Large format black and white photo, recently printed, of the legendary racing driver Raymond Mays at speed in his 1500cc supercharged ERA (chassis R1A) with twin rear wheels, breaking 40 seconds for the first time at Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in May 1935. A little later in the event he took his other car (Chassis R3A with 2 litre engine) and went even faster, breaking the record twice in one day in two separate cars.
Evocative photo, looks very good framed.
Mays was the king of Shelsley Walsh hillcimb from the 1920s to the 1940s making numerous fastest times and outright records along the way initially in a Bugatti Brescia, later in Vauxhall Villiers and White Riley, He also raced for AC and Invicta at Brooklands. He was the founding force behind ERA racing cars which was the first commecial racing car maker in Great Britain in 1934 and the rock upon which the current billion dollar racing car industry in the country is built. He raced as the ERA team leader with much success in Britain and across europe despite limited previous road racing experience and continued to be a major force untill the war, then limited himself mostly to Hillclimbs untill his retirement in 1950 after winning the inauguaral British Hillclimb Championship - with an ERA of course.
Mays was the founding force behind BRM and remained with the company untill it's end in the late 1970s. He died in 1980 and a memorial is located next to the startline at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb, his favourite venue.
The venue itself looks amazingly similar at this point today with the spectators perched on the hillside and only the track surface has changed greatly!
12x16 inch (305x406mm)
