Roy Spencer Launches the MotorBinder Project; Fine Art Images of American Road Racing From 1955-65

Phil Hill with Bev Spencer and Spencer's Ferrari 250GT SWB.  © Roy Spencer

Many of you already know Roy Spencer not only from his Mercedes Heritage website, but also his restoration & sales of the brand's "old timer" cars. You may be surprised to learn that it's not only German steel that sparks his plug. Spencer's father, Bev Spencer, campaigned some of the most historically significant Ferrari road racers to ever exist, and today, armed with two massive binders full of in-period photos taken at virtually every major California racetrack, Spencer hopes to offer a fine art book to Maranello-loving cognoscenti.

The years 1955-1965 hold a certain allure to racing fanatics. It was an era of big engines, big races, big stakes and even bigger personalities. It was during this time that Bev Spencer, a Buick and Ferrari dealer based out of San Francisco, opted to create a race team who's archives would eventually spawn the MotorBinder project.

Spencer explained to us how his father became integral to such a pivotal time in American racing history, "My father had been buying most of the great road Ferraris beginning in 1957 and added a Ferrari Franchise to his Buick franchise in 1963. Once connected directly to Ferrari, he was able to purchase ex-Factory 250GTOs to race with hired drivers on the west coast from 1963-1965. In addition to the dozen or so epic street Ferraris he acquired he owned what are now the most significant competition Ferraris in existence."

That storied list includes:

• 1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa #0666 Prototype Testa Rossa
• 1961 Ferrari Testa Rossa #0794 last 3 liter Testa Rossa and the 1961 LeMans winner
• 1963 250GTO # 4219 perhaps the least raced GTO
• 1964 250GTO #5571 Daytona Continental 1964 winner

We especially enjoyed the anecdote Spencer recited during the brief Kickstarter video presentation, relating how his "media savvy" father figured out an ingenious way to attain press for his team. Check it out here for yourself: MotorBinder Project on Kickstarter

Just a $10 contribution lands you a reproduction Pit Pass

Funding for the digitization and restoration of the images is the biggest task at hand and Spencer has set up a Kickstarter page to enlist the support of people like you and I in order to make the book a reality. At the time of writing, the goal was nearing it's completion, but bear in mind that, as with all Kickstarter projects, any extra funds will still be awarded to the project so even if it meets it's deadline so don't worry, you can still reap the rewards offered for your kind contribution to the project. The rewards are pretty cool indeed ranging from replica pit passes to photo prints to your very own copy of the book at only a $35 contribution. We consider that a bargain and one you certainly won't find amongst the perpetually-appreciating real life counterparts to the cars depicted.

10-17-2013 Update: Roy Spencer informed us that the $10,000 goal is actually only partial funding for the book. To date, he has already spent over twice that amount and will spend far more before it is all said and done, so your contributions are in fact helping to make this book happen and any amount will be put to good use. 

MotorBinder Project on Kickstarter
MotorBinder Project on FaceBook