John Bishop, the man behind Can-Am and Trans-Am racing, was the founder of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Started as a series for FIA Group 1, 2, 3 & 4 cars, the series over the years embraced turbocharged engines and Group 5 (GT) and Group C (GTP) cars. The series was wildly popular with race fans and featured the best manufacturers, top tier racing teams and the best drivers from all over the world. IMSA regrouped at the end of the GTP era and introduced the World Sports Cars which lasted five years and was the swan song of the IMSA era in racing.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
 |
 |
|
| 1950 Cisitalia-Abarth 204A Sport Spyder: Built by Cisitalia in 1948 (Chassis 04), the car was sold to Carlo Abarth who modified the tube framed racer, coaxing the 1.1L OHC aluminium engine engine to 80hp, which made it a formidible class contender. This was one of the last Cisitalia racers built before that firm's bankruptcy and one of the first Abarth cars (Abarth Chassis #08). The great Tazio Nuvolari drove the car at the Targa Florio but failed to finish due to a broken gearbox, but won the Palermo-Montepellegrino Hillclimb with this car, reputed to be his last win and his last race. The car spent most of its life in Argentina after that, but surfaced and was sold at auction in 2013 for $4.62 million! Model by HANCHETTE 1/43 |
THE TRIPLE CROWN OF ENDURANCE RACES:
THE 24 HOURS of LE MANS
THE 12 Hours of SEBRING
THE 24 HOURS of DAYTONA
GREAT AUTOMOTIVE MAKES:
ABARTH
ASTON MARTIN - RACING & PRODUCTION
ALFA ROMEO - RACING & PRODUCTION
AUSTIN HEALEY - RACING & PRODUCTION
BMW -RACING & PRODUCTION
CHAPARRAL
FORD GT40, MkIV & MIRAGE
LOLA
LOTUS - RACING & PRODUCTION
McLAREN
MASERATI - RACING & PRODUCTION
MERCEDES W196 & 300SLR
RACING & RALLYE CARS
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1945 to 1959
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1960 to 1969
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1970 to PRESENT
LAND SPEED RECORD CARS
RACING SUPPORT VEHICLES AND TRANSPORTERS
SPORTS, GT, TOURING & CLASSIC CARS
PRODUCTION SPORTS. GT & TOURING CARS 1948 - Present
CLASSIC & SPECIAL INTEREST RACING & PRODUCTION CARS & TRUCKS
DRIVER TRIBUTES:
THE OLD IRISH RACING HALL OF FAME
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO TRIBUTE
STIRLING MOSS TRIBUTE
DAN GURNEY TRIBUTE
JIM CLARK TRIBUTE
WORLD DRIVER & CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONS 1950 - 1985
GREAT RACING TEAMS:
ECURIE ECOSSE
GULF OIL RACING
MARTINI RACING TEAM
GROUP 44, Inc.
CUNNINGHAM RACING TEAM
BRUMOS RACING TEAM
GREAT NORTH AMERICAN RACING SERIES:
USRRC 1963 to 1968
CAN-AM SERIES 1966 - 1974
IMSA SERIES 1971 - 1998
TRANS-AM SERIES 1966 - 2013
OLD IRISH AIR FORCE:
HISTORIC AIRCRAFT
For copies of images, questions or comments about the collection to: OLD IRISH RACING
Back to: OLD IRISH RACING MODELS INDEX Home Page
Back to: OLD IRISH RACING Home Page Legal stuff: Content and images on this website are the property of Old Irish Racing and may not be used without permission. © Old Irish Racing 2018
PLEASE NOTE: From 1968 into the 1990's tobacco companies sponsored many significant race cars. In the interest of historical accuracy, Old Irish Racing chooses
to display models in our collection as historically accurate as possible. While seeing a tobacco advert on a car gives me no more desire to go smoke than seeing a car makes me want to go
suck on its exhaust pipe. If tobacco (or alcohol) adverts on race cars offend you, please go look at nice pictures of bunnies and kittens on another site.