Posted Jun 22 2010, 06:09 PM by Jeroen Willemsen with 66 comment(s)

Just found these shots of what appears to be the Nürburgring in the 1950s... At least that's what the description said: Nürburgring Nordschleife 1950s Kodachrome.

I found them on the Club Roadster forum and they depict a circuit with no barriers, gravel traps or any other safety measure except for the spectator fence.

This looks scary and cool at the same time, the only thing between death and the road is a small fence that certainly would do very little, to slow an out-of-control race machine. Can anybody identify the car?

The photos sure look like the Nürburgring with its trees, steep inclines and long straights! What kind of speeds you suppose these cars are doing? Also notice the guy standing behind the hedge in his overcoat.

Does anybody has more info on these photo's or their original source? I would love to see more from the same series.

-Jeroen Willemsen


Comments

... said:

Badassssssssssssss

June 22, 2010 6:37 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

RG said:

Never seen this before, although it definetly is the Nordschlife.

June 22, 2010 6:43 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Doriftosard said:

These are really awesome :D

June 22, 2010 6:48 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

UNKNOWN SOLDIER said:

i don't know if thats nur. it seems a bit too wide for it to be nur.

June 22, 2010 6:54 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

VonSmallhausen said:

The car in the second picture is a Maserati Birdcage

June 22, 2010 7:11 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

eva said:

need desktops of all of these...

June 22, 2010 8:45 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Maurice McL said:

This is definitely the Northern Ring

Check out this onboard clip of Nur in 1967

www.youtube.com/watch

June 22, 2010 10:00 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Pascal Thébault said:

Jeroen: the second photo shows Stirling Moss in the Camoradi Tipo 60 Maserati on his way to victory in the 1960 Nürburgring 1000 Kms.

Very nice picts, unknown for me.

June 22, 2010 10:07 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

twizm said:

Sure looks like a Maserati Tipo 60/61 aka "Birdcage", which means these pictures are from the very late 50s (think around '59) to early 60's. Lovely shots.

June 23, 2010 1:38 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Tyler said:

I have tried looking for the silver car, but cannot find anything. The red one looks like a Porsche 356

June 23, 2010 1:45 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Martin said:

desktop please.

June 23, 2010 2:09 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

ObviousMan said:

The white car in the second pic is a birdcage Maserati...a real classic!

June 23, 2010 2:17 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

noah kreider carlson said:

The car in the second image is the Maserati Birdcage.

June 23, 2010 2:37 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

... said:

Badassssssssssssss

June 23, 2010 2:38 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Andrew said:

This is awesome! People are too safe these days, long live the days of stick fences, 3 foot stone walls and dead eyed hard-asses.

June 23, 2010 2:50 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Mike F said:

I found these a while back from here: www.flickr.com/.../set-72157594198551326  I doubt the comment about the photographer is accurate, but it's a start.

June 23, 2010 3:06 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Anthony said:

Amazing photography.. i wish i could go back to these days with racing 'flatout' for the pure thrill, no abs, no airbags, no barriers and sandtraps.. just pure thrill of driving to the max.

hope we can find some in higher res for a wallpaper or two!

June 23, 2010 3:15 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Jamie Binnie said:

i'm pretty sure it is the nurburg but i have a strong suspicion they're racing the opposite way round the track? i cant be sure but the FIRST and THIRD picture definately look like nurburg corners but they're driving the other way

June 23, 2010 3:18 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Captain VXR said:

Holy *** the Nurburgring was beautiful back then

June 23, 2010 3:32 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Adz said:

Give that man a prize!! Wow I wouldn't have picked what car it was!

June 23, 2010 3:52 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

scuderia said:

amazing photos. First almost looks like a rally stage event!!

June 23, 2010 4:20 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

scuderia said:

amazing photos. First almost looks like a rally stage event!!

June 23, 2010 4:20 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

R3d Baron said:

Looks like an old Maserati Birdcage.

June 23, 2010 4:42 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

tim said:

yeah its nur alright!

that long straight, and that right hander in the first picture...its unmistakable.

June 23, 2010 4:51 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

2xthefun said:

Yes Speedhunters! Now this is the kind of things you should post more of for sure!!! I'd love to see what the carousel turn looked like back then ...

June 23, 2010 5:01 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

BigHindu said:

Amazing, doe snot begin to describe these pics.

June 23, 2010 5:07 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

scuderia said:

amazing photos. First almost looks like a rally stage event!!

June 23, 2010 5:20 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

freddydaimler said:

How about a reward for the one who will find the whole series, maybe even in Highres? Love the pics, they are very very well done, and the atmosphere is just great. Thanks.

June 23, 2010 5:30 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

MihaiB said:

wallpapers please!!!!!!!

June 23, 2010 5:57 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kevin said:

The car is a Maserati Tipo 61 (Maserati Birdcage)

June 23, 2010 5:59 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Syed said:

Priceless photos

June 23, 2010 6:02 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

El Destructo Inc said:

Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage

June 23, 2010 6:15 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Henry said:

on these photos*

apostropheabuse.com

June 23, 2010 6:29 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

astr0s said:

My god these shots are wonderful, if there is any more, please do post them!

June 23, 2010 6:38 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

haymaker said:

beautiful pics... desk top

plz

June 23, 2010 6:45 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

NuggetG60YorkshireUK said:

the track looks so different.. nice retrospective..

June 23, 2010 6:50 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Lelle4130 said:

The first picture is the last right corner leading out of Wipperman, over the hill towards Eschbach

and the second picture should be Eschbach, just before coming down towards Brünnchen.

Third picture should be down from Flugplatz towards Schwedenkreuz

and the last picture seems to be Hedwigs Höhe / Hohe Acht on top of the hill.

June 23, 2010 7:45 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

BlueSlug said:

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!  oh man that is awesome.

June 23, 2010 8:37 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Backfire20vt said:

haha to cool!

June 23, 2010 10:09 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

James said:

3rd pic for desktop please

June 23, 2010 10:31 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Baodai said:

Wow!It´s amazing,surprising quality,where did you find it?

June 23, 2010 10:43 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

MrZuffenhausen said:

the first pic's car looks like a late model 356 (probably a B)

and the last pic looks like a late 50s ferrari

+the Maser infos

so definitely from the end of the 1950s

PS love the hedges on the side of Dottinger Höhe, must have felt like racing down an Autobahn...

June 23, 2010 11:05 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Boost said:

Def. some wallpapers please!!

June 23, 2010 11:06 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Louren Sansregret said:

If in fact the second car pictured is a Maserati, the race has to be in 1960. 1960 is the only year that number 5 in the race was a Maserati, rather than a Ferrari or Alfa in years prior and following. The number 5 Maserati, driven by Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, won the event that year, 3 minutes ahead of a Porsche 718.

For full results of the race and even the original program cover, check out the link

www.racingsportscars.com/.../Nurburgring-1960-06-22.html

June 23, 2010 11:34 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

zamildrift said:

No wonder it was called The Green Hell.

June 23, 2010 12:14 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

jtt said:

Tell me about dangerous tracks...

June 23, 2010 12:21 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Daniel said:

doesnt matter how big these are, they are my new desktops

something about these photos really speaks to me! the fact that they were on glorious film, that they were in colour, from the 50s, kind of like a 'barn finds' for photos, the moment i saw them i fell in love with them more than a lot of modern speedhunters photography! (tho that stuffs great as well!)

June 23, 2010 2:49 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

s14zenki said:

whoever that photographer was, is amazing, these r super high quality for the era!

June 23, 2010 3:04 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Pedro said:

Those are beautiful pictures indeed. That's all I can say…

June 23, 2010 3:23 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Remix said:

Found this video of an old racer in 1962 going around the nurburg

www.youtube.com/watch

June 23, 2010 3:45 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

12149 said:

the scene is kinda like rally in some ways...

June 23, 2010 3:51 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Ed Marshall said:

For those asking for the "whole set", well, you're looking at it. Here's the Flickr set for the son of the photographer here:

www.flickr.com/.../72157594489521180

June 23, 2010 4:01 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

sys said:

How about a video of the entire track and an explanation from 1962 w/ Hermann Lang driving?

www.youtube.com/watch

June 23, 2010 4:27 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

kwmacdaniel@comporium.net said:

Maserati Birdcage

June 23, 2010 4:30 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kat Miner said:

Photo of my dad (photographer of these pix) picnicing on the side of the road with my uncle somewhere in Europe about the time these Nürburgring pix were taken...My dad  is in the beret..

<a href="www.flickr.com/.../" title="Europe a few years back... by ╚ SεΣ ╤hi∩Gs DiƒFerεNT└y ╗, on Flickr"><img src="farm1.static.flickr.com/.../171665774_791adabe53.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Europe a few years back..." /></a>

June 23, 2010 6:06 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Gui said:

www.youtube.com/watch

Doesn't get better thant this: 60's Nordschleife on Grand Prix Legends

June 23, 2010 10:11 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

mike23sports said:

There was also the "Südschleife" these days. Seems that some pictures where taken there?!

June 24, 2010 12:25 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

NISMO OMORI FACTORY said:

The 3rd photo looks nice as!

Nicely trimmed hedge, perfect looking surface road and nice scenery.

Kinda like driving through a forest with decent road.  

June 24, 2010 1:49 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kat Miner said:

Hi, these shots were taken by my dad, Jim Miner. Thanks to your comments, I now know they were taken in 1960 (my dad passed away in 1980). It is so great to read your comments about the pix. I thought they were pretty special and it is so nice that they are being appreciated! These are the only 4 shots I have right now. If I find more, I'll be sure an post. Both my dad and uncle were passionate about European racing and my uncle actually got to meet Stirling Moss at one point. I also have a wonderful shot of my dad in an old Porsche along one of the tracks somewhere in Europe. Will see if I can get it digitzed and post it. It's fabulous.

As for your wallpaper requests - Here you go!

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

June 24, 2010 1:56 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kat Miner said:

These photos were taken by my dad in 1960. He was stationed in Frankfurt at the time. These are the only 4 pix I know of. (My dad passes away in 1980). If I can find more, I'll be sure and post them. It's really great to read all the wonderful comments on the pix. I've always thought they were something special and it's wonderful to have them appreciated.

For those of you asking for wallpapers - links are below:

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

www.flickr.com/.../l

June 24, 2010 2:46 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

garagejdm said:

Kat, thanks for posting those for the world to see.  Its amazing how good 'chrome is even after 50+ years. The composition, colors, etc.. everything about these photos are most excellent.

June 24, 2010 3:36 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

marcuswie said:

Photo 1 it`s  the big springhill at the Pflanzgarten (Photographt at 176 or 177)

Photo 2 it`s the same Hill at the landing zone (Photographt at 175)

Photo 3 can be the Döttinger Höhe ?? It`s the fastest almost 260 Km/h

Photo 4 I mean its Aremberg (Photographt at outside)

June 24, 2010 10:58 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

M4XVLTG3 said:

Thanks for the pics Kat! These are going into the folder where I keep all the photos I personaly took when stationed in Germany.

June 24, 2010 5:57 PM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kat Miner said:

You're welcome, all - sorry for the double post - wanted to be sure the links got up and didn't see them at all yesterday. Thanks, too, for the great detailed info on locations. I am updating my Flickr page tags accordingly.

June 25, 2010 2:19 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

Kat Miner said:

Question for those of you that know the track. PIc 3 looks to be taken from above the track - Is there a bridge there? Knowing my dad, he would go for it even if it was part of the course just to get the shot. Just wondering - your comments have me looking more closely at the photos than I have before. I enjoy them all as much as you. I printed up the Maserati shot and have it framed - looks wonderful.

June 25, 2010 2:22 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters

trevor said:

well the second car (white) is obviously the mach 5

June 26, 2010 11:50 AM [flag as inappropriate] Speedhunters