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1939 Tripoli Grand Prix: The Race

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Lang makes a rocketing start and leads Caracciola and Farina whilst Villoresi’s streamliner falters. (Mercedes-Benz Classic)

Story by Robert Young
Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz Classic

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The race

The 30-lap race started in searing temperatures and one wonders how Luigi Villoresi was coping in the cramped confines of the streamliner’s cockpit. The track temperature was reported to be some 50 degrees and it was up to 40 degrees in the shade.

The race was to be started by ‘lights’ and by Marshall Balbo waving a flag, and this caused some confusion as the lights flashed before Balbo dropped the flag, and Lang, watching the lights, streaked away. For the Officine A. Maserati it was a disaster – Trossi’s car broke a piston and failed to complete a lap, the streamliner had a gearbox fault and Cortese retired on lap 4.

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Tripoli 1939: Italian Job That Mis-fired

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The late Clyde Berryman’s diorama of the Mellaha pits and timing tower.

Story by Robert Young

The fabulous ‘golden era of motor sport’ of the 1930s was dominated by the silver German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union racers. The Italian challengers in their brave red Maseratis and Alfa Romeos were outgunned in a motor sporting equivalent of the blitzkrieg. From 1934, when the German teams came on the scene, to 1937, the European Championship ‘750kg’ formula for Grand Prix cars saw engine capacities of up to 6 liters employed, but in 1938 this was reduced to 3 liters and once again the silver cars ruled the roost, with the ‘titans’ driving the Mercedes V12 W154.

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Grand Prix Dioramas: Monaco

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Last week, the French Grand Prix in dioramas. This week, Berryman takes us to the ritzy Mediterranean mecca of Monaco. Above, 1955 Monaco GP – The field jostles its way around the Gasworks hairpin right after the race start.

Story and photos by Clyde Berryman

Monaco is perhaps one of the most inspiring locales for the subject of a diorama but both architectural requirements and elevation changes can make it one of the most challenging as well for the builder! To date, I have done four Monaco Grand Prix dioramas as follows per below. [Read more…] about Grand Prix Dioramas: Monaco

Grand Prix Dioramas: French Grand Prix

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Story and photos by Clyde Berryman

This installment of the Clyde Berryman Grand Prix Dioramas deals with the French Grand Prix. Above, a scene from the 1957 French GP (Rouen les Essarts) – A Commissaire and his dog survey the action at Nouveau Monde hairpin. [Read more…] about Grand Prix Dioramas: French Grand Prix

Grand Prix Dioramas: Tripoli

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Last week in our story on dioramas, Clyde Berryman discussed how he became interested in motor racing, when as a child he was told about the prewar Grand Prix races while living in Tripoli. We therefore begin this series with his amazing diorama of the Tripoli Grand Prix, held at the Mellaha Circuit, in 1/43 scale.

Story and photos by Clyde Berryman

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