1930s

Signs & talismans.

‘Racing is dangerous’ — every protagonist of the era knew it, from the Grand Prix years of the 1930s to the birth of Formula One in 1950. Drivers and their families were deeply superstitious and cultivated rituals to keep fate at bay: certain colours were shunned, the same items were worn at every race, and some drivers entered the car from only one side. Then as now, they shared a fondness for lucky symbols and talismans carried on the body, in their shoes or in the car.