Description

Ayrton Senna Personally Signed Press Photograph From 1986

We offer a very rare piece of genuine Ayrton Senna signed memorabilia and associated ephemera.

The package consists of a signed professional press photograph of Ayrton testing an RS Cosworth Rally Car in the Welsh Forests. The history of that day and the prints is as follows on the attached letter written by Steve Bennett who was working for Car and Car Conversions at that time.

Ayrton Senna Signed press Photograph 

In September 1986, Ayrton Senna tested a group of rally cars in Wales for British motorsport magazine Cars and Car Conversions. The resulting article, written by CCC editor, the late Russell Bulgin and titled ‘Welsh Rarebit’ is now a renowned piece of motoring journalism.

I was working at CCC at the time and was present at the test, which was conducted on a typical Welsh rally stage, just outside Newtown in Powys. My job was to direct photography and organise the front cover image. Subsequently, I designed and laid out the feature for the November 86 issue of CCC.

In the weeks after the test, Russell had no more than 10 prints created from the front cover image. He took these to Senna’s Esher home, where Ayrton signed each one with a personal message. These prints were then framed and given to key people present at the test, including drivers and CCC staff. I was one of the recipients and this signed print has been in my possession up until now. 

Other items relating from the test and collected here are colour proofs from the magazine another print the front cover image, plus a proof of the cover itself. Also, I have submitted a copy of Motorsport Magazine, in which I wrote a feature on my experiences of the two days spent with Ayrton Senna for that test.

Steve Bennett

Hoxne,
Suffolk,
August 2019