I have recently returned from Spa Francorchamps where the 24hours of Spa were contested for the GT3 series of cars, whose star draw is the one and only Valentino Rossi!

Valentino retired from MotoGP at the end of 2021 and became a member of the W Racing Team in January 2022 with the future developing ambition perhaps, of competing in and maybe even winning the Le Mans 24 hours. With his WRT team GT3 BMW, he and his one or two teammates have been giving a good account of themselves, notably winning at Misano last year.

I have had an increasing appreciation of motorcycles and some aspects MotoGP in recent years following certain models and art I have had access to and this particular piece of art is a part of that journey of understanding.

With my local church praying for us, against all human expectation I set out on an ambitious adventure with one of my twin sons, to see if we could meet and ask Valentino to sign a large original artwork on behalf of the artist. I wrote an account of this within a few days of returning last weekend, so it was hot off the cerebral press so to speak and if you would like to read an illustrated pdf account from my faith point of view, click here. Enjoy the anticipation if this appears to take 5-10 seconds to load, it’s worth the wait!

The 18 page account was written in pages on my Mac and manoeuvring photographs and text past each other was tricky to say the least, so it’s not an expert presentation by any means, but merely an account recorded while meaningful recollections were still vivid, an approach I can highly recommend. This document may form the basis of a more conventional photobook in the future, possibly via Track Limits.

The original account is sincere and truthful from the heart, however if you should prefer an abridged version that minimises the faith aspect to this remarkable experience, click here.

This is the title of my latest Photobox photobook, started five years ago and devoted to the life and work of a superlative model maker, Tony Dennis who lives in Sussex in the UK. The only way the material could be assembled for this particular book, was to rely on the couple of occasions each year when we could meet and also long telephone calls. The sharing of material for editing by computer wasn’t available to me in this case, respecting Tony’s age and preferences. Unlike other past masters such as Gerald Wingrove and Rex Hays and Michele Conti before him, Tony has had no previous publication of his work, other than a few magazine and newspaper articles between 1995 and 2001. Hence it was an honour for me to put the record straight. With Photobox shutting-up shop on their previous publication platform at the end of June 2024, we had to complete the final 25% via Royal Mail, shuttling printed material between us for editing.

Tony’s renaisance period was from the late 1990s until the late 2000s and focussed on scratch-built models using materials other than plastic and glue, nor paint other than cellulose car paint on the bodywork. Everything else was made from sheet copper and machined from brass or steel (rather than derived from casts from one master part). To each part, a surface finish was applied before permanent colouration by electroplating in any one of a number of finish and colour permutations to produce an item that appeared like it had been made from an original material – eg aluminium, steel, magnesium, chromed parts etc. Wheels included individually spoked rims and real rubber tyres. The engineering of these cars replicated that of the real cars with live suspension, other fully articulated parts including engineered bushes, with a realistic steering ratio and the car being able to support its own weight. The bodywork was so expertly made, that no filler was required before cellulose car paint was applied. The bodywork panels could be removed by application of a machined micro-tool to remove micro fasteners and because these miniature engineered replicas in either 1/13 or 1/10 scale have such value, owners are invariably never brave enough to prove the point.

This 160 page photobook focusses on one of his most well known subjects, the mid 1950s Maserati 250F and only touches on a few of his even more remarkable models in a larger scale where no holds are barred and in miniature, Tony replicated the real moving parts to scale as in the real car eg working splined torsion bar suspension etc. Each of his models were built on commission for wealthy patrons and so are not available to see. For this reason and with privileged access to his photographic archive especially, I compiled a detailed record describing how these were made, supplemented by a lavish collection of photographs taken by a professional photographer of the day, some derived from print film, later ones being digital. In this way, even though the models are held in unknown private collections, we are able to access the models as they were assembled in a glorious stage by stage format because of the photographer’s creative and experimental approach.

I had very few days to be able to print off thirteen copies at great expense to myself and so very few indeed are available at £495 + P&P. Contact Mark (see Contact) for access to a less expensive pdf copy.

As of July 1st 2024, Photobox has replaced their editing program completely and all past photobooks have now been deleted. Photobox allowed just sufficient time for me to complete another title and take advantage of being able to save previous ‘creations’ as pdf’s and print any others that were required.

So now, it is sadly no longer possible for anyone to view or re-order the following titles from Photobox. MRO F1 Engineering – The First Twenty Years, Vol 1 Hesketh 308 (1975), Vol 2 McLaren M23 (1974 and 1976) and Vol 4 McLaren M19C (1972).

However, I have a small number of each title priced at £85 + P&P and the initial batch of re-published Vol 1 Hesketh 308 (1975) by Track Limits at £30 + P&P. It is hoped (but not promised) that over the years, the other three titles will gradually be re-published by Track Limits at a more economic price point. Thank you for your support.

Track Limits (www.tracklimitspublish.com) invites orders of this re-released photobook about the iconic Hesketh 308B.
If this title is the success we think it will be, then Track Limits will re-publish all of my previous titles in the coming months in a new and refreshed format at a very reasonable price. 
Additionally, future volumes (as yet incomplete or not yet started), based on 1/12 scale models built by MRO F1 Engineering between 1998 and 2012, are planned for publication over the next few years.

MRO F1 Engineering Photobox photobooks have been disasterously affected by the Adobe/Flash issue in January 2021. This means, that although these can be bought on the strength of what’s written in my website or following other recommendation, they are no longer available to view before purchase, nor can I view them myself in order to edit any pre-January 2021 work-in-progress. With the intention to complete the latest unfinished photobook (Volume 3 Matra MS10/11), I had it printed off without being able to see it. I would then have to begin to laboriously re-type it and re-install photographs on Photobox’s new platform which would enable new projects to be viewed for editing and also before purchase. However, all previous projects would remain invisible (MRO F1 Engineering – The First Twenty Years, the 1975 Hesketh 308, the 1972 McLaren M19C and the 1974/6 McLaren M23’s).

Fortuitously, whilst working on a different project, I was contacted by a publisher who has been willing and able to save the cause! He has enthusiastically scanned in our first project, the 1975 Hesketh 308 in 1/12 scale, such that the text could be edited in Word and slightly updated with a totally new presentation of the photographs (freshly re-installed and optimised, from original images), also with a modern eye-catching page layout. This fantastic new edition is almost ready to go to press and very shortly I hope to be able to direct viewers to the website from where these can be purchased. An image of the front and rear boards and a selection of pages will be visible.

If this new edition of Volume 1 is a success, we can justify repeating the work to resurrect the other three existing Photobox photobooks, making them available to see and purchase once again. Additionally, the new publication’s price point will be notably more competitive than I was able to do before through Photobox. Once the process has been shown to work, I hope to do the same with the next volume re the 1968 Matra F1 cars and thereafter gradually expand the range as previously intended. Congratulations to my new publisher on producing such an attractive second edition of the 1975 Hesketh 308, this being a study of the car itself alongside the model I made of it. So, watch this space!

The Menu item, ‘For sale’, has been added today in order to find new homes for artworks, books and models. The purpose is to share them with others, generate a little space and provide exit strategies and ensure progress with the actual work of model race car building. Hopefully, model building will resume increasingly when I find the opportunity and right time to stop work completely. It’s true that since 2012 when the 1/12 Tyrrell 006 was completed, too many requirements of the current era have demanded the time which I used to be able to carve out for Formula One modelling in 1/12 scale – apologies for that, I hope we can do better in future.

In recent months and across the past year or two, I have found only just enough time to work on a pair of Matra 1/12’s to fill important gaps (did Jackie Stewart really drive an MS11?, if so which one. Wouldn’t it be great to complete the Matra MS11 series with their launch car raced at Monaco 1968). If so, the evolution of the car from Monaco, to Holland and finally to the British Grand Prix in 1/12 scale would demonstrate the varied proactive engineering evolution that Matra undertook and perhaps that which caught the eye of Ken Tyrrell when he was looking for a chassis in 1969. These models are only part complete not surprisingly. I am also working on a longterm project re a Lotus 49 (GLTL) in 1/8 scale and have recently tackled several Vanwall cars for both 1957 and 1958, in 1/18 scale – wow, the SMTS offering (limited to a curbside only), is very good in my opinion. Additionally, for the last two years, I have been working on a special photobook focussing on the mid 50’s Maserati 250F by a very talented engineer who has crafted this miniature replica. This has taken a great deal of research time and is only one third to half complete.

Finally and to the point, adding text descriptions of items ‘For Sale’ will only find their way on to the list slowly and photographs of each will only follow in several months when I have opportunity to resize, upload etc which requires the help of Thomas my very capable son (Philip’s twin) who built this site and works in the computer programming world. Thank you for your patience and interest.

This week, I had opportunity to think about Derek Gardner once again and reflect on how much Derek’s memory  is cherished by Margaret his widow and their family, Helen and Rachel, when I visited them. It’s been a little over five years since he passed away and the greatness of his whole career spent in innovative design, is best appreciated amongst motorsport fans, by considering his seven years spent in the employment of the Tyrrell Racing Organisation, as it was first known. Before this and since, he expressed his design genius in other areas, notably aviation, auto-transmissions and even boats.

I have occasionally visited Margaret and Rachel since I first visited the family home in Lutterworth in December 2003 whilst Derek was beginning to cope with loss of sight. We have exchanged telephone calls over the years too, just keeping in touch amid the inevitable moves that families make. In 2003, Derek was graciously able to appreciate my initial conversion of Tamiya’s Tyrrell 002/3 into the prototype car, 001. I had added the characteristic nose section and other signature parts, however the over-slim central monocoque was not yet apparent to me, for I hadn’t yet visited Hall and Hall where 001 was now restored and run by John Delane, on loan to him in historic racing. In 2002 at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, the unrestored 001 was on show as a static demonstration as I recall. I visited Hall and Hall in February 2004 and studied 001, producing the monocoque in 1/12 scale a little later that year. The much broader almost ‘pregnant’ looking chassis was now obvious and this is conveyed appropriately in my new (2004) monocoque rebuild, as seen below…

When visiting Margaret again in November 2013, we were able to recognise that without Derek, there would have been no Championship Tyrrells, an accolade in itself. Tyrrell P34 the six-wheeler was a sensation at first launch and after an initial flush of success in 1976 (including a one-two finish at Anderstorp, Sweden), the inertia of winning ways departed. Goodyear failed to maintain the necessary research and development on the small ten inch front tyres, so the ‘car’ also failed and disillusioned drivers left, especially Jody Scheckter who had won the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix with the car and was a creditable third in the Drivers’ Championship that year.

During Derek’s time at Tyrrell, they had won the Drivers’ Championship twice (Jackie Stewart) in 1971 and 1973 with 003 and 006 respectively, winning the Constructors’ title in 1971 also.

This photograph celebrates some of Derek’s Tyrrell designs in 1/12 scale, the 006 Championship winning car in the foreground, 001 in the background towards the left and two 007’s (1974/5) in the background centrally and towards the right. For this photograph, Derek’s slide-rule as used in period and referred to on page 162 of Jackie Stewart’s autobiography Faster, has been placed appropriately alongside on the LHS; thank you Margaret.

After many months of detailed research of the real cars and that of two 1/12 scale models made between 1998 and 2005, the photobook is finally complete and available to view on-line via Photobox, click here.
With two cars being involved, I felt I could not justify producing one photoboook for the model of the 1974 car, only to then produce a second one for the 1976 model, obliging interested readers to consider a second photobook. From the outset, a single book covering both cars was decided on, however it has been a monumental task and I had to limit it to a sensible size, enlarging the usual photo book from 60 or 70 pages to 124 pages. The cost via myself, is a little more at £95 plus P&P, rather than the usual £70 excluding P&P. However, the story of how these two models came about and the interactions with the cars themselves and the personalities around them are parallel theme. In this way, considering these cars and the models of them I have made side by side, is itself fascinating and an insight into the evolution of this ever so successful icon of Formula One racing during the era 1973-1977. Therefore, they go well together in the same photo book and I hope you will enjoy a good read and the wealth of photographs of both the real cars and the very detailed models of them. As ever, the purpose behind these photobooks has been to produce one for each model for my own library only, however I will in time accumulate a small stock of this photobook for supply to others in the future, for I can’t rely on holding such a valuable resource in the digital realm permanently (shared with all, via Photobox).
I welcome comments sent to Contact in the usual way, both by way of constructive criticism and enjoyment of the product hopefully.

This Photobook is in the closing stages of completion, due to be finished in late November hopefully. It will be available as usual on-line, as a link to Photobox.
This volume (:2), deals with the 1974 and 1976 McLaren M23’s chassis /5 and /9 respectively. Following these through from conception to completion of the models, the story of the real cars is followed from their racing days through restoration – decades later, until their current lives in frontline appearances in demonstration runs or actual racing in Historic Racing series. The text also brings these cars to life in my occasional interaction with them since the mid 1970’s, also the brief associations with the personalities who designed them, built them, raced them and now own them. The volume also serves as an opportunity to record my motorsport experiences from early years since a teenager, when first coming into contact with these iconic cars, until the early 2000’s. This Photobook presents two cars and so is over 100 pages long, much of the material being originally recorded on 35mm film, having only recently been scanned into a digital format. I look forward to the concluding work of editing, arranging a contents page and titles throughout.

Hi folks, just to let you know our sweet looking black and white cat Chica seen in some of the photos, passed-away on 9/4/15 amid much sadness being only 6yo.
I have recently completed a photo book of her life – here is the link to view it.
Mark