Rocked-IT X Alan Mann racing
There are few motorsport names more legendary than Alan Mann Racing. Founded in 1964 the team is forever linked to Ford and the iconic red and gold Escorts and Cortina’s that won so much, however their is so much more to the history of the team. We were delighted to add to that history with the creation of the Rocked-IT & Alan Mann Racing bespoke helmet bag.
Although the business of Alan Mann Racing began in 1964 the story begins before then. As a keen and talented amateur racer Alan worked in a Ford garage and was invited to race in the 1963 Marlboro 12h race. It probably wasn’t expected that they would beat the factory entered Falcons but they did and this caught the eye of Ford Management. In the following year Alan Mann Racing entered Falcons on the Monte Carlo Rally and set a blistering pace, showing that the team wasn’t just specialised in circuit racing. Following this six Ford Mustangs were prepared for the Tour de France Automobile and won with Peter Procter driving, this was the first major competitive success for the new Mustang.
As the team grew so did the stage on which it was performing. In 1965 Alan Mann Racing ran the European rounds of the World GT Championship with Corbas powered by Ford and designed by Carroll Shelby. The finest drivers of the time including Sir John Whitmore and Jack Sears drove the cars to the first World Championship win for an American Manufacturer. In the same year the team raced with Sir John Whitmore in the European Touring Car Championship, they of course won!
The team also played a role in the development of the iconic Ford GT40. During 1966 the team developed two ‘lightweight’ GT40s. These cars raced at Sebring in Florida in the hands of Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Sir John Whitmore and Frank Gardner. Whilst they were ultimately not the cars used at Le Mans for the historic victories they played a massive part in the development of the car.
Many other cars followed and the racing history of the team is littered with victories and other records but did you know that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was built by Alan Mann Racing? With this storied history you can understand why we were so excited to work with the team to create the bespoke bag launched at Goodwood Members Meeting. We believe the final bag was a fitting tribute to all that the team has achieved and hope you agree.