Aron's helmet?
Garner used a real GP star's helmet. Does anyone know who & what he is (unfortunately) famous for?
shareGarner's helmet is a copy of Chris Amon's of New Zealand. One thing missing from it that Amon had on his was a silouette of a Kiwi bird. Amon left the sport in the early '70s and returned to New Zealand, where he lives today. Amon is known as the best Grand Prix driver who never won a Grand Prix. I was a fan of Amon's and followed his fortunes until he left...
shareYes, Chris was a great driver and a gentleman. I saw him race into the 1970's (I believe he finally retired in the mid-70's) but never saw him in his early career.
shareI have a book with a full page spread of Amon getting his 1968 F1 Ferrari outrageously sideways while trying (but, alas, failing) to catch leader & winner Stewart of a non championship race at Oulton Park. The photographers in those days were allowed equally as outrageous positions to take their timeless artwork.
Also, is it just coincidence that Aron's name is so close to the owner of the helmet he wore in Grand Prix?
The 1968 Gold Cup at Oulton Park...when F1 was fun.
shareThere were a several coincidences , if you think about it. Brian Bedford looked a LOT like Jim Clark, and his helmet had the same scheme as Jackie Stewart, with the tartan band. Signore Manetta could be Enzo Ferrari's brother, and Tim Randolph looked uncannily like Phil Hill (joke!). The movie was inspired by Robert Daley's The Cruel Sport, and some of the quotes from various actors are taken right out of the book.
shareOne of the reasons for the success of the film is Frankenheimers use of actual race footage interwoven with specially shot scenes. His crew would film at the Grand Prix weekend then on the monday stage the other shots with the actors and stunt drivers. So the actors were given helmet designs the same as existing drivers. The names of the characters were made very similar too, maybe just out of playfulness on Frankenheimers part, or perhaps to allow an 'actual' commentary soundtrack background if need be.....
So we had Aron= Amon, Stoddard = Stewart, Sarti = Surtees, Barlini = Bandini
Surtees inconveniently got himself sacked from the Ferrari team half way through the season and his place was taken by Mike Parkes. Frankenheimer has Sarti hold his 'new' helmet design (Parkes') conspicuously throughout the scene where he talks with his wife prior to to race at Monza as a way to reconcile this difficulty.
Bandini had a later helmet style which was very similar to Parkes', if not the same. In any case it's the same helmet (Sarti later in the film) he was wearing when he had his fatal crash at Monaco in '67.
RIP Lorenzo Bandini...
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Yes, I too am a fan of Amon. I found it curious & satisfying that a country with a population of, at most, one & half million, & so far from Europe, could produce ANY Grand Prix stars, let alone 3! One a world champ, another a winner and car manufacturer whose name is still on top line machinery, and Chris, a talent regarded at the pinnacle by the people who matter most - his peers...
My country produced Jack Brabham.
Now there are four men who's lives are worth considering for movies...
You can tell the real race footage at Monza in which Chris Amon is driving because Garner sits higher (above the roll bar) in the car than Chris Amon did.
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