Own a piece of racing history from Phil Hill’s Automobilia Collection
Phil Hill was a giant in the world of motorsports, winning races ranging from the 24 Hours of Le Mans (three times), the 12 Hours of Sebring (four times), and most important of all, in 1961 he became the first—and so far, only—American-born driver to win a Formula One championship. He also retained a huge amount of items that were part of his racing exploits, whether it be a program, poster, entry ticket, armband, pin, or, on occasion, a trophy. Now you can own a piece of that history.
Gooding & Company is auctioning off the Phil Hill Automobilia Collection, a series of online sales featuring noteworthy items from the legend’s archives. Let’s take a look at some of the cool stuff going under the hammer in the next auction on Friday, February 19:
1959 German Grand Prix at AVUS Trophy, Driver Armband, and Regulation Book
Estimate: $2000–$4000
At the 1959 German Grand Prix at AVUS, Hill drove his Ferrari 246 Dino to third place, resulting in a 1-2-3 finish for Scuderia Ferrari. Included in this lot is Hill’s Ehrenpreis trophy, as well as his driver armband and race regulation book.
1962 24 Hours of Le Mans Distance Cup
Estimate: $20,000–$40,000
A distinguishing trait of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is that the race is won by the car that travels the farthest distance in 24 hours. This beautiful Coupe Annuelle a la Distance was presented in 1962 to Hill for his third and final overall win at Le Mans, sharing a Ferrari TRI/61 with Olivier Gendebien. A highlight of The Phil Hill Automobilia Collection, this trophy represents an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire a winner’s trophy from the world’s most prestigious endurance race.
Chaparral Team Jacket, circa 1966
Estimate: $10,000–$15,000
This incredibly cool bit of kit was Hill’s personal Chaparral Team jacket. He wore it during 1966 and 1967, his final season in professional racing. It’s an extremely rare piece of American racing history and one of the few significant examples of Chaparral memorabilia in private hands.
Original Script for the 1966 MGM Film Grand Prix
Estimate: $2,000–$4,000
An exceptional piece of Hollywood history, this is Hill’s personal copy of the script for what many consider to be the best racing film ever made, Grand Prix. Directed by John Frankenheimer (who also directed that other cinematic masterpiece, Ronin), Grand Prix won Oscars for Best Sound Effects, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound; Frankenheimer was nominated for Outstanding Directing by the Directors Guild of America. This famous film included stars such as James Garner and Françoise Hardy, and also featured cameos from leading drivers of the day including Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, Graham Hill, and Jim Clark. Hill was particularly involved in the film; he was hired to serve as the technical advisor and drove many of the specially built camera cars, which captured the film’s realistic racing footage.
There are many more items available; check out the catalog here, and remember to bid early and often!
