Actually, Bruce, Herr Doktor is correct on this point. The film-makers
used Formula 2 cars, not the old 1.5 liter F1 cars. The bodywork as
well as engine covers and exhaust systems were mocked up to look like
the 66-67 cars. I recall this very clearly from an article in one of
the car magazines of the time.
If you think about it, this makes sense. F1 cars, even the obsolete 1.5
liter versions, would have been difficult to come by and difficult to
maintain, with expensive, temperamental, and rare pure racing engines,
different for each type. On the other hand, the F2 cars had cheap,
reliable engines derived from production cars and the chassis were
readily available and relatively cheap - exactly what was needed for
moviemaking.
If you watch the various scenes in the movie closely, you can often tell
which were the real 3-liter F1 cars and which were the disguised F2 cars
by the tire and wheel widths. For example, all of the footage on the
Monza banking is of the F2 cars, since the F1 cars did not run on the
banking in 1966. The tires are clearly the narrower F2 tires.
Of course, this begs the question: which engine sounds in the movie are
authentic to the car being shown in any given sequence, and which sounds
were dubbed in after the fact?
Alison
On Mon, 04 May 1998 22:46:52 +1000, Bruce Kennewell
>Not quite true, Herr Doktor!
>> From what I've heard, they used Formula 2's, mocked-up to look like the
>> F1's.
>The mock-ups were done with a few of the previous F1 chassis...the 1.5
>litre formula.....with dummy exhaust systems mounts atop said cars. In
>fact, the dummy exhaust system on the Ferraris looks terrible and shakes
>around so much that it gives the impression of being held on with
>string! :-)
>> The in-car shots were from in-car cameras on these cars, as well as
>> *actual* race action from the F1's. They also used the Ford GT-40 and
>> Porsche
>Shelby Cobra 427.
>> (as you stated), which if I heard correctly, were FASTER
>> (straightline) than the F1's!!!
>faster than the 1.5 litre cars, yes!!