Sponsorship in Motor Racing.

49 years ago, January 6, 1968. I went to the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe and watched Jim Clark and Chris Amon battle for the lead plus Denis Hulme's devastating crash late in the race. Sitting on the Hill that day with friends and family little did I realise that I was witnessing the end and beginning of an era. The era of the great Jim Clark was to sadly end in April 1968 and the era of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing was about to begin.
Restrictions on advertising in racing had been lifted for the 1968 season and Colin Chapman did not mess around and procured the Imperial Tobacco Company's Gold Leaf cigarette brand to sponsor his Lotus Team.
After winning the opening Formula One South African Grand Prix on Monday Jan. 1st 1968, Jim and the team flew to Auckland so he could prepare to race at Pukekohe for the opening round of the 1968 Tasman Series on the Saturday ! That must have been a hectic week for all involved.
The Team Lotus 49 raced in the familiar colours of British Racing Green and Gold stripe that weekend.
Two weeks later after racing at Levin, on January 20th, the Gold Leaf Team Lotus appeared for the first time to the world in what was almost the beginning of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing.
Attachment 39970.
Jim Clark waiting on grid at Pukekohe. Jan 6 .1968. in his Team Lotus 49, ahead of the BRMs of Pedro Rodriguez and Bruce McLaren.
(Hyndman is somewhere in the crowd on the hill in the background. )

Attachment 39971
Two weeks later in Christchurch, Jim Clark proudly sits in his newly sponsored "Gold Leaf" Team Lotus 49.

Attachment 39972
Jan. 20. 1968. Jim Clark in his "Gold Leaf" Lotus 49 battling with Chris Amon's Ferrari at Wigram.
(What great memories and great racing. )


(Ken Hyndman )

It certainly was a change seeing the cars painted up like cigarette packets...

Previously, tobacco sponsorship had been of circuits, corners and races. I guess, however, there must have been some tobacco money going into cars somewhere.

Incidentally, there was consternation over this development in Australia, where Team Lotus were to race a couple of weeks later. Thus far the rules had not been rewritten and it all had to happen in a hurry.

p.s. If you think Jimmy Clark is looking tanned and happy in that photo, here is the reason why. He enjoyed his time in New Zealand during the Tasman Series as shown in this photo at Lake Taupo and also note in the background no one even recognises who he is !

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(Ken H )

Although a non-smoker, but from Nottingham, where John Player was then a major employer (along with Raleigh bicycles and Boots the Chemists), the Gold Leaf livery was extremely smart as was the later JPS livery, but I was still a BRM supporter and proudly wore my Yardley jacket - until BRM switched to Marlboro!

Incidentally, I never smoked, then or now, so tobacco sponsorship was far more about branding than encouraging people to smoke, though I do believe there were many giveaways at major events...

I do recall that Durex and Femfresh rather bucked the trend...

Nothings changed much then, Lewis Hamilton was apparently on holiday in South Island/West Coast a couple of weeks ago and not many noticed.

The first car to advertise in Formula One was John Love at the 1968 South African Grand Prix driving a Brabham BT 20 Repco.
It has sponsorship from the Rhodesian tobacco company, Gunston, which would sponsor John and others in South Africa for a number of years. What a great way to advertise by putting your name on a race car. Who had heard of Gunston before they sponsored racing ?
At least I had not.
Attachment 39976

When sponsoring a race car you always hope for a positive winning image if possible. Sometimes it does not work out that way as seen here. Fortunately John Love was not seriously hurt in this accident in 1971 at Kyalami in his "Team Gunston" Surtees TS 9.
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When we were flag marshalling at Warwick Farm film crews would often join us on our flag point...

And they would ask us to take a puff on a smoke as they filmed us, giving them some subliminal grabs to mix the 'glamour' of smoking in with the racing.

I never smoked either. When formal cigarette advertising was banned, country after country, putting their names on racing cars was a good way keep their names before the public. And they had lots of money to do this...

...and buy genuine less harmful businesses. Like Coca Cola Bottlers Australia, Nabisco, Miller Brewing, Kraft Foods, General Foods, Zurich Insurance and so on.

Jim Clark's final race at Hochenheim,Germany is about to start. April 7 1968. He is on the grid in his 'Gold Leaf Team Lotus " Formula 2 next to his good friend and rival Chris Amon in his F2 Ferrari
I find it hard to imagine Jimmy in a modern day helmet.
Jimmy you were "bloody brilliant" and racing was never the same without you.

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(Ken H )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by khyndart in CA

The Team Lotus 49 raced in the familiar colours of British Racing Green and Gold stripe that weekend.
Two weeks later after racing at Levin, on January 20th, the Gold Leaf Team Lotus appeared for the first time to the world in what was almost the beginning of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing.

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Just to clarify, Levin was on the 13th, and the GLTL cars debuted at Wigram on the 20th.

Clark running off at Levin, still in green.

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GD
Thanks for clarifying what I tried to input. Yours is much better with photos.
Appreciate it.
Ken

I always felt robbed that I never did see the 49 in green and yellow...

I fully expected to, of course.

Did Yardley sponsor McLaren or BRM first? I always liked the look of the Yardley McLarens.

that is what happens when you live in the western isles Ray

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ray Bell

I always felt robbed that I never did see the 49 in green and yellow...
I fully expected to, of course.

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And rightly so, Ray.

Maybe this pic from Kyalami '68 will help...

Attachment 40004

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JAFA

Did Yardley sponsor McLaren or BRM first? I always liked the look of the Yardley McLarens.

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BRM first. The Yardley sponsorship then went to McLaren and BRM went to Marlboro, where they overstretched themselves running up to 5 cars! (Louis Stanley wanted to run 6!!!)

Thought those Yardley-BRMs looked magic ! Double fizz later in '74 season with Emmo and Denny in the Texaco-Marlboro McLarens, also running Hailwood in Yardley colours.

Wasn't Raymond Mays one of the first to gain sponsorship, with his Bugattis, 'Cordon Bleu' and 'Cordon Rouge'?

I liked this painting by Richard Wheatland entitled "Lap 14" which was the last lap that Jo Stiffert drove at Brands Hatch in his 1971 Yardley BRM P 160-02 before his tragic crash at Hawthorns. October 24 . 1971.
Attachment 40005


In 1972 the Yardley McLaren M19 was a splendid looking race car and rewarded the new sponsors with a win at the 1972 South African
Grand Prix and driven by Denis Hulme.
This a photo of the 1972 car for Peter Revson after a recent restoration.
Attachment 40006
(Ken Hyndman photo )

Philip Morris began sponsoring F1 with the British Racing Motors (BRM) team in 1972 with the creation of ‘Marlboro BRM’,
In 1972 the company flew journalists to the team's French launch at Circuit Paul Ricard, at which the racing car emerged from a giant Marlboro cigarette packet, achieving widespread media publicity.

Attachment 40007


( Ken Hyndman )

I can still see the great Jim Clark drifting over the top at Rothmans straight arms driving on practice day behind the yellow tint screen....Little did we know. But what a great memory.

John,
You are so correct.."Little did we know"..I remember cheering when Chris Amon came around at the 1968 NZGP and Jim Clark was not in sight. We were so spoilt then with quality of drivers in the Tasman Series, we just thought they would all be back again.
I think that was also the last time that Bruce McLaren raced at Pukekohe.
"Little did we know " indeed.

Ken H

Also in 1972 Lotus now sported a striking paint scheme of black and gold; Imperial Tobacco had introduced a new brand, and decided to increase exposure and provide more funds to Lotus as part of the deal. Lotus was now sponsored by John Player Special cigarettes.
When I first saw the Lotus 72 D at Brands Hatch in late 1972 I thought it looked better than the photos. It was an awesome looking race car.
Attachment 40012

Attachment 40013
Emerson Fittipaldi waiting to go out and practice for the 1973 British Grand Prix at Silverstone in his John Player Lotus 72 D.
(Ken Hyndman photo )

Noting Yardley McLaren, including Peter Revson and Teddy Mayer alongside the John Player Special (Lotus was not in the name now, just known as "John Player Specials") reminds me of the tobacco sponsorship they both had.
Imperial Tobacco had John Player Special cigarettes.
Yardley was owned by the British American Tobacco which was diversifying from promoting smoking cigarettes to promoting men's cosmetics in the high profile of the world of motor racing and having Peter Revson from the "Revlon" empire as a driver was a bonus also.

(Ken Hyndman )

I collected everything in the day. Cigarette advertising was king. Winfield was the last of the three Rothmans brand racing teams after Lexington and Cambridge. All rather obscure brands, when it came down to it. I loved the blue red and gold colouring. This was the exterior tear wrapping from a genuine carton of Winfield cigarettes of day. I didn't smoke them but hunted out pretty much everything that had connects with my disease for motor racing at the time....

Hears a wrapper from a original pack of Winfield cigarettes from 1971-72. I used the other side of the packet to decorate a slot car I was running in Winfield colours during 1972.

Original promotional poster for the 1969 Tasman Series. Rothmans were big sponsors in all things motorsport at this time. This poster from my collection provides the details for the Kiwi races in that year.

In the early seventies besides tobacco sponsors in Formula One there were other products such as "Brooke Bond Oxo" tea with the Surtees and Rob Walker teams, STP (Studebaker Tested Products ) and Andy Granatelli with March Engineering, Elf Oil Company owned then by the French government supported Matra and Tyrrell race teams, Brabham had Esso backing, Frank Williams had Italian toy company "Politoys" backing for his team e.t.c.

Graham Hill in Rob Walker's "Brooke Bond Oxo" Lotus 72.
Attachment 40037

John Surtees in a Team Surtees TS 9 with "Brooke Bond Oxo" support. 1971.
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( Ken Hyndman )

With a blue stripe on the helmet, I think that might be John himself at the helm.

GD
Yes you are correct. I should have done my homework.
Thanks.
Ken

In 1976 Surtees obtained sponsorship from the condom company Durex . That was so controversial that it led the BBC to pull out from early season races so as not to offend viewers. It did not want to show driver Alan Jones trying to PROTECT his position etc....!

Attachment 40046

In the same vein... or a similar one...

One year late in the seventies 'Belinda's Terrace' sponsored a corner and some races at Phillip Island.

I don't know exactly what 'Belinda's Terrace' is or was, but it involved women.

Interesting enough "Durex" Is or was a brand of sellotape in Australia.........even saw an old tin in Raglan shop this Christmas,with the Durex brand name on it.
Also forsale on Australian supermarket shelves is " Coon" cheese, love those Aussie ,dont give a Sh.t

"Coon" is a Kraft brand!

Actually, 'Sellotape' (or was it 'Selotape'?) was a brand name too, the description properly being 'adhesive tape'. I don't think either brand exist now as the market's been flooded with cheap Chinese stuff for many years.

MMM probably had something to do with one of them...

Jan. 6th 1968. A fine shot of Jim Clark leading the 1968 NZGP at Pukekohe. (NZ Car magazine photo)
49 years ago this weekend.

Attachment 40080

Quote:

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Originally Posted by khyndart in CA

Jan. 6th 1968. A fine shot of Jim Clark leading the 1968 NZGP at Pukekohe. (NZ Car magazine photo)
49 years ago this weekend.

Attachment 40080

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Wasn't it unusual for a Team Lotus car to run a Shell sticker?

Terry,
They had a bigger Shell sticker on at the F1 race a week earlier at Kyalami.
Perhaps they were experimenting with their advertising before Gold Leaf came aboard.
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