Official book collectors thread

Does anyone know the status of "Inside Track", the book of Phil Hill's photos that was being edited by Doug Nye and Steve Dawson? It was originally intended to be published in 2007, I believe.

Several emails to the "official" Phil Hill web site http://philhill.com , which promotes the book, have gone unanswered. Does anyone know who owns the web site?

Thanks.

Jack

 

I ran across a book I forgot I had acquired back in 2001. It is Ferrari 166 to F50GT, The Racing Berlinettas. It is by John Starkey, Christopher Renwick and Philippe Olczyk. Published By Renwick and Starkey Ltd. in 1999.

http://en.v12books.com/userdata/public/article/570/499/338/1132_b_Ferrari_166_to_F50_GT.jpg

What I found most interesting is along with all the historic photos and stories of all these great cars it has a chassis by chassis history of all the racing Berlinettas, from original owners to current owners and all sales in between. It even tells of accidents, crashes, fires etc that may have caused the cars to be rebodied and who the coach builders were.

Here is a copy of an email from Michelotto to the book author about the book.
http://www.wspr-racing.com/attack/ferrari.htm

Any estimate of the value on this book. It looks to hold some very good information. It is the hardback copy, not leatherbound. In very good condition. I found a few websites listing it but it is no longer in print and is becoming very short in supply.

 

Be aware that this book is now several years old. Chassis history is a ongoing business and the content of the book might be outdated in quite a few cases.

 

I understand that but to have previous history could be helpful in some cases. Just curious if it has interest to anyone?

 

Still looking for that one, myself. I might do some digging while at the Monterey Historics, this year. That's where I first heard it being promoted.

George

 

George,

We all wish you good luck with your quest for information regarding Inside Track next month at the Monterey Historics (now Reunion) . For anyone wanting a refresher on the long-overdue Inside Track, I suggest that they read our February discussion that starts on page 54 of this forum.
With an expected attendance of 55K vintage racing fans, the Reunion would be an ideal venue for release of the book. Demographics are at http://www.mazdaraceway.com/sites/main/files/file-attachments/2012_yamaha_marketplace_rate_sheet_1.pdf

I have been in contact with Connor Barr, Business Development Manager at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He coordinates the exhibitors at the event and I am hoping that he might entice some interest from the right parties.

Racing activities start with the pre Reunion on August 11-12, but there are no ehibitors present. Tony Singer's Automobilia Monterey (mini Retromobile) is August 14-15. There are lots of book sellers and Tom Shaughnessy is on the vendor list. http://www.automobiliamonterey.com/vendor_list.html

The vendor area at the Reunion is known as Yamaha Marketplace. I have not found a vendor list for 2012 but Jesse Alexander is usually there and Phil had a pavillion with his photos in 2004. That is where I first saw, but did not buy, this photo. I have been trying ever since. I'll leave that story for another time.

Jeff
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Jeff,

Nice to see you back here in the forum. It appears that there isn't any new information about "Inside Track" since our discussion six months ago. I have to say it's quite disappointing that the Phil Hill web site doesn't even respond to emails inquiring about the book. It almost makes one think there's some sort of intrigue going on between the parties involved.

Jack

 

Jack,


Surely you and I are not alone in suspecting that something is going on between the parties. I like your characterization, "intrigue". It's more diplomatic than mine.

The philhill.com website is only one of many that have ignored email and all other forms of communication. I am still hopeful that the prediction made by TomS (not Shaughnessy) after Phil's funeral 4 years ago will prove to be wrong. He said that the book "will never be published".

The 16 page publicity brochure says on the front cover "To be published by The GP Library in 2007" and on the back cover "The finished work is to be published by The GP Library during 2007". What print media has The GP Library (Doug Nye and David Weguelin) ever published? Not any of Doug's books that I can find.

David Weguelin Productions has been publishing Motorfilms Quarterly DVDs since 2002. Doug promotes them on YouTube and they are great. The GP Library has more than 2 million photos by Geoff Goddard, Franco Lini, et al. But they are mostly uncatalogued so good luck trying to get one even if you know exactly what you want. I got lucky. After inquiring for years, Doug posted this one here on February 29th and I bought the original Geoff Goddard wet print.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=141254185#post141254185

Jeff
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Jeff,

I've always found it strange that GP Library would be the publisher. (Frankly I'd hoped for a very high end publisher like Palawan. Maybe KlemColl could pick it up!) A few weeks ago I tried to access the on-line archives of GP Library. It's vacant. DCN told me in an email that there hadn't been any content there for years. I've also sent some emails and left a few voice mail messages for Steve Dawson over the past year or so, with no response.

I have an idea that there's a conflict between the Hill family, Nye and Dawson (and perhaps others) and it woudn't surprise me at all if "TomS's" prediction comes true. Ben Horton told me at Amelia Island that "even Doug has no idea when it will be published." Yet, the "official" Phil Hill web site continues to promote the book.

As much as I have been looking forward to this book, what I'd really like to see is a fully documented, accurate, thoroughly researched and sensitive biography of Phill Hill. I'd like to see the biography that he deserves.


Jack

 

Jeff and Jack,
thanks for your insights. The two of you are much more up on this than I. I
wonder if Alma and/or Vanessa still attend the event. I am sure Alma would give a straight answer. She's quite a woman, from my memories.

George

 

Of course, I meant "Phil."


George,

Please do inquire if you see any Hill family members at Monterey/Pebble Beach. Especially Derek, as I believe he may have been involved in the book and/or some type of documentary.

Please let us know if you have any news.

Thanks.

Jack.

 

Jack,

The first photo above shows Phil standing on the elevated assembly line in the Ferrari factory. My brother found it in The Phil Hill Photo Collection pavilion at the Monterey Historics in 2004. It was about 11”x16”, matted, and signed by Phil. The price was $500.

It was late in the afternoon on Saturday, the last race had ended, and I was carrying a digital video camera. I had just walked in from the bright sunlight and I thought that I was looking at a B&W photo. The caption at the bottom simply said “1958 Ferrari Factory”. I hoped that there might be a catalog of the photos but a young woman sitting at a card table near the entrance said she had no more information about them an she didn't know when Phil would be back. I shot a few frames of video and we left, expecting to be back on Sunday. We didn't make it.

Almost a month passed before I looked at the video and I was startled to discover that the picture was a color print. At full size on a good monitor, three other factory workers in green coveralls are visible as well as a red PF coupe to the right. The TdF to the left is not light blue and not silver and not light gray. It is definitely white. Now I REALLY wanted to know more about the photo.

I knew that Donn Gurney (not Dan) represented Phil, and several other drivers, arranging speaking engagements. His business is called Race Legends. He still represents Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham, Steve Matchett, David Hobbs, John Surtees, John Fitch, Tim Considine, Bobby Unser, Tony Adamowicz, Donnie Allison, Derek Bell, Bob Bondurant, Tony Brooks, Derek Daley, Vic Elford, Frank Gardner, Dick Guldstrand, Burt Levy, Karl Ludvigsen, Denise McCluggage, Augie Pabst, Kane Rogers, and Roy Salvadori. (The list still includes Carrol Shelby so there could be other errors.)
http://www.racelegends.com/index.html

There is a photo of Donn Gurney with Jack Brabham at http://www.racelegends.com/contact.html

I believe that Race Legends started http://philhill.com/ Running a whois search on racelegends.com shows
Current Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Domain servers NS77.WORLDNIC.COM and NS78.WORLDNIC.COM

Doing the same for philhill.com shows
Current Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC
Domain servers: NS13.WORLDNIC.COM and NS14.WORLDNIC.COM
Technical Contact : Phil Hill Inc.
[email protected]
ATTN PHILHILL.COM
care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA 18222
Phone: 570-708-8780

In 2004, Race Legends had about 15 of Phil's photos for sale so I thought that they might know more about the others. By the time I contacted Donn Gurney (he returned my phone call), he said that he had no information about the collection. He also said Phil was ill so he (Donn) didn't want to bother him. I found an address for Phil in a FOC directory and sent a letter. I got no reply. I have already related my chance encounter with Phil, Alma, and Derek in the paddock at the 2006 Historics. [url]http://www.thebestemployee.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200937&page=54[/url]

I could use the Wayback Machine to retrieve some of the old Race Legends web pages but I don't think it would be very productive. However, there is still one of Phil's photos on a Race Legends page. It is of Phil and Oliver Gendebien after their 1958 win at Le Mans. It is copyright 2002. [url]http://www.racelegends.com/about.html[/url]

Jeff

 

I put a few Ferrarissima Books on Ebay yesterday including #1&2 from the first edition.

I also have a photographic collection I would like to sell. PM me for an inventory.

 

I know someone here that has contact info for Derek Hill, he loaned some photo prints and family home movie video to recent Art Show.

"Fast, Faster, Fastest".

I don't think flogging those dead websites is going to yield results...

I told the Museum we should issue the whole show on a DVD, but there were die cast model collections, and other things that did not really lend themselves to the format.
The rare photos certainly did tho....

Hill's movies of playing in the sand of the Riviera, with a young Derek were TOO cute though, and warranted a larger distribution...I posted a thread at the time of the show, it's in Vintage somewhere....

 

In June of 2011, Alma and Derek Hill went to Monza for the Coppa Intereuropa historic races. It featured a special Phil Hill Trophy race, which was won by Mark Piercy in an ex-John Surtees 1964 Lola MK4. The trophy was presented by Alma and Derek and there is a good photo by John Lamm of the three of them on the podium at http://blog.roadandtrack.com/phil-hill-remembered-at-monza/

Parts of that event were included in the Leica video that I mentioned in February (page 54). http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/phil-hill-f1-champion-and-leica-enthusiast/ It now plays much better than when I first mentioned it but Derek's lips aren't quite synced with the sound.

Derek starts narrating at 1:20. At 4:03 he says "For the last 6, 7 years, we've been working on getting the stories. While my father was still alive, he was documenting where the photographs were taken and what they were all about. Steve Dawson, who got all the stories from my father and helped compile all the images and Doug Nye, a famous motorsport book author from England, is helping us."

I discovered the John Lamm piece today when I googled "monza Phil Hill 2011 tribute" (in that order but without the quotes). I was especially lookng for a good photo of Alma and Derek. John's exactly fit the bill.

In addition, I also found "Phil Hill Website design, Creating a tribute website for a Formula 1 Legend. http://www.st8.la/work/phil-hill-website-design/ It does not specifically mention philhill.com but when you "Click here to launch Phil Hill’s website" that is where it goes.

Under Objective it says "The goal of the project was to promote the upcoming book and documentary as well as provide valuable resources for fans and racing enthusiast." Under Process it says "Working directly with Phil’s family, we conceptualize a website that would leverage Mr. Hill’s amazing photo archive collection." It also gives a Santa Monica address and phone number.

Jeff

 

Nice work, Jeff. I did not recognize any of the names on the web designer's site. Jack

 

Jack,

If this should be posted elsewhere, feel free to move it. It obviously isn't a book but it fits with the reference to a documentary in my last post. The Vimeo credit, "by Alex King 7 months 3 weeks ago", indicates that it was posted there about January 1, 2012.

The title suggests that it was probably presented at the Petersen Museum "Tribute to PHIL HILL on the 50TH Anniversary Of America’s First Formula One World Championship", Thursday November 10, 2011.

At any rate, the credits state that it was directed by Derek Hill. It starts with Alma talking about Phil while one of his "reproducers" (player pianos) is playing. I mentioned them in my first post in February . It is 18 minutes long and I found it while searching for Phil Hill Inc. http://vimeo.com/32475089 Google doesn't find it associated with Ferrari Chat, so apparently it hasn't been mentioned here previously. I'm surprised.

Jeff

 

I've been hemming and hawing on posting my book, but finally am doing so because (I hope) it would be warranted based on:

1. There is some Ferrari content;
2. I'm a long time FChat member and the author;
3. I mention Ferrarichat in my book a few times;
4. Only 200 copies so very collectible and limited.

http://www.amazon.com/16-Pictorial-History-Cizeta-Automobili/dp/0578099462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342722198&sr=8-1&keywords=cizeta
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It's getting rave reviews....congrats!!!

 

Here´s a new addition to my collection: "The Book" on the Ferrari World themepark in Abu Dhabi. I don´t care much about the themepark itself, but the book itself is quite nice and large and includes a slipcase - lots of good quality pictures inside. I´ve only seen one for sale so far, which is the one I bought

The picture shown comes from the publisher´s website:
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This may be old news but I have just been thru the listings at [email protected]. Some very rare volumes most in foreign languages. tongascrew

 

Hortons Books' website went live today.
http://www.hortonsbooks.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=341_398
Don't spend too much now

Paul

 

FINALLY!! (Poor CC... )

 

Thanks, Paul. I hate lugging those books home from Revival!

Jack

 

It appears that Derek Hill will be committed to this project with Cadillac for quite some time:

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Aug/0801_ats.html

Perhaps this is why it seems that progress on the book has come to a standstill?