Video: Helmet-cam onboard the prettiest F1 car of the 1960s

04th December 2023

Ben Miles

Imagine being entrusted with racing the 1967 Gurney Eagle F1 car around Laguna Seca. Not only have you been asked to drive perhaps (definitely) the most beautiful F1 car of its era, but you’re also asked to showcase it on track in front of the public with other cars.

That’s the situation that always lucky man Gunnar Jeannette found himself in during the Velocity Invitational in 2021. Fortunately for us, Gunnare has never knowingly jumped into a historic racing car without having a GoPro strapped to his helmet.

So we have a perfect document of just what it was like for The American racer to attack the Southern Californian tarmac in a legendary machine, now owned by our friends over at the Revs Collection in Florida.

Obviously, it sounds great – it was powered by a V12 – and the visual of sliding it around on these skinny tyres looks like an intoxicating experience, but there’s one other fact that we really adore. The rev counter.

Yes, it has a rev counter that reads all the way around to 12,000rpm, but our favourite thing is that the needle doesn’t move smoothly. Instead, it basically ticks like a clock, flicking around the dial as if trying to catch up with Gunnar’s driving.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Is the North West 200 actually better than the TT?