VIC ELFORD (UK)
Born in London, Vic Elford was one of the fastest drivers of the Sixties and Seventies... and a Porsche hero...
Nicknamed "Quick Vic" by his peers, legendary driver Vic Elford is arguably the most versatile all round driver of all time.
Consider Vic’s 1968 season. It began with his win in the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally followed by a win the next weekend in the Daytona 24 Hours. He was second at Sebring a month later, then in May scored an epic victory at the Targa Florio, which is considered the greatest win in Targa history. Two weeks later Vic won the Nürburgring 1000 Kilometers. Then in his first F1 race in July Vic took a badly out-classed Cooper T86B to a stunning fourth-place finish in the soaking-wet French Grand Prix.
Vic was EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPION in 1967 then turned to SPORTSCAR RACING and F 1.
Vic Elford was one of the world’s great SPORTS CAR drivers being one of only four drivers ever to record SIX MAJOR VICTORIES AT THE CLASSIC NURBURGRING (the other drivers being Rudolf Caracciolo in the 1920's, John Surtees and Stirling Moss)…. but he is also A TARGA FLORIO, SEBRING & DAYTONA WINNER to mention only a few!
Vic excelled in International rallies being the last British driver to win the Monte Carlo rally (1968) and the European Rally Championship.
His first drive in FORMULA 1 resulted in 4th place in the rain at the French GP driving the slowest car in the field!
Vic also competed with outstanding results in Can Am, TransAm, Off road events in Africa, even Nascar…
In 1972, while driving for Alfa Romeo, Vic branched out into another extra-curricular activity - that of principal narrator for producer Michael Keyser's film "The Speed Merchants".
During the 24 hours of Le Mans, when a Ferrari crashed in front of him, Vic stopped in mid-race to extricate the driver from his burning car… T.V. cameras caught the action and Vic was named Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite by French President Georges Pompidou for his act of courage and heroism.
Shortly after, Vic retired from racing…
1968 TARGA FLORIO - SICILY
At the Targa Florio, despite starting the second lap of the ten lap, 720 km race more than 18 minutes behind the leading car, Vic and co-driver Umberto Maglioli came back to win by more than a minute. (Just a few months ago, when Vic was in Sicily for a Targa Florio reunion the locals were still recalling that exploit!) Porsche, in recognition of his efforts, dedicated their traditional victory poster not to the car, but to the driver. The only time a Porsche poster ever featured only the driver - not the car.
1968 BRITISH GRAND PRIX - COOPER BRM
Fourth in Vic's first Grand Prix.... .
1968 RALLY MONTE CARLO
1968 saw victory in the Monte Carlo Rally in a 911…
2008 HISTORIC MONTE CARLO
40 years later…same car, same driver, same co-driver, same track, same wheater conditions…
1968 DAYTONA 24 HRS - PORSCHE 907 - ELFORD-NEERPASCH
…followed a week later by victory in the 24 hours of Daytona in a 907, Porsche's first ever outright win in a 24 hours race.
1969 LE MANS 24 HRS - PORSCHE 917 LH - ELFORD-ATTWOOD
1969 GERMAN GRAND PRIX - NÜRBURGRING
Vic Elford in a McLaren M7C
1969 NÜRBURGRING 1000 KM
Same place, this time in a Porsche 906…
1970 NÜRBURGRING 1000 KM
In the winning Porsche 908/3 he shared with Kurt Ahrens Jr.
© Ted Walker
1970 DAYTONA 24 Hours
In the Porsche 917K he shared with Kurt Ahrens Jr.
1970 LE MANS 24 HRS
Lap records included: Targa Florio, Nurburgring, Daytona, Sebring, Norisring, Monza, Buenos Aires, Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca,
Riverside and Le Mans-where he was the first driver to lap at over 150mph in the Porsche long-tail 917 in 1970!
1970 BRANDS HATCH 1000 KM
Porsche 917K, driven by Vic ELFORD and Denny HULME.
1970 MONZA 1000 KM
Vic ELFORD and co-driver Kurt AHRENS on the Porsche 917 with race number 10.
A tyre burst at more than 300 Km/Hr ended their race...
Vic ELFORD and Jim HALL...a great partnership
1970 LAGUNA SECA
At speed in the CHAPARRAL 2J
1971 LE MANS 24 HRS
Elford-Larrousse shared this beautiful Martini 917 LH.
1971 LE MANS 24 HRS
Elford-Larrousse starting on pole in the beautiful Martini 917 LH.
1971 LE MANS 24 HRS
Pit stop during the night for the Martini 917 LH.
LE MANS 1971
a copy of Carlos´ watercolor painting signed by Vic ELFORD, Jackie OLIVER and Gérard LARROUSSE.
2009 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Carlos posing next to the same car, almost 40 years later...
1971 BOAC 1000 KM - BRANDS HATCH
Elford-Redman in the Martini 917.
1971 TARGA FLORIO - SICILY
Elford-Larrousse in the Martini 908/3.
1971 NÜRBURGRING 1000 KM
In the winning Porsche 908/3 he shared with Gérard Larrousse.
1971 BUENOS AIRES 1000 KM
Hard on the limit…
1971 SEBRING 12 HRS
1971 DAYTONA 24 HRS
By 1971 Vic had become one of the very few drivers to have won both the American Crown Jewels of endurance racing,
the 24 hours of Daytona and the 12 hours of Sebring.
TARGA FLORIO - Sicily
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo.
Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973.
While the first races consisted of a whole tour of the island, the track length in the race's last decades was limited to the 72 kilometres (45 mi) of the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, which was lapped 11 times.
1970 TARGA FLORIO - Sicily
Vic ELFORD shared this Porsche 908/3 with German Hans HERRMANN.
1973 INTERSERIE HOCKENHEIM
Driving the 1200 bhp Porsche 917/30 to victory.
1973 CAN AM Championship
LAGUNA SECA (USA)
Vic ELFORD driving the UOP SHADOW.
2005 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Carlos posing with Vic Elford.
2005 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Vic Elford at the wheel of a Porsche 908/3.
2006 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Carlos posing with Vic Elford.
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Vic and Anita Elford.
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Carlos and Anita Elford.
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Carlos had the honor to drive around the Goodwood park in a golf caddy in the company of Vic and Anita Elford
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Vic concentrates for a run with the Chaparral 2J in the wet….
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Jim Hall's Chaparrals are known for their revolutionary ideas being the archetype for many current design details.
The Chaparral 2J is the ground-breaking "Sucker Car". The 2J generated aerodynamic grip via a snow mobile engine hooked up to generate suction along the underside of the underbody.
2007 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
The master at work…
RETROMOBILE
PARIS, FEB 08 2008
Kurt Ahrens and Vic Elford meet again, 37 years after their victory at the Nürburgring 1000 Km race .
RETROMOBILE
PARIS, FEB 08 2008
2008 SOLITUDE REVIVAL
Stuttgart, June 26-28
Carlos and Vic Elford showing a limited edition print of Carlos' painting of the Porsches 917LH
2008 SOLITUDE REVIVAL
Stuttgart, June 26-28
Carlos in the company of Kurt Ahrens and Vic Elford, two very famous Porsche drivers.
2008 SOLITUDE REVIVAL
Stuttgart, June 26-28
Carlos and "Quick Vic", unforgettable moments in the company of a great driver and a fantastic person…
2008 SOLITUDE REVIVAL
Stuttgart, June 26-28
Vic Elford, demonstrating the 1969 Targa Florio winning Porsche 906.
2010 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 2-4
Vic Elford´s autograph, a must have for every motor racing fan…
…and I'm not the only one around!
2010 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 2-4
Brian REDMAN and Vic ELFORD, not only great drivers but also wonderful persons!
2010 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 2-4
Souper with Vic ELFORD and his charming wife Anita in Storrington near Goodwood.
Clockwise from left: Wilfried GEERTS, Carlos GHYS, Rudi SMET, our American friend Jim ZEIGLER, Anita and Vic ELFORD,
Sven LAEVERS and my brother Luc GHYS.
As you can see, the owner of "The White Horse"-Hotel, Steve Doyle, is also a great Elford fan!
2010 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 2-4
Nicholas WATTS just finished his new painting in the background, depicting Vic Elford in the Martini-Porsche 917 LH during the 1971 24 Hrs race at Le Mans.
Below, some other paintings of Vic Elford by Nicholas Watts.
The style of Nicholas Watts is characterised by his exhaustive research and meticulous realism.
This coupled with his talent as a draughtsman and his unsparing attention to detail, make every single image a historic account of the actual event.
If you are interested visit www.vicelford.com.
2010 LE MANS CLASSIC
Le Mans, July 9-11
A week later, Vic ELFORD posing next to the 1970 Le Mans winning Porsche 917 with it‘s drivers
Richard ATTWOOD and Hans HERRMANN.
2010 LE MANS CLASSIC
Le Mans, July 9-11
With his former team mate, the French Gérard LARROUSSE (right)
Vic ELFORD and Gérard LARROUSSE, friends forever...
2010 LE MANS CLASSIC
Le Mans, July 9-11
Vic ELFORD at the wheel of the 1977 Le Mans winning Porsche 936 (Jacky ICKX-Jürgen BARTH-Hurley HAYWOOD)
All Le Mans Classic pictures © Wilfried GEERTS
2011 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 1-31
Vic ELFORD demonstrating the famous Chaparral
2011 FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Goodwood, July 1-31
Vic ELFORD signing the art work of British artist David Daisy (left).
October 2012
FLORIDA, USA
Holidays at Vic and Anita's place.
Vic served us a delicious lobster dinner.
Driving with Vic on Florida's highways to Bal Harbour.
Dinner and shopping at Miami Bal Harbour.
Vic Elford, Marie-Jeanne and I were kindly invited to our Argentinian friend Sergio GOLDVARG's home.
Sergio has a unique collection of more than 14000 scale model cars, beautifully exposed in unique show cases.
After Vic discovered amongst those hundreds of model cars some racing cars he once drove in his career, Sergio kindly asked him to sign them.
Still can't believe these pictures: as a passenger next to my idol Vic Elford in Sergio GOLDVARG's Batmobile... .
