N° 211 Maguirre/Meckie on Sunbeam Talbot 90. Rallye Monte Carlo 1953. To prevent the competitors from taking the timekeepers by surprise and passing without being spotted the organisers decided to paint the front wings of the cars white with washable paint. This enabled the officials to identify them a long way off even if their rally plates were not easily visible because of dirt or their position on the car. (Louche p. 118)

At the start of the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally, the Sunbeam Talbot 90 driven by Maguirre and Meckie pulls away from the line, its exhaust billowing. Officials observe from a raised platform under a "DEPART" sign. For this event, organisers painted the cars' front wings with washable white paint, a measure to help timekeepers identify competitors from a distance, even if their rally plates—like No. 211 seen here on the roof rack—were obscured by dirt. A crowd of spectators watches from behind a fence as the race begins on the unpaved road.

Keywords:

Cars, Racing, Rallye

Filename:

rallye1953_159c_253_1.jpg

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