Pure nostalgia

[John Z Goriup]

While perusing the latest batch of automotive periodicals earlier today, I picked up the latest OCTANE ( with Lamborghini Countach vs. Ferrari Testa Rossa on the cover ) and while leafing through it a loose flyer fell out of it. The b&w photo so mesmerized me, that I immediately bought the magazine and went home to read more.

The flyer ( scanned photo below, I really dislike doing this, but I believe the photo is worth it, and its not part of the magazine. merely an advert. poster ) is a typical '50s Klemantaski image, but the subject and the names are what caught my attention and transported me back 57 years to a time when I used to listen to the major international motor sports events on the family's Telefunken short-wave radio, since residential television was virtually unheard of in those days in Europe.

In case you're having difficulty reading the caption - as follows: LES VINGT-QUATRE HEURES DU MANS, 1955 The Porsche team on arrival at Le Mans for the tragic '55 race. The 550s were entered for Riggenberg / Gilomen (partially hidden), Polensky/von Frankenberg (no 37), Olivier/Jeser (no 65), Glöckler/Juhan (n0 62), Duntov/Veuillet (no 49) and Seidel/Gendebien (no 66).

What cars, and what a line-up. Just consider the combined victories and career accomplishments those individuals achieved. I think this coming winter, on some cold & rainy day, I'll try to research the serial numbers of these cars and attempt to determine how many I've seen in the metal, photographed and perhaps even posted in last year's Pic-of-the-day odyssey.........and perhaps discover who owns them nowadays.

JZG

[72targa]

Looking forward to your findings!