rec.autos.simulators

GPL - takes you back a bit

Paul Jone

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Paul Jone » Fri, 22 Jan 1999 04:00:00

Here is a scanned in image of the box of a game called "Formula1" which
I owned as a boy and must date from around 1967 (ok, so I'm an old
fart). I took it to the South of France on holiday and taught the locals
to play. I remember one boy whose only English was "Forrrmular One".
Great memories. Does it bring back memories for anyone else?
Identify the cars, identify the year, identify the track. The track on
the board is clearly based on Silverstone but this corner seems to have
much to much incline for Silvey.
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Sepia tones are there just as GPL said they would be, but where are the
big white numbers on the bonnets?
Cheers,
Paul
John Moor

GPL - takes you back a bit

by John Moor » Fri, 22 Jan 1999 04:00:00

Pretty neat image..I want to know.
What year, what class of car? etc....
JM btw how good is the game?

> Here is a scanned in image of the box of a game called "Formula1" which
> I owned as a boy and must date from around 1967 (ok, so I'm an old
> fart). I took it to the South of France on holiday and taught the locals
> to play. I remember one boy whose only English was "Forrrmular One".
> Great memories. Does it bring back memories for anyone else?
> Identify the cars, identify the year, identify the track. The track on
> the board is clearly based on Silverstone but this corner seems to have
> much to much incline for Silvey.
> http://www.tpjones.demon.co.uk/formula1.jpg
> Sepia tones are there just as GPL said they would be, but where are the
> big white numbers on the bonnets?
> Cheers,
> Paul

Andrew Thatche

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Andrew Thatche » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

They look like F2 cars of the 60s to me, that track could be anywere.

--
Andrew Thatcher

www.f1onehitwonders.ndirect.co.uk

Andy Jone

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Andy Jone » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

hehehe  I had that game too. I just used to plough into the corners at
the highest allowed speed and take my chances with the dice to see if
I'd spin out - hey just like GPL.

I used to like the red and blue cars the best - but the green one out
of  trap 3 (?) always seemed to win - hey that's just like GPL too ! :O)

Andy


> Here is a scanned in image of the box of a game called "Formula1" which
> I owned as a boy and must date from around 1967 (ok, so I'm an old
> fart). I took it to the South of France on holiday and taught the locals
> to play. I remember one boy whose only English was "Forrrmular One".
> Great memories. Does it bring back memories for anyone else?
> Identify the cars, identify the year, identify the track. The track on
> the board is clearly based on Silverstone but this corner seems to have
> much to much incline for Silvey.
> http://www.tpjones.demon.co.uk/formula1.jpg
> Sepia tones are there just as GPL said they would be, but where are the
> big white numbers on the bonnets?
> Cheers,
> Paul

Tony Whitle

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Tony Whitle » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

Is this the same game that I had? I certainly don't recognise the box. It
appeared to be a dice game as the track was laid out with squares but in
fact you set the speed on your "speedometer" (governed by rules covering
acceleration and braking, with extra  being available subject to certain
risks). The corners had a certain speed rating, again you could exceed the
speed but risk spinning off. I remember the board was green, clearly
Silverstone (the curves were named like the real thing I think). I'm an even
older fart because I must have been bought it about Xmas 1963. I also claim
the first track editor - I drew some extra track onto brown paper and taped
it to the board. I didn't play with it as much as with my Scalextric - that
must have dated back to the 50s as the track was *** and the cars were
Lister Jaguars. The smell of *** still gives me a frisson... oh, but
that's for another ng!

I'm pretty sure the cars on the box aren't F1 - obviously there were
licensing problems with a young Bernie Ecclestone even then.

Tony Whitley

Greg Sutto

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Greg Sutto » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

I've still got that game.  I played it with my children a few weeks ago.
The only bits that are missing are a couple of ***-y things that
hold the dial indicators on.  

Greg.

David Ewin

GPL - takes you back a bit

by David Ewin » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

Speaking of board games that "simulated" racing - did anybody else have
a board game made by Avalon Hill (the folks who make all the war games
like "Battle of the Bulge") that had two tracks, Le Mans and Monaco?  It
might have been named "Le Mans", but I'm not sure.  I bought it in the
mid 1960's, but the cars (which consisted of stats printed on cards)
seemed to be much earlier than that.  Some of the game play that I
remember included using "Hard Braking" which would increase your chances
of a spin and could lead to brake failure (these things were resolved by
rolling dice).  And if you did spin at a turn, that area would be marked
with oil chits, which would increase the chances of subsequent spins.

Dave Ewing

Jeffrey Ha

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Jeffrey Ha » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

On Fri, 22 Jan 1999 09:31:30 -0700, David Ewing

Sure did. Spent a number of hours on my bedroom floor "racing" those
cars. Don't remember two tracks though. I thought I only had LeMans. I
distinctly remember playing that game the night that JFK was on the TV
regarding the Cuban missle crisis.  Weird how your mind works....

Jeff

Dave Hawn

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Dave Hawn » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00


> They look like F2 cars of the 60s to me, that track could be anywere.

> --
> Andrew Thatcher

> www.f1onehitwonders.ndirect.co.uk

I agree, these look like F2 cars.... not enough image of the track to
determine
where!  I used to watch F1 and F2 cars at Goodwood, Brands Hatch and
Silverstone, not all Grand Prix racing, in them days F1/F2 cars would
turn up for a Trophy race, which would not count for the Grand Prix
points table!  Heady days ;-)
At the time (67) I was a mechanic..... a lot different now!
Anyone want a Lotus 49 rebuild done?
Dave Hawnt (UK)
Dennis Montgome

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Dennis Montgome » Sat, 23 Jan 1999 04:00:00

The one I had was made by 3m and was called 'Speed Circuit'.  It was in a foldout
cover which doubled as the plastic-covered game board.  You could race at Monza,
Monaco, & Watkins Glen.  You started the game with a certain # of points you could
"buy" performance with...top speed, max deceleration & acceleration per turn, etc.
Each driver (up to 6) had a speedometer and you secretly set your speed for that
turn...then everyone put their speedometers on the table and you moved 1 space for
each 20mph you had set.  They had 'best line through the turns' that could save
you spaces and a max mph for turns like the game described below.  I spent hours
with that game around 1970...

warlock

Alan Chandl

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Alan Chandl » Sun, 24 Jan 1999 04:00:00

On Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:41:44 -0000 "Tony Whitley"

> I didn't play with it as much as with my Scalextric - that
>must have dated back to the 50s as the track was *** and the cars were
>Lister Jaguars. The smell of *** still gives me a frisson... oh, but
>that's for another ng!

I was "in" to scalectrix (or rather 1/32 racing cars - started as
scalectrix but we extended) in 1967.  A few friends and myself built a
four lane hardboard and copper strip track which we set up in the
garden complete with automatic lap counters (old Post Office telephone
meters with a big diode).  We used to build our own cars - I remember
rewinding several motors and putting new barings and shafts in them.
To get more power we put thicker wire with fewer turns - and if we
were not careful the extra current would heat up the hand controllers
and melt them :-)

I remember that my car was Dan Gurney's Eagle (although I also had a
Ford GT40 and a Lotus Cortina) and that one of my mates had a Ferrari
and another the Cooper.

I can also remember that that summer we held races in my garden
including a full 6 hour endurance race (using my GT40) and that I went
to Brands Hatch on the back of my mates motorcycle (Bantum 125) to
watch Jackie Icx (sp?) win the BOAC(? I think it was that) 6 hour
endurance race in a GT40.  Two vivid impressions from that day was

1) a Gas Turbine Powered Lola getting its throttle stuck down and
crashing at Druids but in doing so narrowly missing a load of
photographers who were on the inside just before druids.  One dropped
his camera and the car went over it

2) My first real life (as opposed to TV) sight of saloon car racing
with Ford Escort Mexicos.  I just couldn't believe how close and fast
they went (again at Druids)

Then a bit later (in 1973) I had just started work after university
and had a posting in Germany.  My fiancee (now my wife of nearly
25years) and I went up to the Nurburgring and joined a race day there.
We were near the grandstands - I can still remember BMW saloon cars
racing and really squeeling their way round that 270deg first corner
on the track.

When I bought GPL a few weeks ago it brought it all of this back to
me.

Just had a thought - I must have some photographs of that day
somewhere see if I can get them scanned and on to my web site.

Alan


http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Ferdinand Trauttmansdor

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Ferdinand Trauttmansdor » Sun, 24 Jan 1999 04:00:00


>Speaking of board games that "simulated" racing - did anybody else have
>a board game made by Avalon Hill (the folks who make all the war games
>like "Battle of the Bulge") that had two tracks, Le Mans and Monaco?

Loved that game!

It's called Speed Circuit and it had three tracks, Watkins Glen(?)
Monza, and Monaco.

There is an active online league based on this game.
See "Speed Circuit - Formula One Racing Series" at
<http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3941/index.html>

For a sample track layout of the board game, check out the Hungaroring
at <http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3941/hunga1a1.gif>

        -Ferdinand-

Charlie Vehl

GPL - takes you back a bit

by Charlie Vehl » Sun, 24 Jan 1999 04:00:00

Yep,  Le Mans and Monaco   Class C  Ferrari, Jaguar, Corvette
                                              Class D  Mercedes, Aston
Martin, ?
                                              Class E  Porsche, Alfa Romeo,
Austin Healy
                                                Class F  Lotus, Cooper, MG
Flat wore out the surface of the gameboard!!!!!!!!!!!

> Speaking of board games that "simulated" racing - did anybody else have
> a board game made by Avalon Hill (the folks who make all the war games
> like "Battle of the Bulge") that had two tracks, Le Mans and Monaco?  It
> might have been named "Le Mans", but I'm not sure.  I bought it in the
> mid 1960's, but the cars (which consisted of stats printed on cards)
> seemed to be much earlier than that.  Some of the game play that I
> remember included using "Hard Braking" which would increase your chances
> of a spin and could lead to brake failure (these things were resolved by
> rolling dice).  And if you did spin at a turn, that area would be marked
> with oil chits, which would increase the chances of subsequent spins.

> Dave Ewing

DPHI

GPL - takes you back a bit

by DPHI » Mon, 25 Jan 1999 04:00:00


>>Speaking of board games that "simulated" racing - did anybody else have
>>a board game made by Avalon Hill (the folks who make all the war games
>>like "Battle of the Bulge") that had two tracks, Le Mans and Monaco?

>Loved that game!

>It's called Speed Circuit and it had three tracks, Watkins Glen(?)
>Monza, and Monaco.

>There is an active online league based on this game.
>See "Speed Circuit - Formula One Racing Series" at
><http://www.racesimcentral.net/;

>For a sample track layout of the board game, check out the Hungaroring
>at <http://www.racesimcentral.net/;

>    -Ferdinand-

I had both games at one time. The first, "Le Mans" was the source of many
heated battles with my brothers  over our kitchen table. When everyone would
come home for the holidays, we could always count on a marathon race to fuel
our off season racing urges. Sadly, we lost our copy in a ba***t flood and
I've never been able to find another.

I still have my copy of "Speed Circuit". While not as detailed as "Le Mans",
the games progressed a bit quicker and were less apt to create an
arguement<g>.We're having a family reunion this summer, I may have to take it
along.

Thanks for the memories!

-don


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