Introduction

My main interest since the 1950s has been in the Grand Prix scene.  But in 1969 I found a shop that sold the American magazine, Road & Track, and ‘discovered’ the fantastically exhilarating Can-Am Challenge.  That my interest was so piqued was to a considerable extent down to the authoritative and witty reports filed by the great Pete Lyons.  I was – and remain – fascinated by the Group 7 cars, revelling in their gross nature, characterised by their huge and noisy Chevy pushrod V8s.  Not that such an attribute could be enjoyed in a sensory way in England, as there was precious little press coverage, let alone anything on film at the time.  Even today, footage of the Can-Am is not plentiful and is mostly of low quality. 

For me the classic period of the Can-Am was 1967-74, the years of the Bruce & Denny Show, the advent of the Porsche 917/10 (and /30,) and the final breakthrough of the Shadow.  I’ll be featuring stories and images from the era here from time to time.  My first substantial post will be on the BRM P154 – an object lesson in what can happen if you don’t follow the advice repeatedly dispensed by our dads, ‘If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.’ 

Meanwhile, here’s a set of 1970 race programme covers which hint at the excitement offered by the Can-Am and which in their style are also emblematic of simpler, happier times:

Images courtesy of Malcolm Mitchell and his terrific website