30 Jan Rear-View Mirror: Historic Photos
Wendy Monk picks out some interesting historic items from FMM’s photo archives, some with a story, others with info required…
‘Now where have I seen that face before?’ How many times have you asked yourself that question and not been able to name the individual? Well, this month’s mystery photo is one of those occasions. This pic has been seen by so many knowledgeable South African motor sport people both here and overseas and no-one has yet managed to identify one of the individuals pictured.
The mystery man is the gentleman on the left. The person on the right is UK sports car driver Mike De Udy who raced at the Kyalami 9-Hour a number of times in the 1960s. The occasion is the 1966 SA premiere of the movie ‘Grand Prix’, an event that attracted a number of motor racing celebrities including Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jack Brabham, all of whom were pictured with Miss South Africa, Johanna Carter, as other pictures in the archive show. But who is alongside De Udy? It’s a real teaser, so can any reader put a name to the face, please, and put a lot of people’s minds to rest?
Last month’s mystery photo garnered a nil response, so the car, driver, event and year remain a mystery for the time being. However, the story behind November’s mystery photo continues apace. Sir George Albu, 3rd Baron of Johannesburg, the grandson of the driver in the car, Sir George Albu, 1st Baron of Johannesburg, phoned me and has confirmed the car as a Panhard et Levassor and then gave some fascinating background to the car – and the photograph itself. More research is taking place, at the conclusion of which the full story will be told. Watch this space…
Incidentally, Sir George is the brother of Julia Albu, who recently completed a ‘Cape to Cairo’ drive in a 20-year-old Toyota Conquest at the ripe old age of 80! The journey is recalled in her recently-released book, My African Conquest.
