Honda debuted its RA300 Formula One car fifty years ago, near the tail end of the 1967 F1 season. Miraculously, it won the very first race it competed in, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, by running strong but steady near the top of the pack for most of the race and and clinching victory in a last-lap pass of the two lead cars. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this achievement, Honda sent the RA300 back to Monza and ran it on an exhibition lap at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month.
Unfortunately, Honda dubbed music over most of the video, so that its 400-horsepower, 48-valve V12 can’t really be heard. Still, what you can hear of its 12,000-rpm wail is beautiful. Even more beautiful is the fact that every single vehicle in Honda’s considerable collcection of cars and bikes is maintained to run.
An this car ran in ’67 on the old Monza course which was remarkably different, what an amazing sound! Quite a tribute to the winning driver, Ritchie Ginther as well.
It’s a pity this is what we get, abbreviated and with music that sounds like it came from an early ’90s racing simulator.. Where’s the on-board video Honda? Where?!
A model of this car sitting in a window display is what really got me interested in F1 as a kid.