Indy Cars of the 1940s
Introduction by Karl Ludvigsen
The 1940s are the under-reported years of motor racing, and additions to the existing dearth of material is always welcome. This 128-page soft-cover from the Iconografix series is no exception. It is, as the title suggests, a photographic record of Indy 500 cars, though it also includes a few cars from the very late 1930s as well.
The book has been compiled, and the brief text and captions written, by the prolific Karl Ludvigsen, with the bulk of the photos from the Ludvigsen Library, as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the George Wingard Archive and photographer Charles Lytle. There is a sufficient mix of photographs to make this a fascinating insight into what could be called the “hard years” at the Brickyard. Aside from the fact that the photos are not in chronological order, the subjects are bristling with interest. The evergreen Paul Russo is shown in the typical Indy pose in the Marchese brothers’ compact Leader Card Special in 1941, and then again in action after the war, running as the Marchese Special with Tony Bettenhausen behind the wheel. Fifteen pages are given to the Blue Crown Specials of Lou Moore, which were an integral part of the 500 in the late 1940s. The detail in these photos is intriguing and this reviewer would buy a substantial book on those cars alone.
Available for $24.95 from Iconografix (800) 289-3504
Indy Cars of the 1970s
Introduction by Karl Ludvigsen
Ludvigsen sees the 1970s as the “last creative decade” at Indianapolis, and he might equally have seen it as the 10 years of wild animals in oval racing…the period of Eagles, Coyotes, Mongoose and Mallards!
This is another fine product from the Iconografix series, perhaps not as nostalgic as the 1940s version, but as fascinating for the coverage of the cars that didn’t make the show, as much as those that did. There could, and perhaps should, be a book on the Indy 500 racers that never made it into the race. In retrospect, there should have been a race every five years for all the non-qualifiers. Some intriguing machinery would have become better known.
This edition opens with the account of the likeable and determined Jim Hurtabise who pressed on with front-engine roadsters long after they should have been dead. Hurtabise was entering his Mallard with the engine in the front in 1967 and still developing it in 1970, with the exhaust system and turbocharger hanging out on the left side of the car. Then in 1972 the Mallard gave way to a Coyote with a Ford engine for Hurtabise, until the Mallard returned and slogged on right into 1980.
The quantity and quality of detail photos of Eagles and McLarens in addition to the action shots of the no-hopers makes this another must-buy for Indy fans of course, as well as a guide to the technical side of Indy cars few people ever see.
Available for $24.95 from Iconografix (800) 289-3504
