Originally intended as a commemorative gift for Jimmy himself, modelmaker Henri Baigent’s work took on an additional weight of importance in the wake of Clark’s death. Whenever I see these kinds of amazing artifacts being built I can’t help but wonder where this little marvel is today. At the time, Ford and Firestone provided Henri with technical drawings and even the appropriate rubber compound to create the model in 1:12 scale. Now if he’d just built 12 of them we could be driving it around Silverstone: That’s how this works, right? When the models are this exact I can’t be sure.

Via Motorsport Magazine [the best]

This place recognizes Porsche 917 body panels for what they are—works of art. These would make a lovely addition to the garage wall.. or better yet above the dining room table.

The decision isn’t so much whether to get one, but which iconic 917 livery to choose. Gulf? Hippy? Pink Pig? Martini? Perhaps I should just let each become a centerpiece of a different room. More information at CD Automobilia.

I think we can all generally agree that the rapid increase in technology—particularly the desktop computer—has made society better in almost every way. Sure, maybe we’re all too buried in our phone screens, but the societal benefits of all that increased computation have made our medicine, our education, our entertainment, our jobs.. on the whole: faster, easier, more enjoyable. I have yet to find, however, a single example of a contemporary track map that is better designed or more engaging than those created by draftsmen hunched over a table with a pencil and a bottle of ink.

This example of the track map for the Palm Springs road races of 1952 is an excellent example. Would a contemporary track map designer sketch in these gorgeous little illustrations of the cars lined up on the track? Would a contemporary designer playfully wrap the typography of the turns around the contours of the map? I doubt it. I’m glad that Stan Parker signed his name to this masterpiece so we can thank someone specific. Thanks, Stan.

It’s official. I need to make a lot more money.

A week ago, I thought my life was fairly complete, but then I saw this slot car table from Slot Mods. Now when I want to hide something, I usually pick some nondescript, boring piece of the background for my secret to blend in with. The folks at Slot Mods think slightly differently. When they set out to create a slot car track loosely based on La Sarthe, they decided the most inconspicuous place to stash it was in this Gulf-liveried Porsche 917 fiberglass shell. Amazing. This is the same group of mad geniuses bringing you Neiman-Marcus’s $300K slot car table. Now how am I supposed to decide between them?

More shots at SlotMods.com

There’s something starkly atmospheric and cinematic about Peter Aylward’s photography that gives these cacophonous racing machines a serene beauty. It’s almost jarring how something so visceral and kinetic can take on a peaceful grace. I don’t know whether it’s the cold, largely neutral color palette or the composition but these images are absolutely arresting.

More astoundingly beautiful photos from a number of different shoot locations at Peter’s site.

Neiman Marcus’ Christmas catalog is famous for their over-the-top gift ideas. My favorite from last year was the custom falconry equipment. This year though, I’m actually tempted to put together a crowdfunding campaign for this custom slot car set by Slot Mods. Even better, David Hobbs will attend your opening party.

I can imagine no better evening than sitting around this remarkable slot car table with David Hobbs calling the action. Only $300K. At that price, we can’t afford not to get it.

Who’s in?

More information (and video!)—but sadly no “add to cart” button—at NeimanMarcus.com

Thanks for the tip, Paul!

I’m consistently amazed at what Lego builders can do with nothing more than their ingenuity and a handful of Lego bricks. Somehow those little blocky chunks of plastic can be massaged into the most beautiful contours. Malte Dorowski has put together a fairly complete Lego garage of Martini Racing Porsches (and transporter… and support vehicle), but it is probably no surprise that his take on the Carrera RSR is my favorite.

Look at those iconic bulbous arches around this thing. Coming up with this collection of bricks and assorted bits and bobs and deciding that they can come together to create that arch is mind boggling. Malte didn’t just get the general shape nailed down and call it a day though—the details are where this model really sings. The peek through the door at the gauge cluster; the way the windscreen wiper is perched; the steering wheel’s center button: They all come together and get that RSR just right. Absolutely beautiful work.

More at Malte Dorowski’s Flickr gallery. Thanks for the heads up on this one, Ryan!

I stumbled across a few scanned pages of this comic strip highlighting Stirling Moss’s career in the wake of his crash at Goodwood in 1962. I’ve had little luck tracking down more information about the series or where it first appeared. Other “World of Champions” strips may have been published in Tintin books or in “Champion” magazine, but I haven’t found anything definitive about this strip. Maybe it was published in both in varying locations or times.

I’d love to find a physical copy.

I find the relationship between the medium and the subject of an artist’s work fascinating. In an Instagram filtered landscape, we’re used to seeing contemporary imagery processed to look vintage. Illustrator Arthur Schening has taken the opposite approach. These representations of 50 year old (and more) racing cars crafted in a very modern aesthetic makes for a compelling balance. Arthur’s illustration style is something akin to what we’re used to seeing as a representation of architectural renderings or a more polished take on fashion illustration. Schening has taken this aesthetic reminiscent of Wallpaper Magazine’s hayday under Tyler Brûlé and applied it to old sheet metal in brilliant technicolor saturation. I dig them.

Prints of these and more at his site.

I adore this Formula Vee cover illustration for the November 1968 cover of Sports Car magazine. The late 60’s blend of almost childlike color blocking offset by very accurate proportions and technical details create a charming balance.

Somebody is selling a copy on eBay (no affiliation) and I’m hoping one of you buys it before I have to. Thanks for digging this up, Paul.