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You Are Currently In The History City. History of Motorsport 1900-1980 Grand Prix The "golden age" of motor racing was undeniably in the 1950s, not least in the single-seater category where heroes developed as quickly as the cars they drove. The cars in question carried the names of recognisable brands you see today: Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Maserati. But motor racing was not a fresh idea even this far back in time. Motorsport was invented as soon as two cars met. On record, the first organised competition was held in 1895 and as it's Paris-Bordeaux-Paris moniker suggested this was an event on public roads, with little to keep spectators from watching their heroes at work: not even straw bales as barriers which wouldn't have appeared until several decades later. The winner on this occasion was Emile Levassor who pocketed a small amount of money for his troubles: few had even noticed the event had taken place. Fastforward five years later and the average top speed is getting serious having risen from 15mph (24kph) to almost 40mph (64kph). This time it's a trip from Paris to Lyon. In 1903 came the first fatalities (most notable were races including Paris-Madrid) which justified the need for purpose-built race circuits -- not to mention slightly more advanced technology than mere tyre research. By 1907 Brooklands had opened to the public; this characteristic course included banked corners and by today's standards appeared to be unacceptably wide, but it's mark had been made and even mechanics riding on the car's rear were no longer required, thus creating what we today recognise to be 'single-seater racing'. The 1920s and 1930s saw Bentleys thundering down these closed areas at Le Mans, dominating the 24-Hour challenge for much of the late 1920s until the firm left the world stage not returning until 70 years later -- when the racing world had become a very different place. The War interrupted the sport's growth but come the 1950s, many were enjoying post-War happiness. Yep, the straw had finally arrived but there was a reason this was widely considered as the golden age: ecstatic fans were still in a position to see their heroes at work. Little need was there for compromises such as full-faced helmets or fireproof clothing with many of the greats winning races in little more than a gentleman's suit and a bow tie. Most importantly though, the sport had become accessible which is more than can be said for modern circuit races in the '90s and '00s. Early in that big decade, crowds of 100,000 gathered round the banks to watch the big events of the year at Silverstone, an ex-airfield circuit seen as the home of British motorsport for many decades. The forthcoming two decades were to see a swift evolution of the species. In the 50s Alfa Romeo had the glorious Tipo 158 and 159 under it's wings and rival manufacturers such as Ferrari, BRM, Mercedes and Maserati struggled to keep it's rear-drive competitors on the road. Maserati's 250F was perphaps, in it's V12 variant, one of the greatest front-engined GP vehicles in it's own right. Moving on, and Colin Chapman had a point to prove: his cars used a revolutionary 'monocoque tub' with the engine positioned behind the driver's head. It is this man over anybody else who seems to have had the greatest influence on the design of grand prix cars and the former racer's first real Lotus, the Seven, was so effective that it is still in production today as a British sports car and carrying the Caterham badge. All this of course, and that was before the controversy surrounding Ford's failed attempt to buy Ferrari. The company's founder Enzo wanted nothing to do with the American firm and instead sold out to Fiat. Ford struck back, building the GT40 for competition in the 1964 Le Mans season. On it's first two attempts the car failed but the first win came in 1966, followed up in 1967. Having achieved their aim, the factory team left the world stage at the end of that year but as a final fling, privateers sucessfully campaigned the GT40 and it won the 1968 and 1969 races as well, rendering this car a legend in 60s competition. The rules changed for 1970 and this outdated the dominant Ford altogether; Porsche 917s took over to take the glory for much of the 1970s.
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