The illustrious Phil Hill carried the American automobile racing flag to Europe in the mid-1950s to compete at the highest levels of racing against what many considered the world’s finest race drivers. Hill, determined to prove that Americans could match the best, became a team driver for the renowned Ferrari Formula 1 team in 1956, ultimately becoming the first American-born driver to win a Formula 1 race. In his 15-year professional racing career, Hill drove at the pinnacle of Formula 1, long distance sportscar racing and Can Am, during a time period when safety in car racing barely existed, and crash-caused deaths were commonplace.
Yet Hill’s rare combination of skill, bravery and canniness allowed him to survive, before later becoming a world-respected automobile restorer in Santa Monica, California. His personal racing memorabilia from the 1950s and ’60s, comprising a matchless time capsule of authentic racing history, is currently being offered at auction until February 19th, 2021 by Gooding & Company.
For an in-depth article on Phil Hill, his racing and his transition to world class car restoration and collecting, CLICK HERE
