From the archive – For What Car magazine, 1986. We borrowed the ‘new’ Renault Savanna from the Paris Motor Show as it closed on the first day and did night shots around the city with two other cars. Ended up doing this dawn shot as a last ditch effort to get a cover before returning the car to the show at 8am for the second day. A deadline dreamed up by someone still tucked up in bed! The final cover and layout, from What Car? December 1986.
Sorting through some old contact sheets….c1986, Pendine Sands. I think this sums up pretty much every car photoshoot I did in Wales. Art Director Nick Dixon on the left, me loading film. I also remember being accosted by the MOD Police for straying onto the beach on a red flag. They confiscated film on the grounds that my photos could have captured missiles being fired out to sea. These were sent back to us after they were processed….as the images showed nothing more than run of the mill hatchbacks in very wet sand!
Never published at the time, a selection of black and white images taken at the old race circuit at Reims, Northern France in September 1988, whilst on a shoot for Classic and Sportscar Magazine. We were photographing some classic Jaguars, including the XK 120 from The National Motor Museum, Gaydon. Reims was our playground for the afternoon, after French Police closed all surrounding roads to allow us to drive the old circuit. The circuit was closed in the late 1960’s, and has been left pretty much in its original state. (Click on any image to see full size gallery)
Probably from around 1986 or 1987 for Classic and Sportscar Magazine, a 1958 Ford Thunderbird, sponsored by Schlitz Beer. The boat image was from the roof of a boathouse along Putney Embankment. I can’t remember which one, but I think we paid £30 for the hire of the boat for one hour. Probably a bargain now. And the three cars outside the Elephant on the River were on double yellow lines. Inevitably the police turned up, but as they liked the cars, they just told us to be careful of traffic and left us to it. They were friendlier then, no […]
From the archives, probably 1985, these shots were from a car shoot recce. I was after an area large enough to accommodate four or five cars and vividly remember cursing this wrecked Citröen 2CV for being in the way. In the background there is the original Butler’s Wharf building. The camera position is where the newer Butler’s Wharf apartments now stand.
One of those moments when you’re sitting around the office wondering how to illustrate a tame article about car lights, when someone says, “I know….”. Probably from 1986. We tried to do this in Notting Hill, but were accosted twice by drug dealers, and got spooked. So we ended up in Bermondsey, where a local resident called the police, thinking we were shooting something a bit more hardcore. When they arrived it was quite obvious they weren’t there to ask us to move…they wanted to watch. And were sadly disappointed!
Searching for some London shots, I came across this today. Taken I think for Classic and Sportscar in 1985-6. Little caption info is included with the image, but a quick search leads me to believe it is an Amphicar 770, built between 1961 and 1968. Happy to be corrected! Taken in Twickenham by one of the ramps adjacent to Eel Pie Island.
Taken for “What Car Magazine” in Docklands as demolition work was just starting. It was a busy location, as The Smiths were two units along from us filming a video for their song “Ask”. The ‘obstructive geezers’ who are often present at film locations, wouldn’t let me near with my camera. They said Morrisey isn’t here anyway. Which was probably true!
From 1992, Jackie Stewart and Martin Brundle in their respective cars at Silverstone. Stewart in his 1973 F1 World Championship winning Elf Tyrrell and Brundle in the 1992 Benneton Ford. Looking like they were moving at quite a sedate pace, it’s closer to 100mph, as these cars overheat very quickly at much less. Which always meant bruised ribs for the photographer…caused by the buffeting whilst hanging out of the camera car roof. I never worked out a way of preventing this.
The Safari Rally with Colin McRae and the Ford Rally Team for Top Gear, February 2000. Over the Rift Valley, Kenya, all teams used helicopters as a viewing platform to instruct their drivers and warn of obstacles in their path. One of the most memorable and scary shoots. Looking back at the other helicopters was a like viewing a scene from Mash, as they zig-zagged down the valley, rising and falling as the approached power cables. Many things were learnt here. The most important was never drink copious amounts of vodka the evening before a helicopter ride.
