02/06/2026
From my collection, this is: "Harry Schell, Valentino Park F1 Grand Prix, Torino, 1955"
Shop At: https://www.italfotoarchive.com
ALL SIZES ARE IN INCHES. 1inch=2.54cm
Harry Schell
was an American F1 driver. He was born into a family of passionate drivers; his father was a professional driver, and his mother, the wealthy American heiress Lucy O'Reilly Schell, famously disputed several races. In 1940 the couple was racing together in the rally team "Ecurie Blue" when they suffered a serious accident. Laury Schell lost his life, and Lucy got badly injured. Finding itself without drivers, the team offered the seat to Harry, who was just 17 years old, thus starting his career as a racing driver.
After the war, Schell went to Europe and started to race Formula 3, and Formula 2 before entering the F1 Championship in 1950. Though Schell never won a Championship Grand Prix, he was highly respected. He won the Caen Grand Prix of 1956 and 2nd in the 1958 Dutch Grand Prix. In 1957, he partnered with Stirling Moss in 12 Hours of Sebring, reaching 2nd place, and took 3rd place at the same event in 1959. Despite his reputation as a safe, prudent driver, he died in 1960 during qualifying a non-championship event in Silverstone, UK. Schell was driving at approximately 100Mph when his car slid into the mud on the side of the track and lost a wheel. The Cooper somersaulted and penetrated a safety barrier, causing a brick wall to collapse.
The following year, roll-bar protection, of which Schell was a great promoter, became a required safety feature in F1 racing cars, while in the United States was already a standard a few years before.
