 he raced Chevron F3 and GT cars.  1970 was a very good year for the Swede, he took over the F5000 McLaren and won 3 of the last 4 races in the season.  He also made his F1 debut with Lotus that year and achieved a podium finish in his very first race.  He was team mate to Emerson Fittipaldi at Lotus for 12 races in the 1970 and 71 period earning 13 points.  In addition to F1 racing in 1971, he completed a full season of F2, highlighted with a tremendous victory at Pau.  For 1972, he joined BRM for 6 races but rejoined Lotus for the final 2 GPs that season.  He completed 3 races for the March F1 in the 1973 and 74 seasons but also competed in F2 and this provided his last major victory in the 1973 Eifelrennen race, driving the Team Pierre Robert GRD-Cosworth FWD.  He finished his career racing sports cars: the Gulf / Wyer GR7 with Vern Schuppan in 1974 and a Porsche Carrera in 1975.

The third extra special is autographed by BRIAN REDMAN who started racing with a Mini in the mid 1960s, quickly progressing to an E-Type Jaguar and then a Lola T70. In 1967 he competed in F2 and sports car races, winning the Rand 9-hour race co-driving a Mirage with Jacky Ickx. He started in F1 with Cooper in 1968, achieving a most creditable podium place in his second race, the Spanish GP at Jarama. The same year, he won the BOAC 500 kms at Brands Hatch and the Spa 1000 kms driving the Ford GT40. In 1970 he won the Targa Floria driving a Porsche.  He primarily competed in sport cars but managed up to 4 F1 races in a season, driving for Surtees, McLaren, BRM and Arrows. His other F1 points came from two fifth place finishes with the McLaren M19A in 1972. In the 1974-76 period, he won the US F5000 Series in 3 consecutive years driving the Haas / Hall Lola. Serious injuries temporarily halted his career when his Can-Am Lola flipped but he fought back to win at Sebring in 1978. He continued to race competitively into his forties, taking the IMSA championship in a Porsche.

A final version is signed by TIM SCHENKEN, who made a major impression as a driver winning 42 Formula Ford races. In 1968, he was the British F3 champion and won the Grovewood Trophy. In 1969 he competed in F3, taking the French title in the Rodney Bloor Brabham. He upgraded to F2 to 1970, also making his F1 debut for the Frank Williams run de Tomaso team. In 1971 he drove the Brabham BT33, outscoring his experienced team mate, Graham Hill with 5 points; his move to Surtees for the 1972 season provided 2 more F1 points. Ferrari sports car racing provided greater success with wins in the Buenos Aires and Nurburgring 1000 kms. In 1973 he raced F1 in the Canadian GP for Williams and for 1974 he had 8 races for Trojan and his final GP was in a JPS Lotus. In 1977 he won the Nurburgring 1000 kms in a Porsche. He is currently involved in Australian F1 racing.

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Jackie Stewart with 5 wins in the Tyrrell-Cosworth 005-6, gained his third Drivers' Championship. Emerson Fittipaldi with 2 wins in the Lotus-Cosworth 72D and a further win in the 72E, came second in the drivers' points and, together with Ronnie Petersons 4 wins, took the Constructors' title for Lotus. Peterson led for more laps in the season than Stewart and Fittipaldi combined but was unlucky with the reliability of his cars and had to settle for third place as a driver. The season ended on a sad note with Francois Cevert involved in a fatal accident at Watkins Glen; Stewart withdrew from the race out of respect for his team mate and retired from racing.

The first special cover is signed by GIJS van LENNEP who began racing Formula Vee in 1965; he was soon noticed and recruited to the Porsche Team for the 1967 season. In 1968, he participated in Formula 3, returning to sports cars the following year and was awarded the Porsche Cup for the best private entrant in 1970. His achievements in 1971 were tremendous; he won the Le Mans 24-hour race in a Martini Porsche, co-driving with Helmut Marko and also won the Paris 1000 km race for Gulf / Wyer. The same year, he first raced Formula 1 in a Surtees but concentrated on F5000 for 1972, taking the Rothmans title again driving a Surtees. In 1973 he won the Targa Florio for Martini Racing, sharing the drive with Herbert Muller. His final achievement in motor sport, before he retired, was to win the 1976 Le Mans 24-hour race again in a Porsche, this time with Jacky Ickx.

We are most grateful to KEN TYRRELL who signed the second special before he passed away last year and dedicate the 1973 covers to his memory. Ken Tyrrell was a Surrey timber merchant who raced F2 and F3 cars for fun in the 1950s. He founded his own company in 1960 and began entering cars for others to drive; he had an obvious talent for team management. In 1964 he gave Jackie Stewart the opportunity to drive an F3 Cooper; he went on to take the championship and the Tyrrell / Stewart partnership was set for stardom. For 1968 and 69 Tyrrell ran the F1 Matra team with Stewart winning 3 GPs and coming runner up in the Drivers' Championship. In 1969, the combination was even more successful with Stewart taking his first World Championship title and Matra being the only French firm to have ever taken the F1 Constructors' trophy. He started racing his F1 cars under the Tyrrell name in 1970 and over the coming years Stewart won 2 Drivers' Championships and the company took the Constructors trophy for 1971. Further success for Tyrrell came with Jody Scheckter's 3 wins in the 007 (1974-75) and a win in the unusual 6-wheeled P34 in 1976. Patrick Depailler won a race driving the 008 model in 1978 and Michele Alboreto achieved 2 wins in the 011 during the 1982 and 83 seasons. Ken Tyrrell's contribution to motor sport was recognised when he became President of the British Racing Drivers' Club a post that handed over to his greatest driver Jackie Stewart. 

The legendary JACKIE STEWART OBE signed the extra special covers before being knighted last year for his monumental contribution to motor sport. In 1964 he was the British F3 Champion, driving a Cooper and won the 1966 Tasman Cup Series in a BRM. His Formula 1 career, spanned from 1965 to 1973, he raced in 99 Grand Prix and achieved 27 wins, 17 pole positions, 15 fastest laps and 360 points. He started with BRM alongside Graham Hill and won 2 GPs for the company; moving on to Matra, he won 9 races achieving the 1969 Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships. After achieving a win for March in 1970, he changed to Tyrrell mid-season; 15 wins followed including both 1971 titles and the 1973 Drivers' Championship. Other major race wins by Jackie Stewart were 1966 International Trophy and 1969 & 70 Race of Champions. In the 1990s he founded and managed the Stewart F1 Racing Team and was elected President of the British Racing Drivers' Club.

1974 MCLAREN-COSWORTH M23 & FERRARI 312B3, CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, MOSPORT PARK

Emerson Fittipaldi with 3 wins in the McLaren M23 and Clay Regazonni having won a race in the Ferrari 312B3, entered the final race of the season at Watkins Glen, tied on 52 points.  Regazzoni finished 4 laps down whilst Fittipaldi came fourth and took the drivers' title by 3 points. Assisted by Denny Hulme, Fittipaldi took the Constructors' Championship for McLaren.  Niki Lauda led for most laps during the season but did not score in the last 5 races due to accidents and technical hitches; he came fourth in the drivers' table and Ferrari was runner-up constructor.  The Ross Wardle artwork features Emerson Fittipaldi in the McLaren-Cosworth M23, closely followed by Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari 312B3 and Ronnie Peterson's JPS Lotus-Cosworth 72E.  Also included is James Hunt in the Hesketh-Cosworth 308 that performed so well in the team's first season of Formula 1.

The first special is autographed by TOM BELSO, originally a mechanic, who was given the chance to drive race a Volvo that he prepared for competition and won his very first race.  He drove a Ford Escort in 1969 and was Scandinavian Saloon Car Champion that season.  For 1970 he competed in Formula Ford with the Hawke team.  He moved to UK in 1971 to compete in Formula Atlantic; driving an old Brabham, he came third in the championship.  Further advancement for 1972 saw him compete in Formula 2; his best result was fourth place at Albi.  He drove for the Shellsport F5000 team from 1973-75, performing well over the three seasons.  He completed a practice session for the Swedish Grand Prix in 1973 but Howden Ganley raced the car.  However, he became the first Danish driver to compete in Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix in 1974 when he drove the Williams-Cosworth FW02 in the South African GP; although he retired from the race with a clutch problem.  He also achieved a commendable eighth place with the FW02 in the 1974 Swedish GP.  He finished his career as a driver in 1977, racing in F5000 with John Jordan's Lola.

LORD HESKETH set up his F1 team in 1972, initially competing in Formula 3, has signed the second special.  In 1974, the team entered into Formula 1 with James Hunt driving the Cosworth powered 308.  It was a good first season in F1 with the team scoring 15 points.  1975 was an even better year with Hunt scoring 33 points, including a win at Zandvoort in the Dutch GP.  Hesketh continued to compete fully in F1 during the 1976 and 77 seasons but Hunt moved to McLaren, taking the 1976 Drivers' Championship for his new team.  Other Hesketh F1 drivers were Brett Lunger (3 GPs), Harald Ertl (14), Guy Edwards (4), Rupert Keegan (12) and Eddie Cheever (1).  Harvey Postlethwaite designed the 308 models that raced from 1974-76; he moved on to the emerging Williams team for a year before working for Wolf and then Ferrari.  Lord Hesketh became the President of the BRDC in 1994, later handing over to Ken Tyrrell.  In the early 1990s, Lord Hesketh was the Minister of State for the department of Trade and Industry and later, a Director of British Aerospace.

The third variant has been signed by DIETER QUESTER who started racing with motor cycles and speedboats and was European Motorboat Champion in 1958 and 62.  He came to prominence in 1966 when he won the Austrian Touring Car Championship driving a BMW; he also won the BMW Motor Sport Trophy that year.  In 1967 he won the Freeport Governor's Cup Formula V Race in a BMW single seater.  Continuing with BMW, he became the European Touring Car Champion (ETCC) in 1968 and 69. His first Formula 1 experience was in 1969 when he was withdrawn from starting the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring when his BMW team mate, Gerhard Mitter was killed in the qualifying session.  He then drove for the BMW F2 team, winning a race at Hockenheim in 1970.  For the 1971 season he drove F2 for March-BMW, winning the Lottery Grand Prix.  In the 1974 Austrian Grand Prix at the Osterreichring, he rented a Surtees-Cosworth TS16 and brought it home in a commendable ninth place. He won the ETCC Salzburgring Race for BMW in 1975; and also won the IMSA Riverside Race with a Porsche.  In 1976, he competed in the World Championship of Makes (WCM), winning races at the Nurburgring & Osterreichring.  For 1977, he returned to the ETCC and took a third championship with five wins in his BMW. He returned once more to the ETCC in 1983, taking his BMW to a fourth championship title.  Driving for BMW brought him a further victory in 1986 at the Spa 24-hour race.  For 1987 he moved to the Linder team to compete in the ETCC, a BMW to victory at Donnington Park and Nogaro.  In 1988, he won again in the Spa 24-hour Race, again with BMW.  He returned to the Austrian Touring Car Championship in 1993, driving a BMW to win a second title 27 years after his first. During the 2000 & 2001 seasons, he achieved 3 class wins for the Red Bull RWS Porsche team in FIA GT races.  He has no thoughts of retirement despite being over 60 years old!  Clearly a man born with racing in his veins and the most famous and consistent BMW driver that has ever lived.

 

The extra-special cover has been personally autographed by EMERSON FITTIPALDI who first came to prominence when he became the British F3 Champion driving for Lotus in 1969. He was quickly promoted by Lotus and won his first F1 race at Watkins Glen in his debut season, 1970. Continuing with Lotus, he won the International Trophy Race in 1971 and gained 3 podium places in the championship. He became the youngest world champion in 1972, aged 25, driving a JPS Lotus 72D. Further success came in 1973 when, along with Ronnie Peterson, he won the constructors' title for Lotus; had the newly introduced 72E been more reliable, he would have no doubt taken his second drivers' trophy that season. For 1974 he moved to McLaren and succeeded in the M23, taking the title just 3 points clear of Clay Regazzoni. He continued for McLaren in 1975 and finished runner up to Niki Lauda in the drivers' championship. From 1976 he race Fittipaldi F1 cars and achieved 2 podium finishes with them before retiring from F1 in 1980. By the mid 80s he had returned to driving and enjoyed a very successful period in IndyCar racing, 1989 was the peak with an Indy 500 win on route to becoming champion driving for the Patrick team. A further Indy 500 win was achieved in 1993 with Penske.

1976 McLAREN-COSWORTH M23, TYRRELL-COSWORTH P34 & FERRARI 312T2, USA EAST GRAND PRIX, WATKINS GLEN, USA

Prior to the last race of the 1976 season, Niki Lauda in the Ferrari 312T2 led the championship from James Hunt in the McLaren M23 by only 3 points. Lauda had escaped from a bad crash and dreadful fire earlier, at the Nurburgring, but made an incredibly quick return to racing. However, Niki Lauda considered the rain affected Japanese GP at Fuji to be unsafe and withdrew from the race; Hunt came third to take the Drivers' title by just 1 point. Ferrari, with Lauda and Clay Regazzoni, took the Constructors' Championship with McLaren second. The Ross Wardle artwork portrays James Hunt in his McLaren-Cosworth M23 leading the USA East Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, with the unusual Tyrrell-Cosworth P34 in pursuit, followed by Niki Lauda’s Ferrari 312T2. We have been extremely fortunate to attract signatures from Jody Scheckter and his brother Ian, who also raced F1.

The first special is signed by GUY EDWARDS who started racing in 2-litre sports cars and then entered F5000. His first F1 race was in the 1974 Argentine GP at Buenos Aires, racing as Graham Hill's team mate in the Lola T370. He achieved 5 finishes in the 1974 season, finishing ahead of Hill on one occasion. He moved to Hesketh for 1976 and was placed in 3 GP races. In 1981 we won the Flying Tigers 1000 kms at Brands Hatch and the Enna Sports Car Race, both with Lola. He completed his career driving F1 cars in the Auroro series races, before becoming a sponsorship consultant for F1 teams.

The second cover is autographed by IAN SCHECKTER, the older brother of the 1979 World Champion Jody Scheckter; who won the South African Formula Ford Championship in 1972. He came to Europe to race for a short period but returned to South Africa to contest the national championship with Gunston Chevron. His first F1 appearance was in the 1974 South African GP at Kyalami, driving a Lotus 72E. He competed in 2 races for Tyrrell and 2 for Williams during the 1975 & 76 seasons, whilst continuing to race at home. In 1976, he gained his first national champion with Formula Atlantic cars. In 1977, in took up a full-time F1 season with March, driving the Cosworth powered 761B and 771 models. He returned home once again and achieved great success in Formula Atlantic; by 1984 he had amassed no less than 6 championship titles. He also raced BMW saloon cars at home.

The third cover is autographed by JODY SCHECKTER was an immensely talented South African driver who started racing karts when just 12 years old. By winning the national Formula Ford Championship in 1970, he won the ‘Driver to Europe’ prize and by the end of 1971 he was winning F3 races in UK. A season of F2 with McLaren ended with a win in the Greater London Trophy Race at Crystal Palace and a debut in F1 racing at Watkins Glen. His F1career continued with McLaren for 1973 but although this yielded little, he won the L & M F5000 Series in America that year, driving a Trojan. He joined Tyrrell for 1974, driving the 007 to wins at Anderstorp and Brands Hatch. Carrying on with the 007, the following season he had the pleasure of winning his home GP at Kyalami. 1976 saw the introduction of the unusual 6-wheeled Tyrrell P34 and he raced the car to its only win at Anderstorp. That year, he also won the Kyalami 1000 km race in a BMW. He gambled by driving for Wolf in 1977, driving the WR1 to 3 victories at Buenos Aires, Monte Carlo and Mosport Park and came runner up in the drivers’ points. He continued with Wolf for 1978, gaining 4 podium places. For 1979 he was invited to join Ferrari to drive the 312T4 alongside Gilles Villeneuve; he took the championship with wins at Zolder, Monte Carlo and Monza. He retired from racing in 1980 to concentrate on business interests.

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1977 FERRARI 312T2, WOLF-COSWORTH WR2 & BRABHAM-ALFA ROMEO BT45B, GERMAN GRAND PRIX, HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY

For 1977, Niki Lauda in the Ferrari 312T2 was easily the best driver, taking his second World Championship by 17 points despite not competing in the last 2 races. Jody Scheckter won 3 races in the Wolf-Cosworth WR1 to be a most creditable runner-up in the drivers' table. Lauda, assisted by Carlos Reutemann, took the constructors' title for Ferrari for the third successive season; Lotus was second with the Cosworth powered 78s driven by Mario Andretti and Gunnar Nilsson. Our 1977 artwork features Niki Lauda in his Ferrari 312T2 in the lead at Hockenheim with Jody Scheckter's Wolf-Cosworth WR2 in hot pursuit. Hans-Joachim Stuck is pictured in third place driving the distinctive Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45A in Martini livery.

The first variant is signed by TEDDY PILETTE; his grandfather competed in the Indy 500 in 1913 and his father raced F1 in the 1951-64 period, gaining 2 points from 9 races with 3 sixth places not scoring. Following his ancestors into the sport, he raced in Formula Junior in 1962 and later drove for the Fiat-Abarth GT Team. In 1965, after driving his Fiat-Abarth to a class win in the Belgian championship, he joined the Count van der Stratten (VDS) Team, driving an Alfa Romeo T33 and Lola T70. He started competing in F5000 in 1971 and achieved great success with his Chevron B28 in 1973, taking the Euopean Championship. His long term aim of competing in F1 was realised in 1974, driving a Brabham-Cosworth BT42 in the Belgian GP at Nivelles-Baulers. The same year he won a Tasman Cup Race at Surfers' Paradise, driving a Chevron. In 1975, he claimed a second F5000 European Championship title, this time with a Lola T400. In 1977, he joined the Stanley BRM Team but the P207 was slow and he was unable to qualify for the German, Dutch and Italian GPs. He finished his racing career competing in the Aurora AFX Series with BRM, in 1978; his best result being fourth at Oulton Park. In 1994, he set up Pilette Speed Tradition to compete in European F3 with the PWT94C that was based on a Ralt chassis. His car is now based on a Dallara chassis and the team races F3 in the USA.

The second special envelope is signed by MAURO FORGHIERI who worked an extremely long time in F1 for Ferrari and made a tremendous contribution to their success. He started with the company in 1959 as an engine designer and was promoted in 1964 after Carlo Chiti had left to form ATS. His design skills helped John Surtees and Ferrari to take the 1964 titles with the 158. Ferrari kept in the top four team placings from 1965 to 1973 apart from 1969 and 1973 when they were 5th and 6th respectively. However, with the arrival of Niki Lauda in 1974, the team hit a golden period, taking the 1975 and 1977 Drivers' Championships and three consecutive constructors' titles (1975-77). Further success followed in 1979, when Jody Scheckter won the Drivers' Championship and Ferrari was champion constructor. From 1966 to 1980, Ferrari's success was with the 312 model initially with a V12 engine and then the flat F12; the 312 won no less than 40 F1 championship races. In the early 1982 Harvey Postletwaite took over as Chief Designer and Forghieri concentrated on engine design; his V6 Turbo engine helped Ferrari gain the constructors' titles in 1982 and 1983, employed in the 126 model. He left Ferrari in 1986, to work on the Lamborghini V12 engine.

The third special cover has been autographed by the famous New Zealand driver HANS-JOACHIM STUCK, the son of the famous pre-war Auto Union ace who followed his father into motor sport. He started hill-climb racing in a BMW 2002, before being invited to join the BMW Works Team for the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) and winning the 1969 Nurburgring 24-hour race. In 1972, he won the Spa 24-hour race in a Ford Capri, co-driving with Jochen Mass. For 1973, he raced F2 for March and remained with the team for 1974, gaining 2 points from his first season of F1 and winning F2 races at Barcelona, Hockenheim, Rouen and Enna. Although he started the 1975 season in IMSA with BMW, he was recalled by March to replace Lella Lombardi. He stayed with March for 1976, scoring points in 3 F1 races and winning 3 F2 events. 1977 was Stuck's best year in F1; driving the Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45B, he scored in 5 races, including 2 podium finishes. His F1 career finished with a season for Shadow in 1978 and ATS for 1979, scoring points in both seasons. He left F1 but continued to race world-wide for over 20 years; he was so successful in endurance car racing and with touring cars that it is virtually impossible to list all the races that he won. In 1979 he was the Procar Series Champion with BMW and in 1985 he became the World Endurance Sports Car Champion driving for Porsche and was named German Driver of the Year. In the 1986-88 period he achieved further success with Porsche, winning twice at both Sebring and Le Mans; he was also the German ADAC Super Cup Champion. In 1990 he was the German Touring Car Champion with Audi. Three seasons in IMSA with Porsche yielded 16 wins en route to becoming the 1993 Drivers' Champion. Further successes in endurance car races followed, including the unique wining the 1998 Nurburgring 24-Hour Race in a BMW diesel car. The 1990s finished with 2 wins in the American Le Mans Series with BMW, including being named GT Personality of the Year. In 2000 he won the VW Beetle Cup Race at Road Atlanta and in 2001 set the record Lap Time at Nordschleife driving a BMW V12-powered X5 Le Mans car.

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1978 LOTUS-COSWORTH 79 & BRABHAM-ALFA ROMEO BT46 DUTCH GRAND PRIX, ZANDVOORT, THE NETHERLANDS

1978 was Mario Andretti’s season, taking 6 pole positions and leading for most laps; he had 1 win in the Lotus 78 and 5 with the Lotus 79. Andretti was clear Champion with his team mate Ronnie Peterson second in the driver points. Together they ensured that Lotus ran away with the Constructors’ trophy by a large margin from the Ferraris of Carlos Reutemann and Gilles Villeneuve. Niki Lauda and John Watson worked hard to put the Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46 third in the constructors’ points. The artwork on the envelopes depicts the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with the JPS Lotus 79s of Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson leading from Niki Lauda's Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46 in Martini colours.

The first special is signed by MICHAEL BLEEKMOLEN who was a Dutch Super Vee and Formula Ford driver who raced in Formula 1 with sponsorship from F & S Properties. His first F1 experience was attempting to qualify for the 1977 Dutch GP at Zandvort in a privately entered March-Cosworth 761. He competed for a full season in F3 in 1978, finishing fifth in the series. He resumed F1 later that year in an ATS-Cosworth HS1 he qualified for the USA East GP at Watkins Glen but retired with a leaking oil pump. During the 1979-81 period he continued racing in Formula 3 with some good finishes. At the end of his single-seat career, he continued racing in Renault 5s and then the Clio.

MARTIN OGILIVE has signed the second special cover; he was appointed Joint Chief Designer for Lotus in 1978 and had worked alongside Ralph Bellamy to produce the famous Lotus 78 - the first car to feature ground-effect aerodynamics. This Cosworth-powered car won 7 races in the 1976-77 timeframe. The exceptional Lotus 79 that continued on from this design enabled Mario Andretti to take the 1978 titles with help from Ronnie Peterson. Between 1980-84, Nigel Mansell scored points in the Lotus 81B, 87, 91, 92, 94T and 95T all designed by Martin Ogilvie. Elio de Angelis drove the Lotus 91 to victory and also won a race in the 97T. Ayrton Senna achieved the last F1 wins for Lotus, winning 6 races in the 1985-87 period, driving the Renault turbo-charged 97T, 98T & 99T. Martin Olgilvie currently runs his own prototype design company and advises Classic Team Lotus on technical matters.

The third special is signed by MARIO ANDRETTI whose parents emigrated to the USA from Italy in the 1950s. His first achievement in racing was to win the 1964 US Sprint and Midget Championship. From 1965-69, he reigned supreme in the USAC IndyCar Championship, taking the 1965 & 66 titles driving a Brabham; he was champion again in 1969 racing a Hawk and winning the Indy 500 in the process. From 1967-74, Andretti had tremendous success in sports car and endurance racing, competing for Ford, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. His F1 career started in 1968 with Lotus; he gained his first podium finish with March in 1970 and his first win with Ferrari in 1971. His first full season in F1 was with Parnelli in 1975. He returned to Lotus in 1976 and raced for the team until 1980; in this period he achieved 11 wins and the 1978 World Championship. For the 1981 season he moved to Alfa Romeo before finishing his F1 career with a podium finish for Ferrari, in 1982. Thoughts of retirement were far away as he returned to the USA to become 1984 IndyCar CART Champion, racing a Lola. He has proven himself to be one of the most versatile drivers in the history of motor sport, in a driving career lasting almost 40 years.

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1979 FERRARI 312T4, LIGIER-COSWORTH JS11 & TYRRELL-COSWORTH 009, BELGIAN GRAND PRIX, ZOLDER, BELGIUM

 

Despite the Ferrari pair of Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve taking just one pole position, the Ferrari 312T4 won 6 races during the season and was clear winner of the Constructors’ Championship. Although Scheckter led for far less laps than Villeneuve, he won the Drivers’ title on Canadian soil in the penultimate race. Alan Jones in the Williams-Cosworth FW07 came third in the drivers’ points with 4 victories and with a further win by Clay Regazzoni, Williams was runner up constructor. Ross Wardle’s artwork on the envelopes depicts the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder with the Ferrari 312T4 of Jody Scheckter leading from Jacques Laffite's Ligier JS11 and Didier Pironi's Tyrrell 009.

The first special is signed by PATRICK GAILLARD who was a graduate of Formula Super Renault; he came to prominence after winning the Imola and Nurburgring races in the 1978 European F3 Championship, driving a works Chevron B43. He moved to F2 for the 1979 season but was signed by Ensign to replace Derek Daly. Despite the Cosworth-powered N179 being difficult to handle, he qualified for the British and Austrian GPs. Later that year, he competed in Can-Am, driving a Lola F5000 T332. In 1980, he returned to Ensign and finished sixth in the Spanish GP, only to be denied the points when the race was downgraded from championship status. He also drove 2 rounds in the Japanese F2 championship at Suzuka in 1980, finishing 4th and 5th in March-BMWs. In the early 1980s, he raced sports cars for Andre Chevalley Racing (ACR) at Silverstone and Le Mans. For 1982, he raced at the Nurburgring and Brands Hatch in a Cougar 01 Ford. His last motor race was the 1983 Le Mans, teamed with Derek Warwick and Frank Jelinski in a Kremer-Porsche CK 5/83; he subsequently became the Chief Instructor at the AGS driving school, in the South of France.

The second special is signed by GEOFF LEES; he was born near Mallory Park racing circuit and took an interest in motor sport from a very early age. He raced in Formula Ford from 1971-75, winning 32 out of 40 races in the final year to take all 3 championships. In 1976 & 77 he raced Chevrons, achieving third and fourth places in the championship; for 1978, he won 3 races in the Aurora F1 series. In 1979 he drove a Lola for the VDS Can-Am team, finishing third in the overall championship; he also took part in his first F1 GP when he drove the Tyrrell 009 to a commendable seventh place at Hockenheim. He won the Macau GP in 1979 with a Ralt and 1980 in a March. He also drove in the South African GP for Shadow and Dutch GP for Ensign in 1980. It was European F2 for 1981 and a clear championship title in the Ralt-Honda. He competed in F1 again in 1982, driving in the Canadian GP for Theodore and the French GP for Lotus; his 5 GPs involved 5 different constructors. For ten years he drove in Japan with notable successes; in 1983, he was their F2 champion driving a March-Honda; in 1987 he was the F3000 champion and was Japanese Grand Champion 1988 & 89. He won the 1992 Monza Sportscar World Championship Race in a Toyota and also won the 1998 Jarama & Monza GTC Races for McLaren. In addition to these victories, he competed well in the Le Mans 24-hour races in recent years.

The extra special is signed by JODY SCHECKTER who was an immensely talented South African driver who started racing karts when just 12 years old. By winning the national Formula Ford Championship in 1970, he won the ‘Driver to Europe’ prize and by the end of 1971 he was winning F3 races in UK. A season of F2 with McLaren ended with a win in the Greater London Trophy Race at Crystal Palace and a debut in F1 racing at Watkins Glen. His F1career continued with McLaren for 1973 but although this yielded little, he won the L & M F5000 Series in America that year, driving a Trojan. He joined Tyrrell for 1974, driving the 007 to wins at Anderstorp and Brands Hatch. Carrying on with the 007, the following season he had the pleasure of winning his home GP at Kyalami. 1976 saw the introduction of the unusual 6-wheeled Tyrrell P34 and he raced the car to its only win at Anderstorp. That year, he also won the Kyalami 1000 km race in a BMW. He gambled by driving for Wolf in 1977, driving the WR1 to 3 victories at Buenos Aires, Monte Carlo and Mosport Park and came runner up in the drivers’ points. He continued with Wolf for 1978, gaining 4 podium places. For 1979 he was invited to join Ferrari to drive the 312T4 alongside Gilles Villeneuve; he took the championship with wins at Zolder, Monte Carlo and Monza. He retired from racing in 1980 to concentrate on business interests.