Phil Hill, World Champion. 60 years ago this week Phil won the Belgian Grand Prix for Ferrari. We celebrate his championship year. Photo of Phil Hill at the LA Times Grand Prix by Jim Sitz courtesy IMRRC.
Recently, working with Jim Sitz, we recalled that it was 60 years ago that Phil Hill won the Formula One World Championship. So why not put together something on Phil Hill, divide the photos up into four segments, each of which to be published close to the date of Phil’s remaining 1961 F1 races, culminating in the Grand Prix of Monza. And, in addition to Jim’s photos, we sneak in a couple from other photographers. But throughout we’ll get Jim to provide first hand recollections of his talks with Hill over the many years they knew each other.
You’ll catch on. We begin by noting, with pleasure, Phil’s F1 race at the Belgian Grand Prix, run on June 18th, 1961. He had already placed 3rd at Monaco and 2nd at Zandvoort. At Spa, Phil won his second Grand Prix victory after a thrilling fight with teammates Oliver Gendebien and Wolfgang von Trips.
Below, Jim Sitz recalls conversations he had with Phil over the years, providing a unique and private view of America’s first World Champion. Our next segment will be published on July 13, the week of the 1961 British Grand Prix on July 15.
October 15, 1950 Don Parkinson ahead of Hill at Carrell Speedway, located 10 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Parkinson was Hill’s brother-in-law. “Parkinson worked for his famous family of architects in Los Angeles. His dad had the best cars prewar: Alfas, BMW, Mercedes SSK. Don Parkinson got his own Jag XK120 late in 1949; it was silver grey and provided the car (and himself) for a Road & Track road test, doing the speed runs. I watched him win at Palm Springs in 1951, beating his brother-in-law Phil, who had a factory car built for Le Mans that year.” My friend Strother MacMinn was the photographer, courtesy of Bob Ames and Dale LaFollette.
A rare shot of Phil in Basil Panzer’s Allard at Pikes Peak, September, 1950, taken by Strother MacMinn. It was a tough car to drive. Many years later, Phil was writing a series of articles for Road & Track on historic racing cars. I suggested something more light hearted, like maybe driving the Allard at Pikes Peak. He snapped back, ignoring the attempt at humor, and said, “So, Sitz, you think that was fun?”
After Sebring 1954 where Phil drove a Ferrari 4.5 with Bill Spears, Phil decided to retire from racing. He was living on baby food and told me he had an ulcer at the time, or maybe it was just nerves. But he couldn’t resist the lure of racing, and on July 4th showed up at Torrey Pines with Dorothy Deen’s Triumph TR 2. I caught this photo of Phil, and when I look at it today I am amazed at how frail he appears. He drove anyway. Sitz photo, courtesy IMRRC.
Forty years later I asked him why he drove a lowly TR 2 at Torrey. He told me he did not want to make a big splash with a Ferrari, after a four month layoff since Sebring, just wanting to put a toe back in the waters before going to Mexico with a Ferrari 4.5. I also asked him if car owner and motor tycoon Dorothy Deen (whom I later married) insisted he drive. “Well Jim, you know how she is, she twisted my arm.” This photo was taken by Bob Rolofson.
By the end of the year Phil was looking much better. This photo came to me by way of Stephen Payne, whose father Phillip was a mechanic who worked at Roger Barlow’s dealership along with Phil. The Lacoste Crocodile was a favorite of Phil’s but always reminded me of the cartoon in theNew Yorker where a crododile walks into a men’s clothing store and asks the salesman for a shirt with a tiny man on it.
At the end of 1955, I was working at Drewry Color Photo lab in Glendale California, on West Colorado St, right next door to the offices at Road & Track. On Saturday, November 12, I could hear the cars practicing for the SCCA event at the Glendale Grand Central Airport, about a mile away. My boss, Duane Sterling, was a great guy and when he saw how enthused I was about the race, he said, “Take off!” I quickly found my way to the paddock area where I found Phil and mechanic Henry Pickett, working on the Ferrari 750 Monza, 0492M, driven by owner John von Neumann. He looked so much happier now that he was driving Ferraris again, in this case, those two Monzas owned by Johnny von Neumann, who was now the West Coast Ferrari distributor. As Michael Lynch and David Seielstad reported in Cavallino # 125, von Neumann brought two Monzas to that event. He drove 0492 M to sixth overall, while the other similar Monza 750, serial number 0582 M, was driven by Phil to first overall. Sitz photo, courtesy IMRRC.
Wonderful pictures, especially the Pikes Peak Allard J2 SWB with Phil fighting the dreadful understeer. Probably the worst setup for the Peak, so one can understand his comments to Jim about the drive. Many thanks.
A super piece by Jim Sitz on his friend Phil Hill. Thanks for bringing it to us, Pete. — Carl Goodwin
What wonderful photos and great memories. I wish I could have been there.
Living in Santa Monica and being involved with the vintage race car scene, I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Phil a few times. A wonderful person, fantastic human being.
Reading Jim’s comments about Phil and the early days of sportscar racing almost makes it feel as if we were there with him! Thank you Jim for taking the time to share your photos and your memories of those interesting days. Please keep it coming! This format is so much more conversational and enjoyable than sitting down to read a book. I am not anti-book. This is just feels more like a conversation than a research project.
We all should thank Jim personally for his lifelong commitment to documenting motor sports history.
Thank You Mr Sitz !
Jack Shea
Though I am a book writer, i enjoy these “conversations” about the people in the picture from those that knew them. I hope you run more similar format recollections. I remember a few years ago at the Beverly Hills Father’s Day show on Rodeo Drive, seeing Phil early in the morning and asking him if he wanted to go for coffee since no one seemed to recognize him. On the way the Ford PR man tagged along and then Phil’s wife but I felt happy that he could relate to a fan though this must have been 40 years or so since his last race.
There has been a lot of debate among Allard owners and enthusiasts over the years about whether or not Phil Hill ever drove/raced an Allard. However a few months ago we had the opportunity to read one of the editions of Phil’s autobiography, where he describes his 1950 Pikes Peak Allard experience. This is the first time I have seen this particular photo.
Over the years I have come to respect and admire Jim Sitz’s photography, his writing and his voluminous memory for detail. He is a true gentleman and I value his friendship.
Thank you Jim Sitz and Pete Vack for bringing such personal reminesces of one of America’s best A number of years ago on the Colorado Grand, Phil and I were walking around during a lunch stop and the thought struck me that here I was walking around with a former world champion and none of townspeople had any idea who he was. I made some feeble wisecrack about no one recognizing a former world driving champion and Phil said something like “Let’s keep it that way!” Typical of the unassuming nature of a man who made it to the top and stayed there in my mind!
What a wonderful feature on an amazing driver. Wish i could have been there to witness these events. Jims first hand comments and brilliant photographs put together by Peters work is outstanding. I am always blown away by Jims memory of his racing life and viewing his pictures. I hope more fans get to see his work now.
Jim’s observations will show the side of Phil; the one with all the sensible attitudes, despite his fame. Jim and I worked with Post Publications in Arcadia California, when he was a 12-year old who could remember everything! Lucky for Phil’s fans, Jim still remembers everything. Phil was our quiet hero, once gave me a wild ride in a Jaguar, when I was an Art Center student in 1951…just because I asked.
Well after all this comments , I feel so lucky without knowing I had the pleasurer to work for Phil Hill ,Santa Monica and Marina del Rey CA , he was quiet but funny , love the Doors and always ask me for Pop corn ! good times and good memories , thank you for this article !
What a lovely piece about Phil. I look forward to reading future installments. Jim is a great guy. He and I have become well-acquainted in recent years, as my eldest nephew Steve Dawson was Phil’s long-time friend and collaborator in assembling Phil’s wonderful collection of photographs for publication.
I had a chance to meet Phil years ago at the Portland Historic Races, and he kindly autographed my program. His signature was very small and cramped, and it occurred to me that this brilliant race driver was extremely modest and introverted, much as Jimmy Clark had been.
I truly enjoyed Jim’s photos of Phil Hill and his commentary. While I never met Phil, Jim’s insight is amazing and captures the spirit of racing in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I anxiously awaking the next segment.
Thanks for the many stories, taking us down “Memory Lane”.. The memories of a humble and talented man are priceless! I read everything you print, Peter; and you, Jim send me; with releash!
What a great piece. I’m looking forward to the remaining ones. But this just proves once again, what a phenomenal memory Jim has. Ever since I’ve know him he would tell me about his most recent phone conversation with Phil. But what was always surprising to me was the fact that Phil’s calls where often to be reminded of which car he drove in a particular race, or where he finished, or both. Usually because someone was doing a story on him.
The first time I met Phil was at the Petersen when I took an old photo of him working on a Ferrari up to him to sign. He immediately rambled off the car’s serial number, the weekend of the photo and graciously signed it. Definitely a gentle soul with a lot of class.
This is so wonderfully presneted here in Veloce Today by Jim and Pete, with Jim’s outstanding photographs of Phil and his comments about the times and the friendship he and Phil shared. It is the kind of priceless preservation of history that means so much to us now and for decades to come. Thank you for this!
I used to work with Jim at Vintage Motorsport magazine. I’d wondered how he was getting on, and apparently he’s doing just fine! A sweet, gracious and brilliant guy, and an irreplaceable asset to the motorsports community. Also got to have dinner with Phil and Alma once at Road Atlanta; a cherished memory.
Phil Hill was before my time but, being from Argentina, we followed European racing and knew very well who Phil Hill was. He won the 1000 Kms of Buenos Aires for Ferrari twice in 1958 and 1960 with Peter Collins and Cliff Allison respectively, but I never saw him racing. The first time I saw him “in action” (with so many other racing notables of the time, including, of course, our great Juan Manuel Fangio), was when I went to see the movie Grand Prix in Buenos Aires in 1967.
When I moved to the US in 1984, I had a chance to meet him in various functions and once I went to lunch with members of Road&Track’s staff and Phil. He was cordial, but not particularly talkative, a little aloof, I’d say. But I didn’t know him well. I just finished the book “The Limit” by Michael Cannell about his career. I consider myself fortunate and blessed to have met (and learned from) so many wonderful people in the world of motorsports in this country (some of whom sent their comments above mine), and who allowed me to be part of this racing brotherhood.
Having been very grateful for Jim’s friendship & knowledge over many years, it is great to read his recollections of our mutual friend Phil. As Jim mentioned my late father Phil Payne (Baldwin Payne Special) worked with Phil at International Motors and our families have remained friends since those days. Jim brings out Phil’s character & it is interesting to read the comments. I agree that Phil could attend events and not be recognised – I remember spending a weekend with Phil in the ’80s at the Beaulieu Autojumble with a ‘shopping list’ for the Nethercutt Collection, and he was only recognised once over the two days. I look forward to the forthcoming articles by Jim.
Attending the 1991 Monterey Historics, celebrating Fangio, I was walking past the V.I.P. tent when Denise McCluggage stepped out saying to me, “You should be in here.” Denise sat me down at a table alone with Fangio and Phil Hill. I have aways believed that Fangio and Phil have very similar relaxed, confident, intelligent driving styles. Just out to get the job done with as little fuss as possible. Having this Amazing oppotunity, I asked them both to comment. Fangio in Italian, “I learn from Phil!” Phil responded, ” Fangio is The Professor!” A Glorious Meeting never to be forgotten.
In the ‘50s I lived about a block down 20th street from Phil. He tolerated (was kind to) local kids qawking. As I was mostly eldest of those (last to be expected home to dinner), I tended to get a lot of the ‘buttoned-up’ final tune completed rides (very kind indeed). Down San Vicente and into the canyon was nifty and ‘interesting’. Up from the canyon hard right, cresting the hill, flatting to the (inevitable red light ahead short block) hard-braking to 7th street /San Vicente stop (dodging any cross-traffic at hilltop)… exhilarating. And… he was SO smooth clean and graceful the entire while. No real drama at all. For him. Other local experiences and interactions made very clear what a bright, knowledgeable, kind person he could be. A serious object lesson. Unforgettable. Helped a lot in 1954 when I upgraded my 1952 Victoria to Fordillac status. Fun test drive. Never to be forgotten. Thanks, Phil!!