Revell's "History of Automobile Racing"

(Exerpt from the 1964 Revell Assembly Manual)

From the beginning of recorded history, men have competed against each other in terms of speed, but the introduction of the automobile brought with it one of the most exciting means of competition yet seen. Here was a machine which could be made to move at fantastic speeds, accompanied by properly awe-inspiring growls, rumbles and snorts.

The world's first automobile race took place in France on June 12-13, 1895. Starting from Paris, the 22 cars attempted to drive to the town of Bordeaux and return, a total distance of 732 miles. Forty-eight hours and 48 minutes after leaving Paris, Emile Levassor completed the circuit and became the first man to win an automobile race. His winning speed: 14.9 mph.!

Inevitably the sport grew. New races were devised and by the early 1900's, the speeds attained had reached the 100 mph mark. The first Gran Prix of ACF (Automobile Club de France) was run in 1906 and in 1923, was revised to become the famous Le Mans Gran Prix of Endurance. This is a 24-hour race planned to prove the design features of new automobiles. The year 1906 also saw the first running of the Targa Florio, named after Count Vicenzo Florio, covering a circuit on the island of Sicily.

The famous Indianapolis 500 had its first running in 1911 with a top speed of 74.4 mph. and became an annual racing classic designed to prove the latest automotive theories. Speed records were continually being broken as new power plants were devised and aerodynamic streamlining was incorporated into the overall race car design. Manufacturers were carving their names into automotive history as they vied to produce the sturdiest and most powerful machines. The names of Bugatti, Mercedes, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati have become classic in the annals of road and track racing. Many cars bearing these names still clamor for records in today's racing programs.

As race cars became more advanced and refined, they began to fall into definite racing categories. Today some cars are designed for the track, others for the road, some simply for sport, and some to iron out technical problems typical of a fast-moving industry. Similarly, race courses are engineered for endurance, skill, handling and other human abilities. There are now race cars and tracks to fill the requirements of every race enthusiast.

The race car has undeniably influenced our modern passenger cars in both performance and styling. The relentless pounding taken at Le Mans has produced a more durable automobile; the carefully contoured racing bodies have led to the low, trim and aesthetically pleasing automobiles of today, and the highly refined state of the internal combustion engine is due in no small part to the tremendous demands of racing. Some production passenger cars such as the Corvette Sting Ray, Jaguar XK-E, and Mercedes-Benz 300-SL are typical of the blending of the technologies of race cars and passenger automobiles. Though these are only two-place vehicles, they are quite popular as personal automobiles and are equally at home on the highway or race track.

Your REVELL RACEWAY reproduces in miniature all the excitement and performance of the famous and thrilling events of racing's past and present. The REVELL RACEWAY cars have been engineered and manufactured in the same manner as the sports cars which they represent.

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