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Phil Hill Tribute at Peterson Museum – Report and Photos

Report by Art Evans and photos as noted

Phil Hill portrait
I took this portrait of Phil Hill at his home in Santa Monica on June 6, 1993. It was one of a number I have taken of motorsports personalities. When I got ready to take the photo, Phil asked me what Fangio wore when I took his picture. I replied that he wore a suit and tie. So Phil went upstairs and changed his clothes. (photo credit: Art Evans)

On the night of November 10, 2011 a Tribute to Phil Hill was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The occasion — organized by Bruce Meyer’s Checkered Flag 200 group that supports the museum — celebrated the 50th anniversary of Phil becoming America’s first Formula One World Driving Champion. In addition to the festivities, the museum displayed an assemblage of cars Phil owned or raced.
A feature of the evening was the presentation of part of a documentary film about Phil Hill that his son, Derek, is working on. The part shown on multiple screens depicted the 1961 Formula One race at Monza where Phil clinched his championship driving a factory team 1.5-liter “Sharknose” Ferrari Dino Type 156. The film was impressive in its production qualities and I look forward to seeing the finished product.
Derek as well as his mother, Alma, spoke movingly about Phil. In addition, photographer Jesse Alexander, Dan Gurney, Jim Hall, Parnelli Jones, Road & Track’s John Lamm and Denise McCluggage participated in a roundtable-type discussion.
Over cocktails, a few of us reminisced about Phil’s very early days in sports car racing. He bought his first car — an MG TC — in 1947 from a foreign-car dealership, International Motors, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The salesman was John Von Neumann. Phil soon got the idea that the MG could be more than just transportation.
A group of enthusiasts, including Phil, put together an organization that year devoted to competition. They named it the California Sports Car Club. (Originally independent, in 1962 it became a region of the SCCA.) The first event, on August 31, 1947, was a time trial held on public roads in the then undeveloped hills of Palos Verdes. Phil ran his MG there as well as in another event called the “Centro Miglio” pronounced “Cen’toh Meel’yoh.” It was an illegal open road race held at night in the hills east of Los Angeles near the town of Saugus. Approximately 100 miles long, it started at the beginning of Bouquet Canyon Road and ended at Tips, a restaurant near Castaic. The competition was John Von Neumann’s idea. His wife, Elinor, was the timer and scorekeeper. She flagged them off at one-minute intervals. When all had gone, she would drive over a shorter route to Tips and log the finishes. The event was held a number of times during 1948. Bill Pollack recalled that, “Phil Hill and I, along with Jack Early, were all in MG TCs. There were several other crazies, but their names escape me now.”
On November 14, 1948 and again on December 5, 1948, time trials were held on a 3/10-mile test track at the Davis Motorcar Company in the San Fernando Valley. Roger Barlow in his Talbot-Lago Fagoni won the first one. Phil Hill won the MG class with John Von Neumann second. Sec Gausti in a supercharged Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, formerly owned by Tazio Nuvolari, won the December event.
The Cal Club ran a number of wheel-to-wheel races during the forties at Carrell Speedway, a ½-mile oval in Gardena, a suburb of Los Angeles. The Speedway had frequent professional races plus occasional amateur sports car events. Phil Hill was part of the organizing committee. The first was held on July 24, 1949. The very first race was an 8-lap “Heat Race for Small Sports Cars.” All of the cars were MG TCs. Phil, who by then had supercharged his MG, was third and then went on to win a 3-lap “Trophy Dash” plus the 25-lap main event. His time was 12 minutes, 12.49 seconds watched by 8,539 paid admissions.
The Cal Club held its first legal road race in Palm Springs on April 16, 1950. The club became one of the most active in the United States, sometimes conducting as many as a race every month. On November 4, 1956 at Palm Springs, Hill in a 3.5 Ferrari had a race-long duel with Carroll Shelby in a 4.9 Ferrari. Shelby won by 0.5 seconds. On April 7, 1957, again at Palm Springs, Phil redeemed himself by defeating Shelby, who was in a Maserati.
Phil Hill in his MGTC with John Von Neumann in his SS 100 Jaguar at Carrell Speedwa
Phil Hill (right) in his MGTC with John Von Neumann in his SS 100 Jaguar at Carrell Speedway on July 24, 1949. The Speedway was an oval track in Gardena, a suburb of Los Angles. A crowd of 8,000 watched Phil win three races that day. (photo credit: Art Evans Archives)

Phil’s first major win was in his own XK120 Jaguar at the first Pebble Beach event held on November 4, 1950.
Phil’s first major win was in his own XK120 Jaguar at the first Pebble Beach event held on November 4, 1950. (photo credit: Art Evans Archives)

I took this photo of Carroll Shelby (right) and Phil at the November 4, 1956 race at Palm Springs. Shelby won with Phil right on his tail. Shelby and Phil were lifelong friends.
I took this photo of Carroll Shelby driving a Ferrari 410S (right) and Phil in a Ferrari 857S at the November 4, 1956 race at Palm Springs. Shelby won with Phil right on his tail. Shelby and Phil were lifelong friends. (photo credit: Art Evans)


Phil had an amazing memory. At the beginning of the new millennium when I started to write about fifties-era racing, I often called him for remembrances. I recall an occasion when, in 2001, I was working on my third book, The Fabulous Fifties, Sports Car Racing in Southern California. (Enthusiast Books 2002), I had heard a rumor that there had been a hill climb on August 14, 1949 at the northeastern edge of the San Fernando Valley on Big Tujunga Canyon Road. I called Phil to ask him about the event. More than 50 years later, he was able to tell me all about it and in great detail.
Carroll Shelby had been scheduled to be one of the Tribute’s participants, but illness prevented his appearance. Nevertheless, he was represented at the Petersen gala by his first Cobra driver, Bill Krause as well as Shelby American driver John Morton, Ken Miles’ son, Peter plus my son and Shelby’s right-hand-man, David. It was remembered that Phil drove in 1964 and 1965 for Carroll Shelby’s Shelby American in Cobras and GT40s. Even though Hill and Shelby were great rivals during the fifties, they were also fast friends. The record shows that Hill participated in ten major events in both the U.S. and Europe during those years. His best finish for Shelby was a class win at Sebring in 1964 teamed with Dan Gurney. At Le Mans that year, Phil set a new lap record and was running in fourth when the GT40’s transaxle broke.
Phil Hill Shelby Cobra Targa Florio picture
Phil Hill drove Cobras for Carroll Shelby during 1964 and 1965. Shelby challenged Ferrari for the World Manufacturer’s Championship those years. The first foray was the Targa Florio in April 1964. Phil Hill was part of the team that secured the championship for Shelby in 1965, the first time an American had won. (photo credit: Dave Friedman)

Phil Hill Pierce-Arrow Pebble Beach Concours
I took this photo of Phil and his Pierce-Arrow in front of his home in Santa Monica in 1982. Hill won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours with this car. It set him off on another career. (photo credit: Art Evans)

Jim Hall came all the way to the Tribute from Texas and brought the Chaparral 2E as well. In 1966 and 1967, Hill raced 17 times in Jim Hall’s Chaparrals, winning the 1966 Nurburgring 1,000 kms with co-driver, Jo Bonnier in the 2E. In the Can-Am, he was second at Mosport and won at Laguna Seca. At the 1967 Daytona, Phil and Mike Spence dominated the first four hours and set a new lap record in a 2F. At Spa, he set an all-time lap record of 146 mph. Phil and Mike won the 1967 6-hour BOAC 500, defeating Jackie Stewart and Chris Amon in the P4 Ferrari by 58.6 seconds after a nose-to-nose battle for the entire six hours. It was Phil’s last professional motor race.
Museum Director Buddy Pepp and his staff are to be commended for the effort and talent they put into this event. Also to be congratulated is frequent Sport Car Digest contributor Will Edgar, who was responsible for pre-event publicity. Due to him, the event was sold out long in advance.
Phil Hill Chaparral 2E Can-Am
Phil drove for Jim Hall during 1966 and 1967. Hill won the 1966 Can-Am event at Laguna Seca. Here, Hill leads Hall, both in the Chaparral 2E. (photo credit: Jim Hall Collection)

Phil Hill Chaparral 2F picture
Phil Hill won the 1967 BOAC 500 in Jim Hall’s Chaparral 2F. Hall brought the car for the Tribute and it was displayed in the Petersen. (photo credit: Jim Hall Collection)

Phil Hill Tribute at Peterson Museum – Additional Photos
Jim Hall and Bill Krause
The long and the short of it: Jim Hall and Bill Krause. (photo credit: Art Evans)

Cy Yedor and Ken Miles
Fifties-era racer and official Cy Yedor and Peter Miles, son of Ken Miles (photo credit: Art Evans)

Bruce McCaw picture
Bruce McCaw came all the way from Washington state to honor Phil. He brought along two cars Hill raced: the Ferrari 375MM seen below and a 1959 Ferrari TR59 in which Phil won the 1959 Times Grand Prix at Riverside. (photo credit: Art Evans)

Denise McCluggage picture
Denise McCluggage was one of those who said a few words about their relationship with Phil. (photo credit: Art Evans)

1953 Ferrari 375MM Vignale Phil Hill Carrera Panamericana
One of the cars on display was Ferrari 375MM Vignale that Phil Hill drove and Richie Ginther navigated to second place at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana road race. Richie’s son, Bret, was on hand to represent his father at the Tribute. (photo credit: Art Evans)


[Source: Art Evans]