December 4: Another season ends

Cliche' of the day.......how things have changed.

Case in point..........all is quiet on the major F1 tracks of the world, as another championship season draws to a close and those huge car haulers carry their race cars back home to prepare for 2019. Each team has several of these purpose built behemoths, that will now be cleaned up and readied for yet another grueling race season starting in a few short months.

As you might expect it wasn't always like this, although the very best teams did have their own custom made haulers, while the lesser ones made due with what they could afford "off the shelf".

Looking back to some earlier carriers, first from Porsche.........

 While the cars are loaded up top, the oily bits are stored below, so everything can get to the track in one neat package. The drivers back in the day, weren't jetting around from track to track, like they are today. Back then, some might actually have driven the team truck (try that Lewis Hamilton). Contrast this to the huge carriers being used today, with as many as four trucks per team. Of course, the teams' money is now cubic.

Compare this '50's Fiat hauler built for Ferrari to the ones above, quelle difference?

Restored

If you have a good memory, you'll recall this famous Scottish racing team........

 ......who put Jaguars on the track back in the '50's for a variety of famous drivers, including that wee Scotsman, Jackie Stewart. Slick looking car carrier, but those valuable cars were still exposed to the elements.

BRM had that covered, since their cars were, well, covered.........

A few of these old custom haulers are still around and have been restored, such as this one built for BRM, the Ferrari truck and also Ecurie Ecosse's.

Interesting stuff, but the best one of all, goes back to Mercedes in the '50's. Unusual, as you can see and often referred to as the Blue Wonder........

Not quite restored, as the original has been long gone for years, but with the benefit of the original factory specs, drawings and tons of modern day coin, this brand new old transporter was built again. The original had a Mercedes sportscar motor, that could propel this oddity to its top speed of 106 mph. Like to attempt that with a race car attached?

How things have changed. 

Until next time........