Sixties Motor Racing
By Michael Cooper
Over the past few years there have been a number of large format, high quality photo essays devoted to the history of motorsport – all attempting to capture the essence of motorsport during a given period. In the case of Michael Cooper’s Sixties Motor Racing, Cooper has captured the glory days of the ’60s in a way that few could.
For many, the ’60s embody Vietnam, flower power and the sexual revolution. But for motorsport afficionados, the ’60s represent one of the most influential eras in motorsport history – signified by the emergence of legends like Stewart, Clark, Brabham and McLaren, just to name a few.
Cooper’s work throughout the ’60s captured the great races, the evocative personalities and the rare moments that made this era so memorable. For example, Cooper was there when Stirling Moss had his career-ending accident at Goodwood in 1962, capturing close-up images which have rarely before been seen. Rare images such as these are only a sampling of the 445 pages of black and white and color photos that comprise this book. In order to provide some perspective on this epic work, the hardbound 445 large-format pages weighs in at a whopping 13 pounds!
The bulk of Cooper’s work, and the book, focuses on Formula One. Fortunately for all, he also found time to cover endurance races such as LeMans, the Goodwood TT, as well as a number of other significant sports car events.
Accompanying Cooper’s photos is an introduction to each year by author Paul Parker. Parker prefaces each year with a description of what was going on in the world at the time, with particular emphasis on current events in the U.K. and the world racing scene. Interestingly, the publishers chose to border these introductory pages with cultural images that capture the flavor of the year, such as the major motion pictures, personalities, and political statements of the day.
Though the book is expensive, $385, its amazing size and excellent quality make it a work that will be treasured for years to come. Published by Palawan Press and available from Classic Motorbooks, (800) 458-0454
