Black Friday Deal: Get 50% Off Memberships Until December 6!
Avatar photoJulien Mahiels
SCDVintage Car Racing
2

Motorsport History at the Oldtimer Grand Prix

Oldtimer Grand Prix 2016 Julien Mahiels
Oldtimer Grand Prix 2016

The AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2016 was held 12-14 August at the Nurburgring Circuit in Germany, with 500 participants and more than 60,000 spectators enjoying the annual historical races spread over a total of twelve races and two regularity tests.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary year in 2017, historic race enthusiasts should circle the date of 11-13 August on the calendar to experience this iconic event that will take you on a journey through seven decades of motorsports history. From pre-war giants such as Alfa Romeos, Bentleys and Bugattis to the screaming three-liter Formula One machines of the 1960 and ’70s, organizers are planning another expansive event at the legendary Eifel race track.

Senior Photographer Julien Mahiels documented the 2016 Oldtimer Grand Prix. In addition to his initial gallery, we share the following outstanding images from Julien that offer another look at the historic races at Nurburgring Circuit.

Oldtimer Grand Prix – Picture Gallery (photos: Julien Mahiels)

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Related

2 Comments

  1. The photo of the number eight Corvette looks like it is the Corvette that Dave Heinz/Bob Johnson drove at that was built by Dana and Toye English at English Chevrolet in Wauchula, Florida. It went over to Le Mans at the behest of Chevrolet and Goodyear after their earlier car won the GT class at both Daytona and Sebring. GM and Goodyear wanted the car to race at Le Mans but the entry was initially rejected. You have to be invited to race at Le Mans, so Chevrolet and Goodyear started shopping around for a team that had already been invited to race. They found one in Luigi Chenetti’s North American Racing Team (NART), which was partially made up of cars that the Corvette beat at Daytona and Sebring. Chenetti insisted that the Corvette be painted in the team colors, including a large Ferrari prancing horse logo on each of the front fenders just in front of the doors. I worked for Dave Heinz during those days, at his MG/Austin/Jaguar/BMW dealership in South Tampa. Dave also won the SCCA Formula A National Championship at Road Atlanta a couple of years earlier in a Lola T-142 with a Traco Chevy engine in the back. The last I had heard, the Corvette went up for auction at the RM/Sotheby’s auction at Monterey in 2015, but it did not meet its reserve. I guess it has since been sold. This was the sister car to the #57 (as in Heinz 57) “Rebel Corvette” that raced in the IMSA GT series in the early 1970’s by Dave and Bob. After the Le Mans race (where they led GT for a while before problems arose from a practice crash) this car became their primary IMSA GT with parts from both cars used to make the Corvette that was raced for a couple more years. Good times.

  2. How to remove yourself from Julien and Sports Car Digest’s Christmas card list – I struggled to get excited by the Nurburgring photographs with the exception of your header pic of the Ferrari Breadvan. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to capture the action at such a large circuit and look forward to the next event.